Martin Luther King Jr. & Malcolm X

Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are very prominent African American individuals throughout history. They fought for what they stood for but in really different ways because of their grown environment. King grew up in a middle class family and was well educated and his father was a pastor. So because of the education background and his religion belief, King was always against violence even though he may have been attacked physically. In the speech “I have a dream”, it more make people think about the future. He was trying to use a nonviolence way to fight for the civil rights. And he spoke out for passive resistance and what he called “weapon of love”.

However, Malcolm X almost has totally different way thinking about the civil right “war”. Malcolm X grew up in an underprivileged environment that was very hostile with barely any schooling. That is a cause about why his speech was so aggressive. Malcolm X was a Muslim, and believed in Muslim principle. He believed fighting back physically. Malcolm X was suspicious of whites and willing to use “by any means necessary” to achieve equality. Although later in his life he visited Jerusalem, and met other Muslim, he changed his view, and become nonviolence, which is also a cause of to him. The similarity between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X is that they both wanted equal rights for African Americans, they just went different paths to receive those rights.

Sydney's Speech and Analysis

Sydney's Speech

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, I am Sydney. I am here coming for the college, I am here coming for the rights of a student need to keep.

Now, it is not a secret that the tuition is too high. The tuition rises every year, at the same time, the cost of living also increasing. It is becoming more difficult for students to pay tuition and therefore earn degree.

And more than 36 million Americans have accumulated student debt; it also shows that the tuition is too high. The government needs to do something for students.

However, while many people can’t afford a college degree, it is becoming more difficult to find a job. With job cuts and layoffs, it is almost necessary to have a degree to get a job a step higher than flipping burgers. It is also a cause of the rise of unemployment rate.

Knowledge is power. It is a really important power a country needs to have. With a high tuition, students lost chance to go to college to learn knowledge.

The government needs to set up policy to solve the problem!

ANALYSIS

In the speech about college tuition fee, I tried to let the audience have the same feeling with me. This problem not just needs to be discussed by people; it is needs to be exactly finding a way to solve. I said that “I am here coming for the college tuition, I am here coming for the rights of a students need to have”. This sentence is in the beginning of the speech, the reason that I put this sentence there was to let the audience have a clear idea about the main idea of this speech. After the audience has an idea about the speech, they might have the same feeling with the orator; they might be interested with the speech. 

Secondly, I used a data to show the situation students are in. it is a way to show the information directly. “More than 36 million Americans have accumulated student debt”. The huge number can let people realize the serious level that students are facing. And at the end “government needs to set up policy to solve the problem”. This is kind of a call; it might encourage people to support for this problem. 

Emotion Analysis

There are several techniques people can use in order to deliver a good speech. One of them is to be storytelling, which can captures audience attention. Audience won’t like to attend to a speech without any story or really dry. Audience’s feedback is really important in a speech, it shows that they like the speech or not, it also a kind of way to present the successful of a speech. We can’t say that the audience’s feedback is the most important part of a speech, but it’s true that it account as a big percentage of a successful speech. Sometimes, a speech with excellent audience reaction not good at present the orator’s personal opinion and the reason they give the speech.

The speech is not just given a truth, its needs to be amplification, one needs to be exaggerate. When things go to a really serious situation, people will be more encouraged to solve, and it can seems to be more persuasive. Not only part of the speech needs to be exaggerating, but also the orator’s express. If they elevate their tone, or give some emotion stuff, just like tear, audience might think that they are in the same situation. Absolutely, too exaggerate will give negative effect, and the audience might think that the speech is fake.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Speech

On August 28, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the speech named “ I Have a Dream”, which has become a symbol of civil rights movement, was written more than 30 years ago as America struggled with the problem of how to create racial equality for all of her citizens.  The speech, delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supports from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for jobs and freedom. And the demonstration was organized on the 100^th anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation to call attention to the wrongs suffered by African Americans and push for federal legislation to bring about change. The speech was massage of hope. The hope that blacks and whites could live among each other in peace.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is best known for his role in the advancement of civil right using nonviolent civil disobedience, and he is a national icon is the history of American progressivism. The key message in the speech is that all people are created equal and, although out the case in America at the time, King felt it must be the case for future. He argued passionately and powerfully. His words proved to be a touchstone for understanding the social and political upheaval of the time and gave the nation a vocabulary to express what was happening. And the crowd of the Lincoln Memorial shows that the audiences were ready to support his view and argument. 

Palin Speech Analysis

Significant lines / moments from the speech:

• Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge. And children with special needs inspire a special love. To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: for years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your songs and daughters.

• I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities. 

• Here’s a little newsflash for those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this great country.

• We need American energy resources, bought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers.

• Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America. He's worried that someone won't read them their right. 

 What does it mean? Why does she say it? What makes it effective? How does the audience react?      

"Here’s a little newsflash for those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this great country."

1.  While, it might means that she is going to work the citizens, not standing for Washington elites.

2.  This might be a way to show her policy, and it can joy citizens.

3.  Absolutely, audiences were yelling, cheering for this, and support her in this way. 

First Speech Questions

1.    Public speaking is the number one fear in America. Death is number two. Why? What    makes public speaking so scary to people?

      While, when someone is standing in front of people, they might feels not so confident, and afraid to speak something wrong. Personally, I think that speak in front of others is quite a problem for some of the international students. Because they are not the native speakers, so one might be afraid about the accent, or if he use the wrong term, others might laugh about the mistake. On the other hand, people always afraid of judgment, because that can influence their confidence. Without the confidence, one might don’t want to speak out loud, and scared to communicate with others.

      Actually, I have a friend who is that kind of person who is afraid to speak in front of others, just like the debate or the presentation or giving a speech. Before she speaks to others in English, she always thought about what should she do if she just uses the wrong words, or is there anyone laughing about my accent? So in order to get over this kind of things, she would have dome deep breath when she needs to do the presentation. Sometimes, it works, but not always. Practice makes perfect, so the only thing one can do is to speak English as much as they can.

2.    In your opinion, what makes a speech good/ interesting? What makes a speech bad/boring? Why? You might imagine you’re giving someone advice about giving a speech.

      Personally, I think that if someone wants to do a good speech, one need to remember the stuff he wants to talk about. Preparation is really important. If someone goes for a speech with no idea about what is the next thing he’s going to talk about, the listener will thought that he is not ready for the speech, sometimes; it’s a kind of sign of not respect. A good speech needs to speak a little bit slow than general talking, and if the room is big, a tool like microphone might be helpful. A dramatic opening is a way to grab others attention. After that, the person who is giving a speech needs to move on with some emotion. And a clear structure is needed. One needs to show his main idea clearly, or others won’t know what he is talking about.

      On the other hand, there are some bad habits one needs to avoid in a speech. Firstly, a bad grammar could let others questioning about one’s level of education. Secondly, using cuss words, such as f-words, or others would think that you are not so polite. Thirdly, speak to fast or too slow. Talking too fast would cause others can’t hear clearly, but speak too slow might let others think you are indecisive. Forth, don’t be too emotional, or others would be scared. 

Introduction

Hello, I am Xin Li, a girl come from China. You guys can also go by Tarcilla.  Now, I have been in GRCC for more than 1 year. I am interested in cooking, and sometimes I like to cook for others, for example, my parents. Music is always a way to let me relax. And during the holiday period, I followed the TV series named <Bones>, which is talking about a FBI special agent work together with anthropologist who work in the Jeffersonian to solve murder cases.

The first reason that I came to GRCC is in order to join the High School Completion Program, and get a high school degree. And after that, I want to get at least a bachelor degree in Human Resource major. I am quite open mind person and independent, and I like to make friends with others, so, hope that I can make friends with every one in this class!