The George Floyd Protests was a social movement to remember in 2020. The George Floyd Protests were a series of police brutality protests that began in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd. This one death caused a global outcry for racism as well as police brutality which caused the movement to begin to grow internationally through word of mouth and social media and soon everyone from all kinds of backgrounds such as LGBT activists, Black Lives Matter supporters, as well as many general anti-racist supporters began protesting to prevent this injustice to happening to others particularly people of color as well as addressing the other many issues the US has been facing like police brutality . This caused the George Floyd movement to become one of the largest racial injustice protests in the US since the Civil Rights Movement and establishing Black Lives Matter as a worldwide movement. In this paper I aim to review examples that used rhetoric during this particular social movement and discuss how it was effective and interesting.
The first being the use of poster signs during protests containing many slogans and catchphrases such as “Black Lives Matter”, “I can’t breathe”, “No justice, no peace”, and “Say their names”. This rhetoric allowed protestors which would be our speakers/rhetors to send powerful messages to those present at the protests and those who come across the signs by condensing the issues they wish to address into concise messages that could easily be repeated and understood. For example, for “Say their names” the phrase refers to the individuals that lost their lives due to incidents involving law enforcement. The speaker’s main message here is meant to literally continue saying the names of the individuals that lost their lives to acknowledge their individuality, and to prevent their stories from being forgotten or reduced to mere statistics. It serves as a call to remember and honor those who have suffered and to draw attention to the need for justice, accountability, and systemic change. The slogans and catchphrases used on the posters also utilize Pathos since each message is bound to have some emotional response or awareness due to its relation to the complex issues.For example “I can’t breathe” refers to what many have seen online when George Floyd painfully said as he was pinned down unjustly by a police officer by the name of Derek Chauvin so when hearing that phrase many individuals will think of what happened of George Floyd and will likely feel outraged and depending on the individual maybe feel even compelled to help contribute to solve the issue.
The next use of rhetoric I found interesting was Reverend Al Sharpton’s eulogy at George Floyd’s Funeral which employed rhetoric that included powerful calls to action, aiming to mobilize the audience and advocate for change. As the speaker, Reverend Sharpton delivered a passionate and impactful speech, using his position as a renowned civil rights activist and minister to amplify the message. His argument centered around the urgency of addressing systemic racism and police brutality. Reverend Sharpton called upon the audience, which consisted of mourners, activists, and supporters, to give each a chance to channel their grief and anger into tangible action. He emphasized the need for sustained activism, urging individuals to participate in protests, engage in voter registration, demand policy reforms, and hold elected officials accountable. By urging the audience to transform their emotions into concrete action, Reverend Sharpton aimed to inspire a movement that would challenge the status quo, address racial injustice, and effect lasting change which in my opinion did as the George Floyd movement is still one movement that I and many others around the world would like to remember since it seemed to be the one movement the entire world can agree should 100% be supported and be in unison for at the time.
Overall, the George Floyd Protests show the full power of rhetoric in a social movement, allowing individuals to unite together, raise awareness, and demand justice. The movement’s ability to captivate global attention and inspire millions of people to take a stand against racial injustice underscores its significance and lasting impact. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and the power of collective action to bring about meaningful change.
