John Lewis Speech Analysis

Improved Essays
One of the most important parts of the civil rights movement was to be able to give a compelling speech that encourages the people to act and fight for what is right. One of the key speeches of the civil rights movement was John Lewis’s speech during the march in Washington on August 28th 1968 because of his way of persuading the audience. Although he was asked to make adjustments to his already powerful speech at the March on Washington, John Lewis uses rhetorical appeals to make his argument strong and persuasive. He uses emotion to show the horrors of what is occurring, logic to convey the reasons why there needs to be a change, and his credibility to show his involvement in the civil rights movement. First of all, Lewis was able to make his argument compelling by his use of emotion, or pathos. By using emotional context in his speech, it …show more content…
Before the speech even begins, John Lewis was introduced for being a chairman of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). By showing his authority as an activist for equality, Lewis’s speech has already gained credibility points, making his argument more compelling and relevant. Also, during his speech, he says, “I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation” (Lewis). By saying this he is asking the people to become a part of the revolution that has already been set in place by him and his fellow leaders. This includes the sit-ins and stand-ins, freedom rides, silent protests, etc. All of which Lewis himself has been a part of, therefore increasing his credibility and involvement of the movement. Adding this into his argument compels the audience because it shows that John Lewis is involved with the fight for freedom and equal opportunities, and not just another face with no interest at heart for the civil rights

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    “But now I do have that chance -- and I’ll let you in on a secret -- I mean to use it. And I hope that you will use it with me.” (Lyndon Johnson). On March 15, 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson, the president at the time, gave a riveting speech to congress and to the American people to try to quell the violent demonstrations for racial equality and establish equal voting rights for all. Throughout his speech, “We Shall Overcome”, Mr. Johnson used a wide variety of persuasive techniques to ensure the success of the speech.…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On John Lewis

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages

    John Lewis against segregation I believe there are key turning points for John Lewis in the book March by writers Lewis and Ayden book 1 and 2. In the book March John Lewis fights against segregation for equality. Initially, Lewis received a bible as a gift for his 4th Christmas. The trip he took with his Uncle Otis to Buffalo amplified his eagerness and interest for desegregation. Finally, his ambition to go to college which was ultimately denied by his parents, these events caused a change in Lewis and his determination for desegregation, this change also shaped his future for what was to come as SNCC Chairman.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To further illustrate this idea, John Lewis mentions, “Do you know that in Albany, Georgia, nine of our leaders have been indicted, not by the Dixiecrats, but by the federal government for peaceful protest?” (para 6). He is describing how by interfering and going against the civil rights movement, the government is responsible for contributing to the unfortunate situation because it operates in a way that invalidates equality and peace. By mentioning the issue with the federal government’s actions, Lewis promotes the idea that there exists a situation of injustice in the country. Through the use of a rhetorical question, attention is drawn to Lewis’ message because he makes his followers and Congress think about his claims.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Although there are many speeches that have contributed to the progress of civil rights in American history, no other speech comes to mind more than Martin Luther King’s notorious “I Have a Dream” speech. It paved the way for the equality of all mankind in America, thus, becoming an imperative check mark in the history of our nation. It’s effectiveness, however, isn’t accomplished just by the remarkable delivery of Dr. King. His “I Have a Dream” speech successfully implements many rhetorical devices to establish a powerful speech that readers and listeners can easily connect to. Besides its heartfelt and promising content, Dr. King’s use of vivid metaphors, influential repetition of words and phrases, and placement of strong verbs construct…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Shadiamond Briney Research Paper 7th ELA Do you know John Lewis? John Lewis, an influential civil rights leader,and is recognized by most as one of the important leaders of the civil rights movement as a whole. John Lewis, an influential SNCC leader, attended segregated schools. In 1963 Lewis played a key role in the historic March On Washington making him an influential leader of the civil rights movement.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Turning Points in John Lewis’ Life Segregation was different from the city of Buffalo and the state of Alabama which disappointed John Lewis, one of the authors of March. He could see that colored people in Buffalo had more freedom and could be white people’s neighbors without the whites making a big deal about it. John Lewis’ could see the differences and knew that it all had to change. It only took him a trip to Buffalo, at a young age, to realize how poorly they were being treated in the South. So, when he came back from his trip to Buffalo, he started looking at most things from a different perspective.…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One of the things that Lewis began to learn through king’s speeches, was about the boycott that was occurring at the time. King points out, “50,000 negroes are believed to be participating at this time (Lewis et al 59).” When King said those words, Lewis felt as if he had been one of those 50,000 people protesting for their rights because in his young mind, he really did want to support his ethnicity. As time progressed, Lewis admits he was inspired; “Dr. Kings example showed me that it was possible to do more as a minister than what I had witnessed in my own church. I was inspired.…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On August 28, 1963, American civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered one of the most famous public speeches in American history. During the political rally known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, King and over 250,000 civil rights supporters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the march and Dr. King’s speech was to advocate for civil rights for African Americans in the United States. In his speech, King calls for a permanent end to racism and discrimination in the United States and overall, equality amongst all races. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was ranked number one when communication scholars identified the top one hundred historical speeches of the twentieth century (Isa Engleberg,…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mlk Significance

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages

    April,16, 1963, MLK spoke, “Injustice somewhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” MLK took part in many marches to gain equality and freedom. He had taken part and led in one of the most memorable events in Civil Rights history. MLK’s background, his fight for justice, and the importance of remembering him and his efforts, is what has molded this nation today. During MLK’s childhood, he developed a gentle character from his parental role models and high academics leading him to an early start in the college life.…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Lewis justifies that people of color will no longer let inequality be put off to the side as if it does not matter. To illustrate this idea of the government taking long for equality for all John Lewis states, “How long can we be patient?” which can be seen as Lewis saying he is tired of waiting for the government to enforce equality for all. At this moment in the speech, John has become demanding for the justice of all men and women, but also impatient with the government for constantly saying to wait a bit more longer . From this reader can interpret that the government was putting the movement for equal rights to the side due to not being as important as other movements in the government's eyes.…

    • 260 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In John Lewis’ speech, he uses a strong but formal tone when asking the public rhetorical questions (para 6). These questions are used to show the public that the political party will not take their side and instead will treat them the same. Lewis used these questions to show the injustice he sees, that they don’t have protection against the discrimination that others have applied to African Americans. According to Lewis “Where is the political party that will make it unnecessary to march in the streets of Birmingham? “The essence of Lewis’s argument is that they don’t have someone to help them with their stand.…

    • 157 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    On June 11, 1963, John F. Kennedy delivered the “Civil Rights Address” from the Oval Office to a camera placed in front of his desk. Americans around the country turned on their televisions to see their President deliver a powerful message about equal rights. Loaded with repetition, imagery, the use of first person pronouns, and occasional shifts in paragraph lengths enabled Kennedy to convey his message of persuasion through logos. John F. Kennedy, a Harvard graduate, adored president, and charming man, effectively used logos in the “Civil Rights Address” in efforts to persuade American people to stop prejudice against black Americans. Statistics Kennedy utilized deeply impacted the nation as a whole.…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Yvette Rodriguez Professor Stern English 71 6/20/16 Compare and Contrast essay When you think about the Civil Rights Movement two people that might pop into mind could be Martin Luther King Jr. and Governor George Wallace. These two men wrote speeches about where they stood at a time when our nation was split in two. Governor Wallace, didn't think living in a segregated world was a bad thing, after all that was the way he was brought up that was all he knew. Six months later Dr. King who did not agree with Wallace and his views wrote a speech responding back to the Governor.…

    • 1468 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    March: Book One And March

    • 1449 Words
    • 6 Pages

    I really appreciated that part of the book. I think the purpose of March: Book One and March: Book Two is to raise awareness of what happened back in that time. I was not alive in the 1960s, but I think the book is to show people who were later born that this was a huge problem back then. The Civil Rights Movement shaped the future for the people to come and I think John Lewis wanted that message to spread.…

    • 1449 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    was a very ambitious person. He kept on going and helped lead African Americans to have complete freedom. He never stopped doing what he believed was the right thing to do. The time that he was in the Birmingham, AL jail, he still kept on fighting. He wrote letters to draw people to keep going for the Civil Rights (Leone, 1996).…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    • 3 Works Cited
    Improved Essays