Even half a century after the fact, the ideas of the Civil Rights Movement still resonate throughout the American consciousness. Race is in some ways still a dominant part of American political discourse, and the goals of the time are still being debated, in Congress and in the courts. Much of the rhetoric of the time has been co-opted by other movements in our own era, primarily supporters of marriage equality.
However, in the past, supporters of civil rights for African Americans often suffered psychological and physical harm, and even death, to a vastly greater extent than today. These constant threats left an indelible mark on the oratory of the time, and particularly in famous speeches we have heard our whole lives. In this paper, I analyze how this idea of sacrifice influenced and weighed on these speakers, from those directly affected, such as the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., to those looking on, such as President Lyndon Johnson.
For this essay, I struggled to find a way to focus on a multitude of speeches, from a variety of speakers, and to emphasize the unique perspective and ideas underpinning each one, while still addressing the main theme. Additionally, I found it difficult to incorporate my personal connection and interest in the topic. In the end though, I of course let the decades old words speak for themselves. The ideas they convey, and the people who spoke them, still can, and should, be meaningful to this day.
ROBERT PRESSEL is studying political science and history with the CAS class of 2016. He comes from Philadelphia. He would like to thank Professor Shawn for his help, both with this paper, and with the class, “Oratory in America,” as a whole.