For hundreds of years African Americans have faced racial discrimination in the United States. Over and over again contracts were made that gave them hope of equality such as the Emancipation Proclamation, the 14th and 15th amendment, and the end of the separate but equal law. However, they were continuously refused the basic rights that they were promised and were still forcefully separated from whites. Racist police and white supremacists evoked fear in African American men and women who attempted to participate in the rights they were entitled to. Then, in the 1950s and 60s there was a spark of interminable protesting of the clear racial injustices that the African American people faced, this time was known as the Civil Rights Movement. …show more content…
King was able to utilize more rhetorical appeals than Hamer. In Hamer’s testimony, the genre allowed her to establish credibility early on, by introducing herself to the committee. Hamer’s main form of persuasion utilizes pathos in her testimony, by appealing to the audience’s emotions. Hamer had a limited time to speak because she was giving her testimony at a convention. Therefore, the choice of giving a personal testimony was the best way to attempt to persuade her audience, because she was able to tell a short story creating sympathy in the people listening and then relate that story to her intent to shame the committee into agreeing with her. For example, she explained what happened to her while in jail. She said, "The second Negro began to beat and I began to work my feet, and the State Highway Patrolman ordered the first Negro who had beat me to sit on my feet - to keep me from working my feet. I began to scream and one white man got up and began to beat me in my head and tell me to hush” (Hamer 1). The awful actions against her create a strong emotional reaction with her audience. On the other hand, King was fighting racism on a broader scale. The result was him giving a speech allowing him to utilize pathos, ethos and logos. He was able to take his time and establish his credibility at the beginning by starting his speech saying he is happy to be there and states that it will be one of the greatest freedom demonstrations of all time. He appeals to all different people in the audience by explaining hardships that African Americans have experienced, “Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality” (King 1). His words shame people who are responsible and create empathy in those that have too experienced similar