Barbara Jordan Barbara Jordan is an African American woman who had the honor of giving a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1976.
In her speech, Jordan is trying to communicate that she recognizes her situation as a special, unusual one. She says, “There is something special about tonight...A lot of years passed since 1832, and during that time it would have been most unusual for any national political party to ask a Barbara Jordan to deliver a keynote address. But tonight, here I am. And I feel -- I feel that notwithstanding the past that my presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American Dream need not forever be deferred” (par.2). One can assume that she is different and special because of her race or gender. For this era, she was the first woman who broke all political barriers to achieve her American dream. …show more content…
She invests emotionally to show that she will make the American government better than it has been in the past. First, she uses words like “spend this time praising the accomplishments of this party and attacking the Republicans” …. She also says “I could list the many problems which Americans have” that cause people to feel “cynical, angry, frustrated” because of the “lack of integrity in government”…“I could recite these problems, and then I could sit down and offer no solutions. But I don't choose to do that either. The citizens of America expect more. They deserve and they want more than a recital of problems” (par.3). The audience can feel that she is right that Americans don’t want to hear the same things. She will not base her argument on the notion of mocking or attacking the opposing political party, the
In her speech, Jordan is trying to communicate that she recognizes her situation as a special, unusual one. She says, “There is something special about tonight...A lot of years passed since 1832, and during that time it would have been most unusual for any national political party to ask a Barbara Jordan to deliver a keynote address. But tonight, here I am. And I feel -- I feel that notwithstanding the past that my presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American Dream need not forever be deferred” (par.2). One can assume that she is different and special because of her race or gender. For this era, she was the first woman who broke all political barriers to achieve her American dream. …show more content…
She invests emotionally to show that she will make the American government better than it has been in the past. First, she uses words like “spend this time praising the accomplishments of this party and attacking the Republicans” …. She also says “I could list the many problems which Americans have” that cause people to feel “cynical, angry, frustrated” because of the “lack of integrity in government”…“I could recite these problems, and then I could sit down and offer no solutions. But I don't choose to do that either. The citizens of America expect more. They deserve and they want more than a recital of problems” (par.3). The audience can feel that she is right that Americans don’t want to hear the same things. She will not base her argument on the notion of mocking or attacking the opposing political party, the