This writing is pulled from my rhetorical analysis class (March ’16).
On June 26th, 2015, President Barack Obama delivered what is now known as the Charleston Eulogy at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. In this text, Obama covers a wide range of topics including the wonderful life of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, race relations, and the future of the United States of America. In the Charleston Eulogy Obama expresses that racial tensions and inequity are still an ongoing struggle in the United States. Obama argues that (1) for too long this country has been stagnant in racial issues such as law enforcement and incarceration rates, (2) we must take strong, immediate action on the matter of gun control to reduce the chances of another tragedy, and (3) as a country we can learn a lot about how to be a good man from Reverend Clementa Pinckney.
In the text, Obama consistently references Amazing Grace to make an emotional appeal to the mostly evangelical audience. One of the best appeals he makes occurs when he takes the line “…was blind but now I see…” from the Amazing Grace, and then uses similar verbiage to discuss the state of race relations in America. At the time of his speech, there was a fierce debate in South Carolina over whether or not the Confederate flag would be allowed to remain on the flagpole in front of the state capitol building. In the same tone as a preacher on Sunday morning, Obama claims that “…we were blind to the pain that the Confederate flag stirred in too many of our citizens”, that we now acknowledge that the flag is much more than ancestral pride, but also a symbol for the systematic oppression of African Americans. He goes on to use this same “was blind but now I see” phrase to discuss racial injustices in our school systems, gun violence, and even the laws set in place nationwide that engage in systematic racism (i.e. voter ID laws, drug related crime rates). Obama ensures that he makes a deep emotional connection through religion to the audience of mostly African American southern methodists by referencing the bible early and often, using lines from Amazing Grace to outline his larger comments on race relations in America in an impactful way.
In addition to engaging with the reader through emotional appeals, Obama also utilizes logos throughout the text to make succinct points on Reverend Pinckney and solutions to the tense race relations present at the time of the speech. This is most evident when Obama discusses the history of the black church. In this, Obama mentions their critical importance during the times of the underground railroad and have often been used as community centers, places of “scholarship and network” among many others. By methodically going through this history, Obama provides context for why this shooting in particular ought to be a turning point in race relations and gun violence. He leaves this information for the reader to mull over and reflect on the horror that occurred in the black church. This impression is not lost on the reader throughout the text, and serves its role as an effective reminder of just how senseless this act was.
Furthermore, Obama argues that for too long we merely talk about race relations in America but fail to act in a meaningful way and defends this point by considering the lack of movement in gun safety measures and American policies in general. Obama closes with a discussion on how to use history as “a manual for how to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past” (9). This closing thought leaves the reader with a strong sentiment of what exactly must be fixed in today’s society regarding the issues of gun violence and race.
Obama uses ethos to highlight the important issues of racial inequity in the United States of America. As the President of the United States, his credibility when it comes to most (if not all) political issues in the United States is automatically placed at a very high level. Regardless, Obama defends his credibility regarding these issues by discussing at length the various policies and statistics that point to significant racial inequity including (but not limited to) gun safety measures and voter requirements. Therefore, he is very persuasive in these areas because of his position in government and how he demonstrated his extensive knowledge on the issue.
In addition to policy issues, Obama uses ethos to discuss religion, and more specifically black churches and their importance in American history. Obama is a devoted Christian, and also African American, giving the reader immediately a sense of credibility. In the text Obama goes to great lengths to discuss the history and importance of the black church, saying the black churches “…have been, and continue to be, community centers where we organize for jobs and justice; places of scholarship and network; places where children are loved and fed and kept out of harm’s way… That’s what happens in church” (p. 4). Through this, Obama demonstrates his credibility in an emotional sense that he truly understands what the black church really means to the Charleston community, as well as truly understand the horror of what occurred to Reverend Pinckney and the eight others. Obama is very persuasive in this regard.
Throughout the text, Obama adjusts his tone to highlight the different topics he discusses. For the past decade or so in which Obama’s rhetorical skills have been in the national spotlight, he has been regarded as one of the nation’s best orators (regardless of what he spoke on). He is known for his simplicity, power, and clear arguments that make it easy for the audience to follow and understand. Without a doubt, Obama employs these techniques in this text.
What is more interesting, however, is the switch in tone (throughout the text) between politician and preacher. Whenever he discusses the African American struggle or religion Obama frequently uses words like “we” and “my brothers and sisters” to connect with the audience. He frequently quotes verses from the Scripture, and reflects on the grace of God throughout the text. In doing this, Obama provides comfort and familiarity to an audience that frequents church every week and listens to the gospel and sermon from their pastor. To the larger audience of the United States, it sends a clear message of what side exactly Obama stands on. The President of the United States is not going to sit quietly as his country deals with these critical issues of race any longer.
When not preaching but instead speaking from a more political standpoint, Obama utilizes a wide angle lens to provide perspective on the meaning of the funeral and why the President of the United States is speaking there. He first discusses Pinckney’s life and his work, and then brings them to the issues we face today and how we can use Pinckney as a model for fixing the problem at hand. In this his tone is often celebratory and hopeful, opting not to dwell and remain in sorrow, but to celebrate Pinckney’s life and acknowledge the progress we have made as a nation and the progress that is right around the corner. By switching his tone throughout the speech, Obama is able to address both the emotional and sensitive issues of religion and grace while also delivering strong arguments as the excellent political orator he is.
When the President of the United States makes a public address, inherently there is a considerably large number of audiences to which he could be speaking. There are his fellow political elites (of which there were plenty in the audience for the eulogy, notably Hillary Clinton and John Boehner), the conservative southerners who supported the Confederate flag, and of course the American populace at large. That being said, this text’s main target audience is the American Methodist Evangelical church.
This text is a promise that Obama understands the church’s struggle, is in awe of their grace and bravery, and will not forget them as he fights for racial equity during his remaining time in office. This is most evident when he discusses the alleged killer and the reaction from the church: “The alleged killer could have never anticipated the way the families of the fallen would respond when they saw him in court — in the midst of unspeakable grief, with words of forgiveness. He couldn’t imagine that” (p. 5). Here Obama recognizes the strength of the church, and acknowledges that their grace has been felt nationwide. Throughout the rest of the speech, Obama continues to speak on forgiveness and grace, and how it is time to act with such grace and bravery. Through this, it is clear that Obama is telling the people of A. M. E. that he will never forget them and what happened on that fateful day.
the blogger dropout 