(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The greatest of Orators [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-14 Public Speaking I am convinced Malcolm X and John F. Kennedy are the greatest American orators of the 20th century. I speak as someone who has studied oratory and acting for the last 25-years. Decade after decade I go back and review these two remarkable orators. I must concede John F. Kennedy has had the greatest impact on me as an orator. Today if you take a poll and asked who is the greatest speaker of the 20th century nine times out of ten people would say JFK. Today I want to challenge that idea for many good reasons. When Malcolm X was a young boy he suffered every hardship a young black boy growing up in a Jim Crow society could face. JFK was groomed as a boy by some of the best voice and acting teachers money can buy, JFK’s father owned a Hollywood movie studio and he had the greatest acting coaches to come in and teach his son how to speak and project to an audience. Malcolm X bounced from jail to prison with no promise of a bright future. While in prison Malcolm X decided he would read every book in the prison library and apply himself to a point of transformation. During this period Malcolm X found the Nation of Islam (Black Muslims) and he threw himself into being the most educated and most well spoken Black Muslim he could be. Soon he would be promoted to the role of Minister of the Mosque in Harlem, New York. All of the people in Harlem would come out and hear this dynamic young orator tell their story like no one else. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. had no equal in the civil rights as the biggest voices for 22 million Black Americans. Malcolm X was the master of metaphor, irony, and rehetorical questions. No speaker could match Malcolm in this area of speech and or debate. His trips to Europe Malcolm X would dominate his challengers at the opposite podium. John F. Kennedy was the master of the short speech, he was also a brilliant historical mind and he could pull great quotes from poets and great politicians out of thin air. JFK could give a four minute speech on why we should go to the moon and all of America believed him; and we did! John F. Kennedy and Malcolm X will be inspiring future orators 100 years from now and they like me will be writing their praise and glory for the next generation. Finally, I wish to leave three tips on being an effective speaker. 1.) Ethos: the speaker must appeal to the audience as credible. 2.) Logos: the speaker appeals to the audience’s logical thinking. 3.) Pathos: the speaker appeals to the audience’s emotion. Do these three things and you’re off to a great speech! Charles Micheaux Atlanta* [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/14/2163971/-The-greatest-of-Orators Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/