Nelson Mandela: I am the first accused
Essay: Nelson Mandela
In the speech entitled ‘I am the first accused’ by Nelson Mandela, delivered on April 20th 1994 in Pretoria, he clearly argues that the quality of human rights should not be based around a man’s skin. In a calm but assertive manner, Mandela immediately presents his audience with his contention of black Africans being equally human as the whites.
“White supremacy and Black inferiority”, four small words quoted by Nelson Mandela, which would have powerful meaning, but a different meaning for each individual member of his audience. The above quote clearly illustrates the depth of racial discrimination during Mandela’s time in Africa, an issue he was fighting to eliminate, and later on went to say “It is an ideal I am prepared to die for”. From his so very powerful speech he presented after freedom from 26 years spent in prison, Mandela had his targeted audience positioned exactly where they were needed, but he did not use any bias to do so.
The true beauty of Nelson Mandela’s speech was that there was no bias, he did not intend to angle his audience so they would only visualise one side of the argument. Mandela acutely exposed his audience to both sides of the issue, ‘black and white’. The use of bias in a speech or other persuasive piece would certainly enhance the reader’s attention or belief towards the topic, but in Mandela’s case, by leaving out the prejudiced words his speech was all the more compelling.
In using words such as ‘us’ and ‘we’ in his speech, Nelson Mandela provides an instant reminder for his audience that in fact, he is also one of them. By using a distinct and convincing tone in his delivery, Mandela succeeds in immediately getting the his point of view across to the audience that there should not be any existence of segregation, that there should not be any inequality between the white man or black, and fair democracy is what is needed in South Africa above all.
Another great persuasive technique used in this piece
In the speech entitled ‘I am the first accused’ by Nelson Mandela, delivered on April 20th 1994 in Pretoria, he clearly argues that the quality of human rights should not be based around a man’s skin. In a calm but assertive manner, Mandela immediately presents his audience with his contention of black Africans being equally human as the whites.
“White supremacy and Black inferiority”, four small words quoted by Nelson Mandela, which would have powerful meaning, but a different meaning for each individual member of his audience. The above quote clearly illustrates the depth of racial discrimination during Mandela’s time in Africa, an issue he was fighting to eliminate, and later on went to say “It is an ideal I am prepared to die for”. From his so very powerful speech he presented after freedom from 26 years spent in prison, Mandela had his targeted audience positioned exactly where they were needed, but he did not use any bias to do so.
The true beauty of Nelson Mandela’s speech was that there was no bias, he did not intend to angle his audience so they would only visualise one side of the argument. Mandela acutely exposed his audience to both sides of the issue, ‘black and white’. The use of bias in a speech or other persuasive piece would certainly enhance the reader’s attention or belief towards the topic, but in Mandela’s case, by leaving out the prejudiced words his speech was all the more compelling.
In using words such as ‘us’ and ‘we’ in his speech, Nelson Mandela provides an instant reminder for his audience that in fact, he is also one of them. By using a distinct and convincing tone in his delivery, Mandela succeeds in immediately getting the his point of view across to the audience that there should not be any existence of segregation, that there should not be any inequality between the white man or black, and fair democracy is what is needed in South Africa above all.
Another great persuasive technique used in this piece