Analyzing body language

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Chamberlain College of Nursing *

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Arts Humanities

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Dec 6, 2023

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1 Analyzing Body Language Analyzing Body Language Public speeches play a critical role today. Spoken language is the ability of human beings to communicate with one another. In the two videos provided, both Martin Luther King Jr. and Alicia Garza use their ability to communicate effectively through things like gestures, delivery styles, and body language. Both speakers used similar and different techniques to capture the viewer's attention. In both videos, you can see how, throughout the years, speakers are able to

2 talk in a way that grabs the viewer's attention and how they use that to speak publicly about social injustice. Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered on August 28, 1963, held in a church at the Lincoln Memorial. This was one of the most iconic speeches in history because he spoke about his dream for the American people. This included his children playing with white children and African Americans, eating at the same places, riding on the same buses, and singing the same gospel songs together. This was his dream for the American people. He did not want his kids to be judged by the color of their skin but by their character. His dream was for an end to racism and economic and civil rights for African Americans. In the speech by Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, she delivered a powerful speech addressing the systemic racism and violence faced by African Americans in the United States. She discussed the statistics on African American women's wages, arrest statistics involving African Americans, as well as the survival rates. In her speech, she provided this information to emphasize the importance of collective action and the need for systemic change in the United States. In both speeches, both speakers showed their charismatic leadership through their words and how they delivered the message. They used their speaking technics to inspire and captivate their audience. Dr. King and Alicia Garza spoke with passion and conviction about the need for racial justice and equality for the African American community in the United States. Their speeches showed similarity in these ways, but the way each speaker delivered them made them different. Dr. King's speech included more poetic and metaphorical phrases. He also used biblical references and American patriotic symbols to explain his message. Mrs. Garza's speech was delivered more directly and aggressively. The way she directed this information with facts and

3 using comparative ideas from American history captivated the audience to understand the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement. Location played an essential role in Dr. King's speech as it was given in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial honors the 16th president and symbolizes his belief in the freedom and dignity of all people (U.S Department of the Interior, n.d). The speech was also given in a church setting, which added a spiritual dimension to his speech. All these factors played together and sent a message to those viewing that would impact the whole world for years. On the other hand, Alicia Garza's speech was given inside and spread through social media platforms. Although her location during the speech does not add a more incredible picture as it did for Dr. King, technology like social media made it easier for her to captivate an audience worldwide. Social media made it significantly easy to amplify the Black Lives Matter message. In Dr. King's speech, there were mostly African Americans seeking civil rights and those who believed in equality. Alicia Garza's audience was a more diverse population; she could reach people globally within a few days. While the context of the speeches and the audience may have been different, the core of both messages was delivered in a speech about racial justice and equality in the United States. One key component of public speeches that should be addressed is eye contact. Both speeches grabbed my attention, but Dr. King's speech was so powerful that it was hard to look away. In Dr. King's speech, he used many physical gestures, like his hands moving in front of the podium, but what captured me the most was his ability to look around at each person watching him as he wrote the poem of his dream. His eye continuous eye contact showed the audience his values in what he was saying and his knowledge and authenticity of his speech. In public speaking, it is important to speak to your audience as you would talk to a group of friends (Guarino, 2023). Dr. King's ability to do this grabbed the viewer's attention, while in

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4 Alicia Garza's speech, she spent a lot of her time looking down at what she had written. While speaking, she looked down and had her hands in one position in front of her the whole time. Her gestures created a barrier between her and what she was saying. Giving an important speech is a challenging task. Creating a setting, making eye contact, and speaking directly from your heart will deliver a speech that no one can forget, just like Dr. King. Speeches like his are what make a positive impact on social movements around the world. Social movements are essential in linking the American public and the government (Greenberg & Page, p 223, 2018). The use of social movements is what has pushed our democracy to become better than it ever has been before. Speakers like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Alicia Garza use their ability to captivate an audience and show the importance of social movements in our society. References: Greenberg, E. S., & Page, B. I. (2018). The Struggle for Democracy, 2018 Elections and Updates Edition (12th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9780135246849Links to an external site.Links to an external site. Zarr, C. (2022, February 2). Martin Luther King, Jr.. National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/nyc/exhibit/mlk#:~:text=On%20August

5 %2028%2C%201963%2C%20Martin,Lincoln%20memorial%20in%20Washington %20DC . U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Lincoln Memorial--presidents: A discover our shared heritage travel itinerary. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/lincoln_memorial.html#:~:text=The%20Lincoln %20Memorial%20National%20Memorial,also%20preserved%20America’s%20high %20ideals . Guarino, J. (2023). The power of eye contact in public speaking. Institute of public speaking. https://www.instituteofpublicspeaking.com/the-power-of-eye-contact-in-public-speaking/

Analyzing body language

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