Michelle Alexander in her book, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" argues that law enforcement officials routinely racially profile minorities to deny them socially, politically, and economically as was accustomed in the Jim Crow era. She first supports her claim by chronicling America 's history of institutionalized racism and systematic disenfranchisement of African Americans. Then, she discusses America 's War on Drugs that disproportionately targets minorities and finally as she examines the hardship faced by felons she compares and contrasts Jim Crow Laws to mass incarceration. Alexander surmises that mass incarceration is designed to maintain white supremacy and sustain a racial classification system. Alexander 's book is relevant to my research paper because she provides evidence that the criminal justice system is rooted in racism and directly linked to the racist agenda of the white supremacist.
In August 1963 Martin Luther King electrified the American population with his extremely powerful 'I Have A Dream ' speech. This speech is extremely effective as King 's use of rhetoric demands racial justice in an unjust society. Martin Luther King use of carefully planned use of language through a wide range of techniques make 's this speech an effective one through both the oral delivery and written text. The techniques of repetition, quotations, specific examples to moments in American History and metaphors emphasize King 's main argument in this speech, where he believes ' 'America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as its citizens of colour are concerned ' ' and he calls for the Negro community to use their voice in society and call for change as a matter of urgency. The first technique I feel that adds to the effectiveness of this speech is King 's very clever repetition of phrases.
This speech by Martin Luther King Jr. was delivered in 1963 while addressing the participants who marched with him from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. The march was conducted under Martin Luther king Jr. and some other civil rights organizations against the social injustices occurring against the blacks and to provide them with civil rights, in that court rulings such as those in Brown vs. the Board of Education had already ended segregation in schools in 1950s, but their effective implementation was only disrupted by the discriminatory Jim Crow laws which would not be repealed until 1965. Additionally, there were not sufficient legislations to completely end preferential treatment to the white. King using pathos successfully touches the legal and moral aspect of equality, enshrined in the constitution, by repeatedly using phrases to emphasize his point, utilizing quotations in his address, by using specific examples as the basis of his argument and using metaphors to feature contrasting ideas. Martin Luther King Jr. stated the
In the speech “I Have a Dream”, Martin Luther King made a call for an end to racism in America. In terms of Martin Luther King's tone, I think there was a sensation of hope, but also the remembrance of the harsh and tough journey people of color had made to arrive at that day and place, so long after they were promised to be "free" with the Emancipation Proclamation. Martin Luther King was using rhetoric all the time in his speech. The words that he was saying contained shock, great emotion, and passionate release, that is why over 250,000 people felt motivated on the 28th of August in 1963. The speech starts with events and characters of the past like: “a great American” and “Emancipation Proclamation”.
God Bless America 3a.) Some of the historical events that influence Ringgold’s work relates to the universal truths of the political and social issues that African-Americans have endured during that time period which personally she felt compelled to address. The painting itself was painted during the Civil Rights movement in 1964 where white prejudice against African American was enforced by the legal system. 3b.) The star on the flag symbolizes a sheriff's badge and the stripes on the flag symbolizes the bars of a jail cell.
This speech was given on August 28, 1963 after Martin Luther King Jr. led “The March on Washington”. The “I have a Dream” speech was delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where former President Lincoln defeated southern states over the issue of slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a seventeen minute long speech, where he spoke passionately about the demand of change of racial justice and an integrated society.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for equal rights for African Americans. He peacefully protested on various occasions and was a leader of the civil rights movement. For example, he protested at the March on Washington and gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Because he had a great effect on society, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. When Dr. King was alive, society was very different from present day.
An unjust law is “a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.” So any law that degrades human personality is unjust. King was put into jail for protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. Everything in Alabama was segregated, whether in schools, bathrooms, churches, or buses the blacks were always separated from the whites. Blacks faced a lot of discrimination during that time and they went about trying to solve this injustice the nonviolent way by protesting. Yet they were arrested, this essay was written to try to make an unjust law just.
“I Have A Dream” is a speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. for jobs and freedom for African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. was a well remembered as an influential activist during the civil right movement. He participated in boycotts to achieve equal rights for African Americans. In the 1950’s Martin Luther King Jr. became the leader for the civil rights movement. Hes’ famous “I Have A Dream” speech is remembered as the event that helped end the racism.
King references the Gettysburg Address that was written by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. “Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” (King 1). At the end of the speech, he mentions major disputes in history that makes us who we are today. “...we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing…” (King 6). Martin Luther King Jr. used figurative language such as metaphors, allusions, and repetition in his speech to create a lasting impact in our nation that fought segregation.