Introduction
Many activists’ speeches are strong, confident, and expressive as speakers build rapport with the audience and seek to engage with them to achieve the purpose of the speeches. Speakers use various tools in a speech that enhance it and make it appealing to the audience, making them trusting and willing to act in the way the activist seeks. The ability to set up a speech properly and saturate it with linguistic elements and evidence is something that speakers and politicians learn to prove the value of their campaigns. In an evocative and vivid speech, Majora Carter proves that the green agenda can change cultural boundaries and racial injustice.
Analysis
Techniques for Establishing Persuasiveness
One of the most vital elements of the Majora Carter’s speech is the operation of personal experiences that prove an issue exists. Carter is a black woman who grew up in a poor neighborhood where conditions were not conducive to healthy development (Carter, 2006, 02.47). She uses her personal experience to show the urgency of the problem – neighborhoods for blacks are unfavorable because they have high pollution levels, noise, lack of communication, and no support systems for the population. In addition, Carter seems to be an open and caring person – she shows her personal qualities, such as concern for the environment (Carter, 2006, 08.22; 10.25), pets (Carter, 2006, 09.09), and ease of interacting with people (Carter, 2006, 14.02). Demonstrating openness and willingness to solve the designated problem are other effective techniques that increase the audience’s confidence in the speaker.
Presentation of the Speech
Majora Carter is a neat, well-groomed woman who speaks moderately and often looks into the audience. She does not make eye contact with a specific person but always addresses the audience, not abstract people. Her speech may seem too fast, but her speech is clear and confident – she shows some excitement (e.g., shifting restlessly in one place), but this does not interfere with her speech. The use of gestures reinforces sufficient confidence in her topic – Carter moves her hands a lot as she speaks. It creates additional confidence and makes the speech convincing and exciting.
Choice of Language
Majora Carter’s speech is rich and exciting because of the presentation of facts, their connection to reality, and the suggestion of real-world solutions to problems. It has metaphors and idioms (“canary in the coal mine”) that are used to prove the real danger of the problem being discussed (Carter, 2006, 02.28). We can also say that the Carter uses simple similes to prove the relevance of environmental injustice: “like a tiny little bit” (Carter, 2006, 11.22); “abandoned like the dog” (Carter, 2006, 01:09); “good staff like parks and trees” (Carter, 2006, 02:47). The comparisons help to prove the reality in which every person who encounters injustice exists. There are many open syllables in the speech, which she pronounces with a smile, which enhances the positive effects on the audience. Separately, the skillful operation of stable expressions should be noted, which proves the richness of the speaker’s speech. The absence of specific jargon and expressions and high intelligence, demonstrated by the use of simple and understandable to the audience words, allows Majora Carter to increase the speech’s effectiveness quickly.
Quality of Arguments
Majora Carter uses many photographs of disadvantaged neighborhoods in the South Bronx as evidence. She also provides results on changing environmental injustices: for example, her photos and some statistics (Carter, 2006, 02.47), geographical facts (Carter, 2006, 07:33), and green political campaigns (Carter, 2006, 09:09). She tells specific cases that show that things can change and who can help solve the problem (Carter, 2006, 14.02). Her speech is also effective because it follows the flow of epic-logos-pathos. First, she argues openly and shares her experience to point to justice (epic), then she lays out the idea that environmental change is needed (logos), and finally, she comes to directly address the audience that will change the problem (pathos). As a result, Carter’s arguments are effective and more easily digested by an audience that trusts the arguments presented.
Ethicality
Majora Carter’s speech is ethical and inclusive because she does not use complicated words and raises relevant themes of universal justice and trust in political campaigns. She achieved her goal of influencing her audience to invest in environmental campaigns. It can be judged by how the audience reacts to the speech (applause), active listening (laughter and silence), and the speaker herself remains satisfied with the presentation. Her confidence suggests that the audience has understood and taken note of the information and is ready to work with it.
Conclusion
Consequently, the effectiveness of a speaker’s speech is determined by a set of speech elements that express the speaker’s active stance. Majora Carter’s speech is rich, lively, and exciting; she uses comparisons and metaphors, cites statistics, and skillfully proves the existence of the problem of environmental injustice, which she backs up with arguments. She demonstrates confidence and openness, a willingness to dialogue, and a sincere desire to solve the problem. We can conclude that the audience accepts the speech and will be ready for further cooperation because a speaker like Majora Carter wants to help.
Reference
Carter, M. (2006). Greening the ghetto [Video]. TED. Web.