SPEECH
The United States of America is the country with long history of struggle for human rights. I this struggle the hardest social issues were connected with the relations between white and black citizens. Black people had always faced inhumane treatment, abuse, humiliation and racial harassment. They were deprived of basic rights and forced to tolerate injustice and obey the law, which restricted their rights. But like all human beings, they could not tolerate the kind of treatment anymore and African-American society gave birth to its leaders and active members to change the reality of American society. Their strong will, belief in justice, belief in people and constant struggle against racism produced a great impact on every facet of contemporary live.
Since the times when slavery was abolished, African-American community had been fighting for equal rights and possibilities. It was a hard way, which took many lives and destinies. But now, African-American community can be proud of its members, who devoted their lives to the foundation of peaceful, prosperous and worthy life. There are a lot of those, who deserve being mentioned for their contribution to the community. The most prominent were W. E. B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederic Douglas, Booker T. Washington and many others. Today politics, sports and other spheres of human activity are imaginable without African-American community members, who distinguish themselves among all other communities. Some of these people are Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Beyonce’ Knowles.
Contemporary life is the result of struggle of previous generations. This paper contains demonstration of how society had been transforming under the pressure of African Americans and their speeches, and discussion of the impacts that these speeches had on African-American community.
The first step of African-American community was to abolish slavery. One of those who fought against slavery was Henry Highland Garnet. In August 16 of 1843 he pronounced his famous speech, called “An address to the slaves of the United States of America”. The idea of his speech may be shortened to the following words: “Slavery! How much misery is comprehended in that single word. What mind is there that does not shrink from its direful effects? Unless the image of God be obliterated from the soul, all men cherish the love of Liberty… In everyman’s mind the good seeds of Liberty are planted, and he who brings his fellow down so low as to make him contended with a condition of slavery commits the highest crime against God and man.” (Garnet cited by Daley, p. 3)
Being prominent African-American abolitionist, he knew how talks on moral issues can be transformed into action. His power of word encouraged young blacks to claim their own destinies and take action. Garnet’s enormous lectures and political influence had significantly contributed to the abolition of slavery in the United States. Abolitionist Movement fostered the idea that slavery was against democratic principles upon which the nation was founded and that no person had the right to …