Jarrett Smith 4-8-10

Rhetorical Analysis LA101H

Malcolm X and his Audience

During the 1960’s, Malcolm X was one of the prominent civil rights leaders in the United

States who promoted a black separatist ideology based upon the Muslim faith. An avid speaker,

Malcolm X had many public speaking engagements that have been recorded and used as

historical artifacts of the period including a speech named “God’s Judgment of White America.

In this speech, Malcolm X employs a strong appeal of ethos in order to persuade his audience to

align with his beliefs regarding the black power movement. This ethical approach to

argumentation included the use of proofs, in which he connected past events and trends to

present and future events. Other examples of this appeal include the way in which he presented

himself to the audience as a speaker empathetic to their situation and as a member of their

African-American community. Moreover his uses of didactic and fervent tones in speaking and

diction choice allowed him to embody a nuanced character, teetering between that of a prophet

and that of the obedient preacher proselytizing the word of higher authorities.

Throughout the duration of the speech “On God and Judgment of White America”,

Malcolm X used a series of ethical proofs as a tool for fostering the relationship with his

audience. Speaking to a large gathering of Nation of Islam followers in New York City, Malcolm

X sought to convey his arguments for the downfall of white society in a logical and palatable

manner. He achieved this goal by referencing biblical events and a knowledge of current events

to connect the past to the present, as a means of predicting the future of America. This form of

argumentation formally recognized as a syllogism, allowed Malcolm X to make his argument

through the process of deductive reasoning connecting these biblical elements to the Black

society. In a specific example of this strategy, Malcolm X told the thousands of followers how it
was the evils of slavery that had brought about the end of Ancient Babylon and Greece and later

in the demise of Europe as a world power that was ongoing. He then used these examples as the

premise for his argument stating that the same fate will fall upon the United States, in exact

words yelled, “White America too will be utterly destroyed by her own sins… and the honorable

Elijah Muhammad teaches us that America's judgment and destruction will also be brought about

by divine will and divine power.” In his conclusion he guides his audience to believe that not

only will destruction come to America, but also to his religious message that this event will be

brought on by the power of God (Allah). Through this rhetorical choice he was able to connect

stories familiar to his audience of religious followers and make broader claims about society and

the nation.

Another way in which Malcolm X used ethos was through his focus on presentation of

self. Throughout the speech Malcolm X created a portrayal of his character as an expert of his

Muslim religion to which he belonged. In his arguments he clearly and concisely presented the

goals and beliefs of his religious movement through which he proved to the audience his

authority as a speaker. Through this action he was able to open a channel with the audience

giving him the opportunity to inform, educate and persuade. He also manipulated his

presentation of religion in the speech as a basis for contrast of his Muslim religion against the

society of White America. In this way he creates a good versus evil argument to justify his goals.

Constantly Malcolm refers to his religion as pure and good and the White Society as unjust and

corrupt. He instills doubt against the status quo asking, “Why is the American white man so set

against the twenty-two million "Negroes" learning about the religion of Islam? Islam is the

religion that elevates the morals of the people who want to do right. …”. All of these elements
further establish a reputation of the Black Muslim movement that is strong alternative to the

mainstream White Culture as he proposed.

Furthermore, in Malcolm X’s ability to relate to the African-American condition in his

speech, he facilitated a closer relationship with the audience as a member of their black

community. He throughout the speech highlighted the black struggle and the constant battle

against the barriers to equality created by the government and white society. Through addressing

the common ills of black society, he reasoned that he understood and was familiar with the issues

facing the black community. This enabled Malcolm X to identify the ways in which this deterred

black advancement in society and then offer a solution of his own. In this way he immerses

himself into the thoughts and feelings of the audience, allowing him to forward his religious

arguments for the Muslim Nation of Islam movement.

Within these religiously themed arguments, Malcolm X assumed a role of a religious

leader, fulfilling both qualities of a preacher and those of a prophetic nature. His choices in

ethical appeal present a didactic yet fervent diction selection and tone that create this holy figure.

In his use of proofs, he became a “Jeremiah” like character, acting as the bringer of messages of

a divine authority. Building upon texts from the bible and the Qur’an, Malcolm X continued

these stories to the present as a warning, serving as a prophet to the people who have chosen to

follow him. Through relating to the audience as a member of their community Malcolm X takes

on the persona of a much humbler figure, a preacher who offers solutions to these everyday

conditions. His audiences are drawn to him for answers and so gladly he provided responses to

the larger issues in America in this speech. In each he does with so with the absolute command

to follow the Nation of Islam and the Muslim religion. Despite his exertion of authority over

these issues, nearly every example of this kind of response included a reference back to the
Nation of Islam’s leader, Elijah Muhammad. In doing so he created a perception of submission

to the higher authority of the true prophet to his movement, assuming the position again of the

lowly preacher. During this speech, there exists a constant struggle between these two figures,

which enabled Malcolm to effectively command and teach the audience present.

Although Malcolm X’s reputation as a controversial figure in Black History, he

successfully weaved the rhetorical appeal of ethos into his speech “On God’s Judgment of White

America”, while maintaining his movement’s arguments. In this piece, various modes of appeal

were employed that established a relationship with his audience that strengthened their ability to

accept his potent arguments and further his goals .The manner in which this historic figure

invented ethos in his public speaking and civic engagements, both good and bad, would later

define his legacy for generations to come.