Introduction

Thundercatz present:

Martin Luther King Jr.“Inspiring a shared vision and enabling a movement to actwith rhetoric and passion.”

October 23rd, 2012

Rhetoric and the Message of Nonviolence

• Metaphors that illustrate the power of non-violent means.

• Illustrative language that paints a higher calling.

• Language paints the picture of equality.

• The creation of a common goal - a shared vision.

• Acknowledgement of the challenges faced by members of the movement.

• Concludes with a direct picture of the vision he sees, that can be easily understood by the listeners.

From Inspiration to Action

• He created opportunities for collaboration and avenues for non-violent demonstrations.

• He created opportunities for team efforts and face-to-face collaboration.

• He demonstrated an openness to improvement and ideas by learning from other inspirational leaders.

• He walked the talk.

Inspiring A Vision withChristian Values

• Used religious references in speeches to inspire.

• Purpose was to inspire people to act and not necessarily to convert.

• I Have A Dream• “The Glory of the Lord shall be revealed”

• Letter From Birmingham Jail• Promotes the heroism of nonviolence through

Christian morals

Enabling Others to Act

• Uses Christian beliefs as a model for his followers to act.

• Loving Your Enemies• Promotes a fundamental teaching of

Jesus which is to love your enemies.• Love has a redemptive power:• That power can transform individuals.

American Heritage Language Inspires a Shared Vision

• Ending of IHAD speech with My Country Tis’ of Thee• “And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of

God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: . . .”

• “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today . . .”• Uses language from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

• Historic American Figures• James Russell Lowell

The Use of American Heritage

• Dr. King enabled others to act by telling & demonstrating how to act.

• Location of IHAD speech• “In a sense we've come to our nation's capital

to cash a check.”

• Organized protests in Birmingham and elsewhere.

Grassroots Language

• Grassroots: being, originating, or operating in or at the grass roots <a grassroots organization> <grassroots political support>

• Dr. King was a masterful speaker and chose his words carefully. He did this, in part to inspire people into, and to “keep on” in a grassroots movement.

Examples of Grassroots Language

• Anthropomorphizes America and the American Dream. • “Declaration of Independence a promissory note”• America failed to pay its debt to “citizens of color”

• Language puts a face to the problem. • Metaphor enables people to relate to the injustice

• References communities that people came from and would go back to.

• He uses WE language throughout the speech.

• He includes everyone in his plans and shares his dream. • Speaks to common themes like poverty and

racism and links them to certain locations.

• His language stirs an emotional response.• Allows for people to relate to the call for

action.

Inspiring a Grassroots Vision

• Dr. King created a passionate image of the future.

• Directly referenced geographic regions.

• Directly referenced people as a part of this movement and calls them to individual action.

• IHAD speech created a sense of urgency:• “Now is the time to make real the promises

of democracy.”

Enabling Others With Tangible Actions

• Grass roots activism definition:

• Civil Rights Movement vs. Occupy Wall Street• Civil Rights: create long-term change in

policy and public attitude towards civil injustice

• OW: create long-term change in policy and awareness of wealth disparity

• Which was more successful in accomplish its goals?

Enabling Others With Tangible Actions

• Dr. King empowered the civil rights movement with tangible individual action.

• Individual acts of disobedience:• Drew attention to Rosa Parks• Was arrested during protests in Birmingham

• Voter registration• Leveraged Nobel Peace Prize to organize voter

registration

• Boycotts (economic withdrawal)• Organized bus, restaurant, and other business

boycotts

Forward Thinking

According to Kouzes & Posner:

• ‘Inspiring a shared vision’ and ‘enabling others to act’ are important leadership abilities.

• ‘Forward Thinking’ is usually not on lists that identify leadership qualities.

• No forward thinking = no followers

Multi-Prong Strategies• Knowledge of constituents.

• Had pulse ‘on the times.’

• Used themed language to inspire vision.

• Invited participation, enabling others to act.• Included specific step-by-step strategies for action • Intimated what needed to be done, but lacked strategic

specificity • Allowed followers to become leaders in own communities

• Took advantage of opportunities, following consequences of speeches.

1963Anti-segregation Movement

(Birmingham, AL)

• Specifically planned protests• Led to MLK’s arrest and

subsequent ‘Letter from Birmingham’

‘March on Washington, D.C.’• Multiple speeches informed

followers of need for event.• Unveiled ‘I Have A Dream

Speech’

Result of collective events:Civil Rights Act of 1964

1965Protest Marches

(Montgomery, AL)

• Police brutality ceased protests.

• MLK’s assistance led to a federal court order.

• Enabled protests to continue without police

involvement.

Result of these events:Voting Rights Act of 1965

1967: Vietnam

• MLK joined religious leaders, essentially protesting federal government decisions through various anti-’war’ speeches.

• MLK laid out a specific 5-point plan to end US involvement.

Result of events:Allowed for continued dialogue with federal

officials in subsequent years (despite MLK’s assassination)

Conclusion

• Metaphors and Illustrative language inspired and enabled a nonviolent movement.

• Christian ideology provided commonality to the vision and a moral rational for movement.

• American Heritage Language brought people together.

• Emotional and understandable language brought together a grassroots movement.

• A multi-pronged approach enabled a lasting impact.