Civil Rights: Similarities Between Blacks and Women
Fundamentals of Speech (Public Speaking)
Com 114, Fall 1988, December 6, 1988
Grade: 96%
Teacher comments: You improved more than you know
Outline
Civil Rights: Similarities Between Blacks and Women
Specific Purpose Statement
My goal is to gain the audience’s empathy in regard to my strong feelings about civil rights
Thesis Statement
-I am in awe of the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
-I feel a sense of shame for what blacks went through in our country
-I am thankful to Martin Luther King for his tenacity in fighting for civil rights
Introduction
-I first learned about civil rights as a 6- or 7-year-old who came home and said the word nigger; I had no idea what it meant. My dad promptly spanked me and forbade me to say the word. He gave two reasons: one, it hurt colored people and second, if said in the wrong place, could get you knifed. Dad went on to say that colored people were the same as pollocks; some were good, and some were bad. He ventured further to say that the blacker they were the nicer they were. This was his left-handed, Archie Bunker way of saying “All men are created equal.” Yes, Dad lacked eloquence, but he was able to get his message across. I feel ashamed for what whites did to blacks in our country, I am thankful to Martin Luther King for his tenacity in fighting for civil rights, and I empathize with the fact that blacks were compelled to fight for their freedom.
I. I am in awe of the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
A. He received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955
B. He was the founder and director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957
C. He gained national attention when he organized a boycott of the buses in Montgomery, Alabama
D. He was an advocate of non-violence
1. Accept blows without retaliation
2. To create tension and force negotiation
3. He was jailed 14 times
4. In 1964 won Nobel Peace Prize
E. He presented an eloquent explanation of why he believed in nonviolent direct action
1. He surely persuaded me that the city where his organization practiced was the only for blacks to demand an end to their oppression
2. Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere
II. I feel a sense of shame for what blacks were forced to endure in our country
A. Slavery was a disgrace
B. The Klu Klux Klan should be abolished from the face of the earth
C. Poor blacks are still oppressed today, in our supposed free country
1. Ghetto hospitals
2. Patients are the same
D. He had defined just and unjust laws
1. Just laws
2. Unjust laws
E. He thought that the discontent that blacks felt was normal and healthy in their oppressed situation
1. I empathize with their anger
2. I empathize with their hurt
III. I feel thankful that Martin Luther King continued his so-called civil disobedience to secure long-overdue civil rights
A. The Supreme Court banned segregation in public schools in 1954
B. It is impossible today to imagine a black person not being able to get a room in a hotel because he was black
C. Martin Luther King is a true humanitarian that I did not appreciate until recently
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am ashamed of what whites did to blacks in our country, I am thankful to Martin Luther King for his tenacity in fighting for civil rights, and I empathize with the fact that blacks were compelled to fight for their freedom. I hope I was able to share with you just how deeply I feel about human civil rights; I also feel that attitudes can be like unjust laws and be followed just because they are there without much thought about the profound effect on us. No human being should be trapped by attitudes that prevent him from seeking his dream.
========================================
Other aspects I liked …
A. It was only 25 years ago that Martin Luther King was compelled to engage in non-violent direct action to force the town of Birmingham to negotiate with blacks
1. Signs designating colored or white
2. Back of bus
3. Hotels would not rent
4. No amusement parks for colored kids
B. Martin Luther King was criticized by his fellow clergy
1. He broke the law
a. Parading without a permit
b. 1st amendment right to assembly and protest
e. Segregation
f. Hitler’s Germany
2. Left his home to sit-in
b. What affects one directly
3. Wait for right time
a. Justice too long delayed
b. Justice denied
c. ? right time
d. Easy to say to wait
C. I doubt that any of us could imagine anyone these events of the past occurring today
II. I am thankful to Martin Luther King for his tenacity in fighting for civil rights
A. I like the idea of a society where we are all equal
1. I for one feel that I am equal to anyone
2. I see everyone as my equal too
B. The small world of my apartment complex could serve as a good example of successful integration
1. Summer pool has all colors
2. Ducks have civil rights
3. Fantasize that the world could exist like this
C. Thank God Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
1. Had 4 years till his assassination to know the world appreciated what he did
2. His death was a tragic loss
3. I want blacks to share my joyous freedom
4. Freedom leads to enormous human growth and potential
Written after reading Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr
Other aspects I liked …
3. I want blacks to share my joyous freedom
4. Freedom leads to enormous human growth and potential