What Is The Fallacies In Shirley Chisholm's Speech

Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected in the U.S. Congress and run for president as a Democratic candidate. Despite losing the presidential nomination Shirley Chisolm continued to be inspiration for young African American women across the United States. Chisholm was a great orator that used her voice to improve racial inequality and women rights for all Americans. Her speech given on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1968 will forever immortalize Shirley Chisholm’s dedication to improving human rights. The use of fallacies throughout her speech were used to captivate her audience and bring attention to the injustice that was going on in America. Her speech was emotional appeal to rationalize with her colleges to pass better legislation that will improve human rights, make racial discrimination illegal, and improve women rights.

Chisolm states “Discrimination against women, solely on the basis of their sex, is so widespread that is seems to many persons normal, natural and right.” The use of this hasty generalization is to bring attention to a social problem that is going unresolved due to the prevalent behavior in a patriarchal society. During the time this speech was given many employers refused to hire women, because of their core belief that women were physically and mentally inferior than men. This sexist ideolodgy disenfranchised women from many career opportunities and receiving equal or fair pay as their male counterparts. Shirley Chisolm used this fallacy to mock the observed notion that women were naturally incompetent due to their sexual