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Clementa Pinnckney Eulogy Analysis

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In President Obama’s eulogy to the recently deceased Reverend Clementa Pinckney in 2015, he argues that there are still racial issues in America and that we need to change it. Obama supports his argument by giving black churches historical importance by crediting them with serving as a safehouse for slaves and by using the moral authority of God and Pinckney, and Obama’s high status to push for change. The president’s purpose is to convince the country that change is needed so that violence--specifically racial violence--in America comes to a halt. Obama speaks in a tone of hope, adoration (of the Reverend and God), and reverence in order to appeal to the, most likely, religious audience that is listening to the eulogy of a reverend.
In order to convince the American people that black prosperity is an idea worth preserving, Obama uses his high status to give moral and meritorious credit to things associated with African Americans. He does this in a way that makes …show more content…

The president establishes an authority held by the Reverend and by God in order to convince the audience that change in treatment of races should be a top priority. Since the audience is most likely God-fearing, they will feel obligated to give in to the authority of The Lord, not to mention the beloved (if he was not beloved before, he is now due to Obama’s adoration of him) Reverend Clementa Pinckney. For instance, Obama has pushed for the removal of the Confederate Flag from the state, but now he gets a little help from God. He says, “By taking down that flag, we express God’s grace. But I don’t think God wants us to stop there.” The people in the audience are going to listen to that because It is the president of the United States expressing God’s will, and if they do not listen to God’s will then they are bad people because God is all powerful and has the

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