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Jarrett Smith 4-8-10 Rhetorical Analysis LA101H
Malcolm X and his Audience
During the 1960’s, Malcolm X was one of the prominent civil rights leaders in the United
States who promoted a black separatist ideology based upon the Muslim faith. An avid speaker,
Malcolm X had many public speaking engagements that have been recorded and used as
historical artifacts of the period including a speech named “God’s Judgment of White America.
In this speech, Malcolm X employs a strong appeal of ethos in order to persuade his audience to
align with his beliefs regarding the black power movement. This ethical approach to
argumentation included the use of proofs, in which he connected past events and trends to
present and future events. Other examples of this appeal include the way in which he presented
himself to the audience as a speaker empathetic to their situation and as a member of their
African-American community. Moreover his uses of didactic and fervent tones in speaking and
diction choice allowed him to embody a nuanced character, teetering between that of a prophet
and that of the obedient preacher proselytizing the word of higher authorities.
Throughout the duration of the speech “On God and Judgment of White America”,
Malcolm X used a series of ethical proofs as a tool for fostering the relationship with his
audience. Speaking to a large gathering of Nation of Islam followers in New York City, Malcolm
X sought to convey his arguments for the downfall of white society in a logical and palatable
manner. He achieved this goal by referencing biblical events and a knowledge of current events
to connect the past to the present, as a means of predicting the future of America. This form of
argumentation formally recognized as a syllogism, allowed Malcolm X to make his argument
through the process of deductive reasoning connecting these biblical elements to the Black
society. In a specific example of this strategy, Malcolm X told the thousands of followers how it
was the evils of slavery that had brought about the end of Ancient Babylon and Greece and later
in the demise of Europe as a world power that was ongoing. He then used these examples as the
premise for his argument stating that the same fate will fall upon the United States, in exact
words yelled, “White America too will be utterly destroyed by her own sins… and the honorable
Elijah Muhammad teaches us that America's judgment and destruction will also be brought about
by divine will and divine power.” In his conclusion he guides his audience to believe that not
only will destruction come to America, but also to his religious message that this event will be
brought on by the power of God (Allah). Through this rhetorical choice he was able to connect
stories familiar to his audience of religious followers and make broader claims about society and
the nation.
Another way in which Malcolm X used ethos was through his focus on presentation of
self. Throughout the speech Malcolm X created a portrayal of his character as an expert of his
Muslim religion to which he belonged. In his arguments he clearly and concisely presented the
goals and beliefs of his religious movement through which he proved to the audience his
authority as a speaker. Through this action he was able to open a channel with the audience
giving him the opportunity to inform, educate and persuade. He also manipulated his
presentation of religion in the speech as a basis for contrast of his Muslim religion against the
society of White America. In this way he creates a good versus evil argument to justify his goals.
Constantly Malcolm refers to his religion as pure and good and the White Society as unjust and
corrupt. He instills doubt against the status quo asking, “Why is the American white man so set
against the twenty-two million "Negroes" learning about the religion of Islam? Islam is the
religion that elevates the morals of the people who want to do right. …”. All of these elements
further establish a reputation of the Black Muslim movement that is strong alternative to the
mainstream White Culture as he proposed.
Furthermore, in Malcolm X’s ability to relate to the African-American condition in his
speech, he facilitated a closer relationship with the audience as a member of their black
community. He throughout the speech highlighted the black struggle and the constant battle
against the barriers to equality created by the government and white society. Through addressing
the common ills of black society, he reasoned that he understood and was familiar with the issues
facing the black community. This enabled Malcolm X to identify the ways in which this deterred
black advancement in society and then offer a solution of his own. In this way he immerses
himself into the thoughts and feelings of the audience, allowing him to forward his religious
arguments for the Muslim Nation of Islam movement.
Within these religiously themed arguments, Malcolm X assumed a role of a religious
leader, fulfilling both qualities of a preacher and those of a prophetic nature. His choices in
ethical appeal present a didactic yet fervent diction selection and tone that create this holy figure.
In his use of proofs, he became a “Jeremiah” like character, acting as the bringer of messages of
a divine authority. Building upon texts from the bible and the Qur’an, Malcolm X continued
these stories to the present as a warning, serving as a prophet to the people who have chosen to
follow him. Through relating to the audience as a member of their community Malcolm X takes
on the persona of a much humbler figure, a preacher who offers solutions to these everyday
conditions. His audiences are drawn to him for answers and so gladly he provided responses to
the larger issues in America in this speech. In each he does with so with the absolute command
to follow the Nation of Islam and the Muslim religion. Despite his exertion of authority over
these issues, nearly every example of this kind of response included a reference back to the
Nation of Islam’s leader, Elijah Muhammad. In doing so he created a perception of submission
to the higher authority of the true prophet to his movement, assuming the position again of the
lowly preacher. During this speech, there exists a constant struggle between these two figures,
which enabled Malcolm to effectively command and teach the audience present.
Although Malcolm X’s reputation as a controversial figure in Black History, he
successfully weaved the rhetorical appeal of ethos into his speech “On God’s Judgment of White
America”, while maintaining his movement’s arguments. In this piece, various modes of appeal
were employed that established a relationship with his audience that strengthened their ability to
accept his potent arguments and further his goals .The manner in which this historic figure
invented ethos in his public speaking and civic engagements, both good and bad, would later
define his legacy for generations to come.