ENGL 015 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Rhetoric, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Document Summary
After receiving a letter from several white clergymen in birmingham, alabama, Martin luther king, jr. opts to craft an open letter addressing the issues of segregation in a racist society. The letter was created in april of 1963 in the midst of the civil rights movement and a variety of protests and demonstrations. King established an incredibly clear purpose for his writing right of the bat. Birmingham official of his purpose in the community, to advocate for change with regards to equal treatment, and to persuade the community officials to take action and deliver those changes. In order to make this letter affective, martin luther king, jr. had to use a variety of different tactics including all aspects of the available means of persuasion. What is quite possibly one of the most important steps for a rhetor attempting to persuade an audience is to discern exactly who their audience is and how to properly address them.
