Speech 3

Malcolm X- A Person's Deeds -1965

Malcolm X begins his speech with a humble tone. This eases the audience and makes them more open to listening to his rhetoric. He uses introduction corrective to overcome preconceived notions the listeners may have. He uses this introduction to overcome the public's misconceptions, sterotypes or any inaccurate information. He begins, 'Before I get involved in anything, I have to state my own position, which is clear I am not a racist in any form whatsoever. I don't believe in any form of racism; I don't believe in any form of discrimination or segregation. I believe in Islam, I am a Muslim. And there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, nothing wrong with the religion of Islam. That just teaches us to believe in Allah as the God, and those of you who are Christians probably believe in the same God." He starts off the speech providing clarity on his perception and beliefs. The Nation of Islam has been depicted as anti-white, anti-Cristian, and anti-American in the media. For a white Christian American, they may have reservations on receiving Malcolm X's message whether they agree or not. He uses the rhetorical device to connect with the audience and establish credibility with the listener. These prevents a Red Herring; a fallacy that may mislead or distract the listener from the real issues at hand.  He uses this opening to lead into a joke, sending the crowd into laughter and using his charisma to ease the tension of the listeners. Malcolm's speeches are usually a mix of Epideictic and Deliberate rhetoric, getting his point across with the conviction of a politician and the passion of a reverend.

Malcolm X also uses examples of his alliance with White Muslims from the Mecca he encountered. He describes them as "blue eyed and blonde haired" and acknowledges them as 'brother'. This further establishes his argument from the introduction as he further proclaims his non-bias towards whites. This message must be reiterated for his rhetoric to not be simply dismissed as radical propaganda.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsuaFmN2O98