As Jefferson wrote each eloquent word, its apparent that he was proud of what his fellow Americans had accomplished. Fitting with The Declaration of Independence, I chose Thomas Jefferson as my historical figure. I believe he embodies all that pride is, from his freedom fighting, right down to his appearance. Jefferson, intelligent and elegant, never stopped fighting for the rights that he knew every man had proudly deserved. Thomas Jefferson once said, “Action will delineate and define you.” Pride in your actions, pride in your words, and pride in yourself all make for real success and Thomas Jefferson knew, and lived with that mindset.
King's views and beliefs, which were similar to the non-violent ideas of Gandhi, helped African Americans through the 50's and 60's obtain their rights and liberties. King faced many obstacles on his quest like jail and even assassination attempts. Despite these obstacles, he became a successful leader during the Civil Rights Movement, and even after his death, by guiding African Americans in a non-violent direction for equal rights. These reasons make Martin Luther King worthy enough of the title "hero." Martin Luther King was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is inspiring because it shows the African American people that they can be better than what once was and let go and forgive all who wronged them. Also, in the quotation above he makes apparent that they are going to gain their place in society. He was confident that they were going to gain freedom no matter what. This engages his audience and inspires African Americans to never give up. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s skillful and knowledgeable use of rhetorical modes made his “I Have a Dream” speech one of the most influential and meaningful speeches of all time.
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois are arguably two most influential figures on the movement to achieve civil rights for black Americans. They both played large roles in trying to improve racial relations and civil rights during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Although they were both focused on enhancing the quality of black life in the United States, the fact that Washington was from the south and Dubois was from the north caused their views to differ. The “Atlanta Exposition speech” by booker T. Washington addressed the topic of racial relations in the south. “Of Mr.Booker T. Washington and others” was written by W.E.B Dubois as a critique of Washington and his views on the improvement of black life.
This is most evident in Booker T. Washington's, The Atlanta Exposition Address and W.E.B. Du Bois response to this, The Souls of Black Folk. Booker T. Washington’s gradualism stance gives him a popular appeal among both blacks and whites, although W.E.B. Du Bois has the upper hand when it comes to ideology dealing with economic prosperity among blacks. Washington favors the humble, ask nicely, appreciate what you’re given, and say thank you approach to obtaining social equality.
His leadership has made him seem one step ahead of both allies and competitors, which has given people the confidence to trust his leadership for many important roles he has been appointed in. In an interview with Oren Harari, Colin Powell stated his 18 principles for great leadership which applies to his success and when asked what you need for success, in two words he replied “hard work” showing his determination in any task at hand. Even after he retired he has still maintained his leadership to help others especially through the United Nations. His determination has leaded him to become one of the greatest African American icons of our time and deserves this respect and
Knowing the background information of the speaker(s) and audience(s) will help us to understand how the speaker tailors a message in order to effectively reach their audience(s). One influential leader among African Americans was Booker T. Washington. In his autobiography, Up From Slavery, he describes his life as a slave; his education after freedom from slavery; and discusses people who helped him succeed in life. Mr. Washington was a race leader who saw himself “lifting as he rose.” As he succeeded, he wanted to help others succeed. The highlight of Mr. Washington’s autobiography was in his speech entitled “The Atlanta Exposition Address.” In this speech he was not only representing himself, but he represented the
After a long term against, they get some good effects. The sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln, “on January 1, 1863, issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.” (www.whitehouse.gov) It is a historic matter that blacks have a good effort to win the respect. However, the discrimination still appeared in the whole country. The black people still need to struggle the unfairness from society. In this process, it occurred a lot murder and violence.
He has succeeded in so many facets of life, not just to win the approval of the white man, but also to strengthen himself. He was a tremendous scholar and had succeeded so much in high school that greatness was nearly expected from him. It was almost as if by conforming to his social situation now, he could one day stand against it and changed the entire social aspect as a whole. He “visualized [himself] as a potential Booker T. Washington” when he entered the room. Washington was a prominent black figure from decades prior.
He was an exceptionally bright student and graduated from high school at the age of fifteen. In adulthood, he was a clergyman, activist and a leader in the African-American civil rights movement. He was able to aid a civil rights movement without using violence, which won him a Nobel peace prize in 1964. MLK was a voice that needed to be heard in a time when no one was listening. He believed that America as a country should be united beginning with its citizens.