As many know, but few seem to want to believe, racism is still a problem today.

In Martin Luther
King Jr.s speech many years ago, he too was aware of this. In one of the greatest speeches still
heard by mankind today, he tries to persuade his audience by implanting a positive outlook on
racism while creating a solution to this toxic problem.
One of the main reasons his speech has always remained relevant and persuasive is
because of his opening sentence, I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in
history as the greatest demonstrations for freedom in history of our nation. This automatically
sets a foundation of stability for the 16-minute speech he has prepared to give to thousands of
people. As he continues, he uses a very famous reference from Abraham Lincolns, Gettysburg
Address speech. Five score years ago sets a time frame comparing the starting point of the
issue, and how far America has come in terms of racism, still remaining imperfect. Martin Luther
King Jr. is establishing his credibility with ethos by doing exactly what Lincoln did in the
previous years. Because of Lincolns successful speech in the past, this was Martin Luther King
Jr.s supporting quote to help show his legitimacy to the crowd.
Martin Luther King Jr. uses many metaphors to help support his argument and persuade
his audience to recognize there is still inequality between races. For example, the life of the
Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination,
representing a bigger idea that even though the injustice for a Negro has been legally broken,
they still find themselves struggling, and it has not gone unnoticed. The idea of chains gives the
listener a gruesome visual of the actual struggle the Negro has faced for too many centuries,
leaving them wounded. This is definitely affiliated with pathos and appeals to the average
persons emotions by creating a horrifying scene that no sane, moral being would want to endure.
Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of

racial injustice is an extremely touching metaphor. Martin Luther King Jr. does not want to see
change later but rather in this exact moment. But with those changes, there must be a brighter
passage ahead. The implication that we are all stuck in a valley thats virtually empty and
helpless is why we as a nation should idealize the idea of walking into an opportunity filled
pathway.
As Martin Luther King Jr. continues along in his speech, there are many areas where he
uses anaphora. Because he uses this technique so many times within his speech, it draws
attention to the significant and independent importance of each passage. He speaks to the people
who are victims of injustice along with those who have built the wall that entraps those who are
innocent, and continues to repeat the words we mustwe must. He wants everyone who has
ever taken a single breath to realize that there is violence and hatred among us, but we have the
ability to lead with better examples and positive awakenings. As he continues this part of the
speech, he says We cannot walk aloneWe cannot turn back., this is his final demand in that
particular passage, to see each individual person grow in unity. He is appealing to those who
have just heard the leading issue and can further more have the right ambitions to actually act on
those changes available.
Along with Abraham Lincolns, Gettysburg Address speech, Martin Luther King quotes
the song, America. Once again, this represents his ethos because that song has been associated
with our nation ever since it was created. As he gives the quote, his motivation and spirit is
revitalized back into his speech as he slowly comes to a close. Once he says the quote, he uses
repetition to involve following statements such as Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains
of New YorkLet freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. This helps support
Martin Luther King Jr.s goal as to why he goes back in history to quote this specific song. He is

not simply stating that he believes everyone should have liberty and freedom, but rather took the
quote one step further to represent all the opportunity and capability liberty and freedom have.
As previously determined, Martin Luther King Jr. has a very established characteristic
and is very reliable when it comes to appealing to the common sense of his audience. Commonly,
he has facts and reasonings scattered throughout his speech multiple times for the same reason
he uses ethos, pathos, metaphors, etc. He speaks to the crowd in hopes to encourage the end of
inequality and segregation of the Negro. He does this by using logos to pursue persuasion and
avoid manipulation. For example, he brings up the Constitution and Declaration of Independence
in defense that they were created to promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men,
would be guaranteed the unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This is a simple fact of freedom and unity between all men. Because he makes this statement, he
automatically gains credibility and legitimacy.
Martin Luther King Jr. will always carry with him, one of the greatest speeches known to
man. His ability to touch every man and woman of every race and culture continues to live on.
His use of metaphors, logos, pathos, ethos, repetition, past references and anaphoras focuses his
audience on the evident hatred and segregation but leads with the ability to change and conquer it
in the future.