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Kevin Martinez
ENGL 1302
Professor Moore
29 January 2019
“We Shall Overcome”

During the presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson many issues arose around the country,

which lead to one of the most impactful speeches which is called “We Shall Overcome.” It

addresses the conflicts that had been going on in the country. With the rise of the Civil Rights

Movement, many peaceful marches had been arranged around the most southern states of the

United States, one being Birmingham, Alabama. Most of the biggest marches are in the most

racist cities in America, which can lead to a lot of conflict between African Americans and

White Americans. One of the marches became violent that it was broadcasted on tv which

showed many people the problem the United States has. This march prompted Lyndon Johnson

to take a stand and give a speech to Congress addressing the problem the United States is facing.

Reoccurring conflict in the United States is noted in the Lyndon B Johnson Speech “We Shall

Overcome” Johnson uses repetition, strong ethos, and pathos to inform the US citizens the

problems obtaining freedom to African American and his dream for the future.

Lyndon B Johnson begins his speech talking about how the search of freedom through

the United States is unending. He says “So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. There, long-

suffering men and woman peacefully protested the denial of their rights” (Par.3). He calls out the

events that recently happened in Selma which had multiple protester get attacked by the police

force. African Americans has had problems obtaining freedoms in the United States history,

having problems voting and racism is one of the many problems that African Americans are

facing in the United States. “There is no cause for pride in what has happened in Selma. There is
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no cause for self-satisfaction in the long denial of equal rights of millions of Americans” (Par. 4).

Johnson condemns the attack that took place at a peaceful protest also addresses the denial of

equal rights to the millions of African Americans that does not have the same right as other

White Americans have. “Our fathers believed that if this noble view of the rights of the man was

to flourish, it must be rooted in democracy” (Par. 12). Johnson states that the founders of this

country have set that the country would flourish if everything is rooted with democracy with the

rights of every man.

Johnson uses Pathos throughout the speech to explain what America itself was built on.

After the events that took place in Selma, Alabama, Johnson starts explaining what the founding

fathers fought for and how it should work for every man. “But there is a cause for hope and faith

in our democracy in what is happening here tonight. For the cries of pain and the hymns and

protests of oppressed people have summoned in to convocation” (Par. 4). Johnson shows

empathy to the Americans that have oppressed for decades and or centuries who is continuing to

be oppressed by the current laws of the government.

Johnson also utilizes ethos in his speech to address to the American people that there is a

problem that the country is facing. “As a man whose roots go deeply into the southern soil, I

know how agonizing racial feelings are. I know how difficult it is to reshape the attitudes and the

structure of our society” (Par. 31). Lyndon Johnson grew up in the south, so he knows how racial

things can get with negroes and whites clashing, but at the end he would like to change

everything for the better of the country. “My first job after college was as a teacher in Cotulla,

Texas in a small Mexican-American school. Few of them could speak English, and I couldn’t

speak much Spanish. My Students were poor and they often cam to class without breakfast,

hungry. And they knew, even in their youth, the pain of prejudice. They never seemed to know
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why people disliked them” (Par. 55) Johnson shows that even the youth that he had taught when

he was a teacher even knew somewhat about racism at a younger age.

Towards the end of Johnsons speech, he explains what his desire are to do for the

country’s future. “Wednesday, I will send to Congress a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers

to the right to vote. The broad principles of that bill will be in the hands of the Democratic and

Republican leaders tomorrow” (Par. 18). This quote shows that Johnson plans to eliminate any of

the laws that denies the right to vote. “I want to be the president who educated young children to

the wonders of their world.” Also saying “I want to be the president who helped to end hatred

among his fellow men, and who promoted love among the people of all races and all regions and

all parties” (Par. 59). Johnson wants to be the president that changes the norm in America. He

would like to change things for the best of the children and the future. “It never even occurred to

me in my fondest dreams that I might have the chance to help the sons and daughters of those

students and to help people like them all over this country” (Par 56). Johnson is eager to help the

children of the country because he knows the future are in their hands.

Johnson shows a lot of empathy in the wake of Selma but also gives hope to everyone

that is affected to any racial inequalities. Also telling what his future as president would be

hoping that others would follow what he wants to do. In the Speech “We Shall Overcome” he

very well addressed most of the problems that the United States is facing and giving a solution to

the problem even though he knows that it would not be easy for these new solutions to take

place. He gives confidence to every minority that there is a brighter future that their children

would be living in also giving a path to every American to get out of poverty.
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Works Cited

Johnson, Lyndon. “We Shall Overcome.” Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century -

American Rhetoric, www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjweshallovercome.htm. Accessed 17

February 2019