The Summary of the Two Speeches
In the speech “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged more than two hundred and fifty thousand citizens to collect to stop racial discrimination. The basic idea of the address was to provide information to ordinary Americans about the high degree of racial discrimination in the United States at the time. He argued that the participants in the march on Washington did not demand special rights or freedoms (Garza, 2020). They desired only fair establishment and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. One such aspect he does emphasize oppression was captivity, which assumed the form of either slavery or imprisonment. Martin Luther King Jr clearly stated the ideas using appropriate words such as chains, handcuffs, prison cells (Garza, 2020). That is, he explained the shapes of restraints individuals faced and how they evolved throughout history.
Alicia Garza recalls in her statement that discrimination on the grounds of race still exists, testifying that half of the prisoners and those under state supervision are black. The woman argues that there is discrimination against black women and men; they are receiving less wages (Garza, 2020). Therefore, they want their dignity and rights to live with dignity to be respected. Alicia Garza notes that even at the legislative level, black persons’ domestic work is excluded from the labor laws. Consequently, workers cannot be members of unions and receive labor law protections. The speaker’s principal aim is to cite facts indicating that black people are in the shadows of democracy even now wages (Garza, 2020). Thus, she maintains that movements for fair protections for black people are not just about restoring justice. It means enhancing the matters of democracy throughout society and enforcing the values already declared.
A Comparison of Leadership, Charisma, and the Power and Passion of the Speakers
Martin Luther King Jr. is a charismatic leader who demonstrates audience understanding and encourages the audience to listen and understand him. He exhibits the needs and desires of black people in the performance by means of staged language and active contact with the public (Markman, 2020). King used the power he was granted to inspire and motivate individuals to fight for democracy. He captured the audience with a frank monologue with the crowd, his speech extended and clear. The speaker immediately began with significant issues and created a strong visual image that helped inspire everyone. That is, Martin Luther King Jr. went straight to the essential matters and created a visual identity for people during his speech. The speaker would return to the people around him to demonstrate that he was talking to each of them (Markman, 2020). His ability to transform a dream into a reality encouraged individuals to believe that it is possible to live in mutual respect and peace independent of race.
Alicia Garza selected other methods to draw the audience’s attention to her presentation. She used charisma to provide basic facts about inequality between whites and blacks. It was because she cited accurate figures and cases that the public listened with appreciation and belief. At the same time, even the speaker’s introduction before the speech provided the audience with an understanding of her persona wages (Markman, 2020). Hence, she used a leadership tone of language when speaking about cases of discrimination and unfair treatment of black people; thus, along with her charisma, it grabbed the audience’s attention. Alicia Garza actively moved and gesticulated to emphasize her concern, passion, and desire to solve the problem.
Therefore, the audience intensively listened and applauded after each strong word and appeal of the woman. Consequently, the two speeches shared the same theme, but they adopted various methods of demonstrating the problem and grabbing the viewer’s interest. Martin Luther King Jr visualized the dream and had an open dialogue with the audience (Markman, 2020). At the same time, Alicia Garza tried to explain the magnitude of the problem and inspire confidence that the struggle for democracy for blacks would be successful.
Location and Audience
Martin Luther King Jr. chose to speak on the stairs at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. The speaker did this to amplify his speech because Lincoln advocated the emancipation of the slaves. King, in this manner, urged his admirers to fight for democracy and equality as the American leader had already started to do (Author Author, 2022). That is, the place of the speech, in this case, was symbolic and inspired the audience to visualize his words and believe in the outcome’s success. Alicia Garza spoke on the RadTalks platform, where innovative thinkers and influencers come together to share bright ideas. Therefore, her speech could be heard not only by the audience in the hall but also by many viewers via the Internet. It contributed not just to the spirit of the struggle but to the exposure of information to a wide range of individuals (Author, 2022). Hence, considering the different times of these speeches, scouring the Internet for videos contributed to more involvement of persons in the issue.
It is significant to emphasize that the audience was different during the speeches. Alicia Garza was the first speaker, and her audience was not just focused on a presentation about racial discrimination (Garza, 2020). However, the online video viewing enabled everyone to listen to her opinions. At the same time, more than two hundred fifty thousand people from all over the country and watching the television broadcast aimed to listen to King’s speech. In this way, his public was more interested and motivated to embrace his vision and fight for racial equality.
References
Author. (2022.) Week 3 Lesson: Interest groups and business corporations, and social movements: Political science. Unpublished Manuscript. Institution. Professor.
Garza, A. (2020). The purpose of power: How we come together when we fall apart. One World.
Markman, H. C. (2020). Embodied attunement and participation. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 68(5), 807-834.