A Rhetorical Analysis Of A Speech By Josephine Baker

In her speech, Josephine Baker explains the discrimination she faced when she came to America, and how she decided to stand up against it. She also encourages the audience to support the cause she’s been fighting for. In her speech, she states, “And when I got to New York way back then, I had other blows—when they would not let me check into the good hotels because I was colored, or eat in certain restaurants.” This demonstrates how big a problem racial injustice was in America. Baker explains how in France, the color of her skin didn’t matter, but it was a whole different story in America. Seeing how big of a problem racial injustice in America was, she decided to fight against it. In her speech, she mentions, “And when I screamed loud enough,

She states, “Those were dreaded words in those days, and I want to tell you also that I was hounded by the government agencies in America, and there was never one ounce of proof that I was a communist.” This gives some knowledge on how words like “communist” were used against some people, even if they weren’t one. When Baker stood up for herself, she was called a communist, and she was suddenly hounded by government agencies who were mad. The speech also contained more ethos than logos, and it is seen when Baker uses the decisions she has made and paths she has taken to convince the audience to fight against the racial injustice. She states, “And then I went to Atlanta, and it was a horror to me. And I said to myself, My God, I am Josephine, and if they do this to me, what do they do to the other people in America?” In France, she didn’t really face racial discrimination, and realized how big of a problem it was in America. She also mentions how she is Josephine Baker, an entertainer who earned fame and fortune in Paris. However, she still faced a lot of discrimination, leading her to wonder how much worse the treatment was in America for other people of color. Baker also states, “But I accomplished the same in another fashion. You must get an education. You must go to school, and you must learn to protect yourself. And you must learn to protect yourself with the pen, and not the gun.” Here, she explains the path has taken to stand up against racial injustice. She also emphasizes the importance of an education and how the use of words is better than the use of violence. Lastly, Baker says, “You know I have always taken the rocky path. I never took the easy one, but as I get older, and as I knew I had the power and the strength, I took that rocky path, and I tried to smooth it out a little.” Baker states this to persuade the audience that she has had a rough journey, like many other people of color.