Rhetorical Analysis: Protesting Racial Injustices

Muhammad Ali's major argument in this interview is his emphasis on the racism in America that has occurred in previous history, his experiences with racism, and how those experiences have shaped his perspective on race and his personal beliefs. Race/Racism was a very touchy and often difficult subject to talk about back then and even in today's America, it's still pretty difficult to try and bring up in conversation. However, in this interview, Ali managed to address the subject by giving his perspective on the subject and sharing personal anecdotes. Ali shares an experience where he was rejected of service in a downtown restaurant because he was black; despite the fact that he had "fought for this country" and won an Olympic gold medal. Of course, Ali felt extremely disrespected by their lack of respect for him which he claims aided in his conversion to Islam. Ali also states that no woman- whether they are black, white, from a different country, etc.- can relat...

The main argument President Trump is trying to make is that NFL players need to get fired for kneeling during the national anthem. He thinks this demonstration is disrespectful and one of the leading causes of the NFL ratings being so low. The movement was started last year when Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest the racial injustice occurring in our country specifically in law enforcement. Some Americans found this movement offensive to both the flag and soldiers who fought for our country. The stasis that Trump uses in his speech is consequence and action. The consequence of the players “disrespecting” the flag is leading to public outrage mainly from Conservatives. Because of this outrage, the NFL is losing money from certain fans who don’t see eye to eye with Kaepernick’s views. Trump is also urging America to take action by simply not watching the games on television and walking out the stadium if they see a player kneel. By Marissa Glover

Since Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the American flag, many people have followed in his footsteps and continued to kneel for the flag. He is now a free agent after ending his contract with the 49ers earlier this year. Kaepernick has continued to face criticism for his actions, but he has continued to advocate for victims of police brutality through social media. A year after Colin Kaepernick first knelt during a game, President Trump brought this to media attention in a rally in Alabama. He then went to Twitter to condemn football players who stand. Although he does not have a history with attacking the NFL, I believe he felt it would help reach out to his fan base because they mostly agre e with him. He received much backlash from this from NFL players and coaches and from the general public through social media. After his rally, many players decided to take a kneel to oppose Trump. Although their intentions were good, they also may not have been protesting for the right re...

In Colin Kaepernick’s press conference, he talks about why he will not stand during the national anthem. Kaepernick says he will not stand for the national anthem because America is not giving all of its citizens freedom, justice, and equal opportunity. Kaepernick believes that he should not stand up for a flag that represents an unjust nation. He says that he will stand up once he believe the nation is just for all people. Kaepernick did not give a specific thing that he wants to see change that will cause him to stand. Kaepernick is primarily doing this in order to bring awareness to the people who are being suppressed. He specifically mentions his distaste for the the police force. He believes the police force does not get enough training and that they are one of the biggest culprits of suppression, and this can be seen most blatantly in police brutality against African Americans. Kaepernick did not use any statistics, but he used common knowledge that African Americans experience ...

In his interview with Michael Parkinson, Ali blatantly explains the ingrained racism that overflows 1960s society through the depiction of angels, derogatory terms centered around black versus white, and even the names of dessert foods. Ali recalls asking his mother “Why is the Lord’s Supper all white men?” and “angels are white...what happened to all the black angels?”.  From a young age Ali notes that even in widely-used depictions of an afterlife, African Americans were innately subordinated and reminded of that ideology by religious images .  Furthermore, Ali questions the racist undertone of the English language, directing his audience’s attention to the use of the word “ blackmail ” to denote a criminal offense.  While criticisms may mark this as an overly-critical analysis of the our language, he makes a logical argument that the word “black” carries a negative connotation that the word “white” does not.  Furthering his point, Ali points towards the name of tw...

The major argument made by Colin Kaepernick in this press interview is his concern over the issue of police brutality among the African-American community and his desire to bring awareness among those who are ignorant to the issue.  History  has shown that there has always been tension between African-Americans and law enforcement. Movements such as the Black Panther Party and the Civil Rights Movements were known for protesting against injustices such as police brutality. Even efforts such as Black Lives Matter, are seen today doing such protests. It's funny how history has a tendency to repeat itself. Throughout the interview, Kaepernick clearly expresses his concern and frustration over the issue. He stated many times that he had seen the police brutality occur multiple times among the African-American community and that he feels that the United States and its flag don't represent their citizens as a collective.  Kaepernick stated multiple times throughout the video ...