speaking to, changing it from “the black people” and “the white people”, to a unity that includes
all.
He uses the constraint that he has, being that he is a rich, white man from a well-known family
speaking in front of a crowd of black people that lives in a ghetto, in times that are already
politically difficult, to his advantage.
The people probably did not expect him to be so inclusive, and for him to be just like them,
shocked and sad about what happened. He successfully determined the differences between him

and his audience (Zarefski, p.115), and instead of just ignoring them, he used them to make his
message even stronger.
During the whole speech, his voice is calm. He speaks slowly and separated, and does not rush
through his speech, although he knows the situation and the audience goodwill towards him
could change at any second. He does not read from his notes, which shows the audience that he
is sincere and that he speaks from the heart. Another very powerful part of his speech, where he
makes an effort to identify with the audience, is when he says:
“
For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust at the

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- Spring '08
- DEMARCO
- John F. Kennedy, Vietnam War, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy