Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King's 'Why We Can't Wait'

In the year 1963 of August, Martin Luther King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as a response of a letter published in a local newspaper. This letter, written by the Clergymen of Birmingham at this time, caught his attention while he was confined in jail for parading without a permit. This time allowed him to respond passionately to the injustice in Birmingham. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s, and his direct approach separates King’s strong points through his powerful writing. King is able to defend these differing views and actions through rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, and pathos.

Through his efforts for peace, equality, and justice for African-Americans throughout the 1950s and 60s, Martin Luther King Jr. created many opportunities for African-Americans for the future. Before Martin Luther King Jr., racism and racial segregation were very much accepted in society and were a common thing throughout the 1950s and 60s. While Martin Luther was preaching and protesting through the 50s and 60s, people all across America started to become more aware of how poorly African Americans were treated in almost every aspect of their lives. Everything that African Americans would do, they would be judged and discriminated. After Martin Luther, the world started to take action in the way that African Americans

In the letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. writes to the Clergyman to express his idea on the racial discrimination and injustice going on in Birmingham Alabama. Martin Luther King Jr. writes his letter while being held in Birmingham Jail after being arrested for participating, in a non-violent anti segregation march. During this time violence against African Americans was so bad in Birmingham it needed to be addressed and taken care of. Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical strategies in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” in order to convince the religious leaders of Birmingham that they could wait no longer for justice and that the only course was direct action.

Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as one of the most influential people in the civil rights movement, He brought forth change and was one of the leaders and forth runner of the movement to end segregation and give all equal rights. Whenever or wherever King went or spoke the reaction was always seen, heard, and powerful, he had established a following that was always ready to listen and was ready to cooperate in whatever needed to be done to help further the movement. When King was asked to help with marches in Birmingham his heart and compassion lead him to go to Birmingham ready to change and bring justice. When he was jailed after the march through Birmingham, the letter he sent from his cell in April of 1963 redefined the way people looked at the desegregation movement and how

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential African-American activists in American History and was a key participant in the Civil Rights movement, the goal of which was to provide full civil rights to all rights in America. MLK has written many, many speeches and letters in favor of the Civil Rights movement in America, the most famous of them being his legendary “I Have a Dream” Speech and the monumental “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. To attempt to gain support for his cause, MLK employs the use of emotional appeals, also known as pathos, and logical appeals, also known as logos, which aid to stir emotion and reasoning in the listener. It is more than obvious that MLK tends to tug at the heartstrings of his listeners with his emotionally charged language essential to his success. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses more powerful and plentiful examples of pathos in his literature, examples of which being his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, than logos due to the more powerful emotional connection they carry which can convince his listeners to sympathize with his civil rights movement.

Martin Luther King has changed America tremendously, wouldn’t you agree? King has made very powerful writings but the two main speeches are “I Have a Dream” and “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. There is many of the three rhetorical appeals which are Pathos, Logos, and Ethos. There was one simple thing in both species, King wanted freedom but unfortunately he did not get that. He tried really hard because segregation got way out of control. King witnessed it all the time, his kids not being able to go to the same school or right in front of his eyes signs that read “Blacks Only” or “Whites Only”. Nobody could understand why this was happening and King wanted to end it. King never got freedom, he was a very respectful man that wanted segregation and racism to end. King was a non-violence guy he just wanted his children to go to the same school, or his children to not see the signs and not understand why this is happening to them because it 's not fair. Segregation needs to end! We all want freedom at last!

Nowadays, we live in such a multicultural society, that one would hardly believe that words such as discrimination and racism still exist. They are so deeply-rooted in our community that they often go unnoticed in our everyday lives. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of peaceful protests against the segregation of black people in America in the 1960s. Nonetheless, his nonviolent ideas failed to bring equality and he was compelled to take action. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written 1963. It is in the form of an open letter, which means that its purpose was to be seen by the public and its readers were able to make their own judgments on the issues at hand. It was written as a response to the letter of eight clergymen who expressed their dissatisfaction of King’s protests in Birmingham. The main thesis of the Birmingham letter is that black people would no longer stand idly and watch as the white community denies them their rights given by God.

Martin Luther King Jr. uses both logical and emotional appeals in order for all his listeners’ to be able to relate and contemplate his speeches. He does an exceptional job using both these appeals throughout his speeches by backing up his emotional appeals with logical ones. Using emotional appeals captures an audience's attention and makes them think about what the narrator is saying. Emotional appeal uses intense words and charged language to grab listeners to get them to keep listening. On the other hand, logical appeals helps to grasp the concept better and provides facts that prove it to be true.

On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Titled as the “I Have a Dream Speech,” he read this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience. King’s dialect showed the audience civil right issues, involving many rhetorical strategies using ethos, logos, and pathos, to a racially tempered crowd whom he viewed as different, but not equal.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both two African American civil rights activists who were very prominent throughout history. They fought for what they believed in but in vastly different ways. Martin Luther King Jr. was born to a middle class family and was well educated. Malcolm X, on the other hand, grew up in a rather hostile environment with barely enough schooling. Both their speeches, “I Have a Dream” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” may have shared some common traits, but at the same time, differed greatly in various aspects.

During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. In Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech he effectively uses ethos, diction and powerful metaphors to express the brutality endured by African American people. Yet his most important method of reaching his audience, and conveying his enduring message of equality and freedom for the whole nation was his appeal to pathos. With these devices, King was able to move thousands of hearts and inspire the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Two score and 13 years ago people with colored skin were being segregated for everyday activities like drinking from a water fountain and going to school. Martin Luther King and many others were tired of not getting the treatment they were promised as a whole, so Martin Luther King wrote his famous “I have a Dream” speech, to address the problem that was sweeping the nation. He wanted to persuade the nation to treat Black people with equality and respect. The black population was not going to rest until they received their rights that they were promised when Abraham Lincoln said the “Emancipation Proclamation” . King has a dream and has faith that one day everyone will be equal, everyone will have rights, and that there will be everlasting

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. At the age of 25, King earned a sociology degree and completed his Ph.D (A&E Networks Television). King’s charismatic and strong attitude helped him become a successful minister and the most famous civil-rights activists. On the day of August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his inspirational speech, I Have a Dream. Approximately 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to watch King personally. An additional million listened on the radio and watched on television (Phibbs). In his speech, King spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination taking place in the nation toward African Americans. Speaking out for freedom,

Dr. king talk about a lot of hardships during this speech. The way that Dr. king showed the African Americans is by discrimination, racism and not getting any rights. For example Dr. king talks about a "Promissory note" which were suppose to give every person human rights but made them suffer more. Another example is "One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination" quoted by Dr. king. This shows that even after the "Promissory note" which is the declaration of independence they were stuck in this same place and being treated different because of their color. In conclusion the hardships that African Americans went through or suffered were racism, discrimination

In the beginning of the speech, King goes back to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence stating that ”....all men, black or white, were to be granted the same rights” (Declaration of Independence). King goes on to explain how this right has not been kept, making it appear to be similar to a laid-back rule. Ethically most people believe that it is necessary to keep a promise. Therefore this makes people see racism in a whole new light; racism has not been justified because the United States have failed to uphold their promises. Kings goes on to say how racial equality can not be achieved until “...justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” (King). He deliberately tries to make the audience feel as if racial segregation is both wrong and against basic morals.