Angela Davis, a renowned political and civil rights activist, was invited in 2012 to Pitzer College to give the commencement speech to the graduating class. Her speech touched on important points in her life as well as many of the values she fought for and believe in. I have never heard her speak before watching this commencement address, and my initial thoughts when hearing her speech was that she was old. Her speech was slow and at first a little boring. However, as her commencement continued onward, she started to get more into rhythm and while she stayed relatively slow, the power behind her words as she spoke made me want to listen more to what she had to say. Angela Davis has had an interesting history as an activist and educator, and …show more content…
Her slow yet concise way of speaking, coupled with easy to follow transitions allowed for a speech that was enjoyable to listen to. Her use of examples from her personal life allowed her audience to get a picture of who she was if they did not know, and allowed her to better relate to them by provided examples of how she is related to the college they are graduating from. Her reference to many modern political problems allowed her to bring up her important role as an activist and facilitated further understanding from the audience. While some areas of her speech were weak, such as the longer than needed pauses and her lack of consistent eye contact, to a few points where she didn’t speak clearly enough, the overall picture that was her speech was fairly strong. Looking at this speech, I hope to incorporate some aspects that I failed to include in my previous speeches. Some of these include her use of hand gestures to emphasize and exaggerate certain phrases and topics, and her combined use of appeals. While my initial thoughts going in were “This is boring” and “This is too slow”, it evolved into me wanting to hear more, and overall my defeat in the beginning turned into a victory at the
Martin Luther King and Sojourner Truth were both civil rights activists in their respective time periods. Sojourner Truth fought for the rights of women and African-American rights in the 1850’s. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the rights of all African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Truth’s Ain’t I a Woman speech has many similarities to King’s Letter From Birmingham Jail including styling, audience, and rhetorical devices.
My thoughts on whose Susan Cain’s speech she was humorous, seemed sympathetic, and trustworthy. I believed and visualized her thoughts on being an introvert. She sounded passionate but not overdoing it, more subtle in a
Women, Race and Class is the prolific analysis of the women 's rights movement in the
There’s a crowd of people all facing directly at him; you ask yourself what he did that made him this sensation. You look over to your left and see a poster that says his name with a quick discerption that reads “The greatest leader of this Nation.” Just then someone asks him what a leader is and what makes him such an amazing one. He begins with his speech to answer this question you listen closely as he gives his answer.
In her speech at the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Florence Kelley highlights the truth about child labor. Throughout her speech, Kelley uses many strategies to persuade her audience. First, Kelley uses facts to convince her audience that she is credible. Second, she uses facts to show her audience how serious she is about the topic. Lastly, she uses guilt to appeal to the reader’s emotions.
Angela Davis grew up in an intellectual development. She was decisively influenced by the thinking of the communist’s organizations. Her mother was a federal leading officer and organizer of the Southern Negro Youth Congress which was heavily influenced by the Communist Party. As very young women she has applied to an American Friends Service Committees program who had the power to arrange that South black students were integrated in school in the North. She chose Elisabeth Irwin High Schools in Greenwich Village where she was introduced to socialism and communism. As a teenager Angela Davis organized interracial study groups, which were broken up by the
The speech by Brene Brown was impressive. For her opening, she used a little side story about how she was seen as a storyteller by an event planner. This lead to a joke to make the audience lighten up early on and that mood was fairly present throughout the duration of her speech. Brown details how shame leads to vulnerability in all of us. However, this vulnerability is necessary and and it what makes us beautiful. I really agree with Brown that we try too much to perfect ourselves. So much so that we tend to ignore the fact that we should be content with the idea that we are enough. Aside from her content. Everything from her eye contact and hand movements seemed so natural. She also used pictures as a visual aid in her speech. Not only this,
Philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey, in her Eulogy, commends Rosa Parks as she will always be remembered for making history for African American people even if she has passed away. Winfrey’s purpose is to tell the world the difference Rosa Parks made not only for African Americans but to everyone else as well. She establishes this by utilizing tone, repetition and pathos in order to express that Rosa Parks left a mark in this world in such a courageous way.
Although it was not the best, she got the attention she wanted from the audience. She would soon serve an important role for the whole country and they already were interested in what she had to say. She maintained constant eye contact with her audience and at times looked down at her outline to keep herself on track and possibly to stay in the time frame she was given. Her voice was strong at times though it seemed the strong emotions she had at the moment interfered with the delivery of the speech. She would sometimes lose her breath and at other times she would talk extremely slow both which distracted from what she was saying. She showed much enthusiasm about her nomination stating how humbled she felt for being considered. Lastly, while Sotomayor did get her message across she sometimes sounded monotone and she moved little. When she was giving her speech she hardly moved and she sounded and looked almost like a robot, however her job did not entitle giving speeches rather it consisted of making decision and standing by them which is the domineer she
Melania Trump Has something about her whether its her confidence or her beauty that just captures the attention of me and every one else. Before we get into Melania lets talk about how Trump walked out to we are the champions. I have been listening to people talk about this being pissed off. He hasn't even won the election and he's cocky. What they fail to understand is that this was the republican national convention he's not saying he won the election he won the republican ticket. Also I can see how this cocky attitude could be getting a little annoying He could be a little more humble. Melania is a very good speaker and started off her speech with talking about they're love for our country. Melania then began talking about how her love
In the African American community, we take pride in seeing our fellow people make it, as the famous saying goes “If one makes it we all make it”(Anonymous). In her acceptance speech at the 2015 Emmy Awards, Viola Davis speaks about the overwhelming dilemma of a low percentage of women of color winning top awards in Hollywood. Her powerful speech shines a light on the subject of African American women not progressing, because of the lack of opportunities. In response to her speech a fellow white actress Nancy Grahn degrades Davis by saying “Brilliant as she is, She has never been discriminated against”. This one comment got me thinking about the power to speak and who exactly has it.
What do the most famous speeches in history have in common? Motivation, selection, and, dedication. In this essay I am going to compare 4 speeches in which 4 people used their declaritive and outstanding vices to express their feelings in a huge way that impacted history. Also with these speeches I will be evaluating the major parts that lead to success and the parts which may have been faulty. The speeches to be evaluated are, "The Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony on a woman's right to vote, "Ain't I a woman?" delievered by Sojourner Truth, and finally "I have a dream" given by the remarkable Martin Luther King Jr. Depending on your audience and the time, a speech can often be the most powerful way to motivate people,
“They told us we wouldn’t get here! And there were those who said that we would get there only over their dead bodies, but all the world today knows that we are here and we are standing before the forces of power in the state of Alabama saying, "We ain’t goin’ let nobody turn us around!” The march from Selma to Montgomery was a major part of history, segregation was really at its peak and African Americans were treated very poorly by the public by getting beaten and abused even by their own Law Enforcement Officers!
During this unit I got to read some outstanding speeches by people who changed the US. Then speech that most appealed to me was the speech Robert Kennedy gave about Martin Luthar King Jr.s death. The central idea of this speech was that Robert Kenday persuaded us to not give up on what Dr. King did. Although most people were engaged about this we should come as one and fight for equal right for black people. That one day white boys and girls will become friends with black boys and girls. Then the speech was very compelling because at first he was going to give a speech about his political run but instead addressed the public about Dr. Kings death. Robert told us to come as one so we can make it right so black people have equal rights as white people.
In a time of great crisis within its ownself, America was transforming. There were many events that happened in the 60’s but, one main event happen on the stairs of Lincoln Memorial, the speech “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. King not only inspired millions of people, he revolutionized America with this speech. In this speech, King emphasizes the significance of civil rights by using multiple rhetorical strategies. Throughout this speech, he uses clever metaphors, many allusions, and strong pathos.