Rhetorical Analysis Of Whitney Young's The March On Washington

Whitney Young was a very established rhetorician, who made multiple efforts that did not go unseen to discuss the issue of racial equality in America, especially in terms of economic discrimination. Young’s rhetorical acts involved those of speeches, writing, and general advocacy. One of his most memorable speeches was the speech that he gave at the March on Washington in 1963. In this speech, he argued that racial inequality was not just a moral issue, but also an economic one, and that it was time for the government and businesses to take action to address these inequalities. In addition to his speaking abilities, he was also a powerful writer. He wrote numerous articles and essays throughout his career, in which he addressed a wide range

Whitney Young was one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders who organized the event, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., and he spoke to a crowd of about a quarter of a million people about the need for economic justice for all Americans. The March on Washington was also the same event that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his extremely notable “I Have A Dream” speech. The primary goal of this event was to draw attention to the ongoing struggle for civil rights, and to pressure the government to pass laws that would protect the rights of African Americans, particularly in the areas of voting, housing, and

He believed that African Americans could achieve progress by building coalitions with white allies and by advocating for change through peaceful means. For example, during the civil rights movement as the director of National Urban League, he worked closely with government officials and corporate leaders to promote policies that would benefit African Americans, and he successfully worked to bridge the gap between white and black Americans. This also justifies that his rhetorical strategies involved those of providing rational arguments and appeals to the opposing side’s self-interest, rather than speaking purely on emotions and violent protests. Along with this, Young believed that his approach was more effective in achieving lasting change and was very aware that such changes happen over time and not right away, and he was able to achieve significant progress for African Americans during his career. Moreover, Young’s ideals were mainstream compared to other rhetoricians he worked closely with. He did not have any ideals that were necessarily “out of the ordinary”. Finally, his speeches were logically backed up, and Young does not rely on emotional appeals to persuade his audiences. One quote that I particularly like from one of his speeches is, "The time has come for us to put aside our differences