Cassandra Iglesias

Ms. Guzman

AP English Language

period 4

6 October 2016

Obamas Speech

In President Obamas speech at the NAACP conference on July 14, 2016 he recognizes

the problems that remain in our justice system. For instance too much sentencing and the

increase in incarceration rate. To convey his he uses lots of statistics, anecdote, and chronology.

The author uses statistics throughout the whole speech; to show how the U.S holds the

most inmates. The United States is 25 percent of the worlds prisoners. This information

holds statistics proving that there is definitely something wrong with our justice system. He also

uses statistics to show who is impacted by the unjust system we live by. The author goes on to

say, African Americans and Latinos make up 30 percent of our population; they make up 60

percent of our inmates. The author uses statistics to grab the audience's attention with such a

drastic numbers. The use of drastic numbers isn't always just to catch the audience's attention but

also be because they wanted to properly prove what they are saying to their audience.

The author also uses anecdote to emphasizes on, in order for you to have change you

need to want Change. Obama uses his experiences and encounters to support his points through

the speech. The author shows his understanding that it will not happen immediately but with the
help inmates will begin to realize what they must do to live a good life. Given the proper

resources the inmates will begin to want to move on and change their life.

The author uses chronological order to give further explanations on how our justice

system is being affected by the communities, courtrooms and cell blocks so change should start

there. He starts to explain the impacts of the communities and stated how it is the main source of

the problem is that they are not providing proper help to communities. Once our community is

getting better we can see results our courtrooms, after the courtrooms have improved our jails

will begin to improve.

The rhetorical device statistics, chronology and anecdote used by Obama to emphasize on

the issues we our suffering. He also mentions that the only way to change is to want change. In

order for the inmates to want change they will have to be provided with proper help.