Great Speech Analyses & Delivery
“Who Then Will Speak for the Common
Good?”
by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
Presented by:
Bella, Carolin, Denise,
Helen Melissa Sherry
Presentation Outline

About Barbara Jordan and Her Speech
 Occasion Analyses
 Structure Analyses
 4 Skills We Learn from Her Speech
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
Q&A
Parallelism
Sympathy
Framing & Quotation in Conclusion
References
• Title: “Who Then Will Speak for the
Common Good?”
• Speaker: Congresswoman Barbara
Jordan
• Intended Audiences: members of the
Democratic Party.
• Occasion: the 1976 convention of the
Democratic Party in New York
• Purpose: to call on the members of the
Democratic Party to lead the way for
upholding the common good.
Barbara Jordan
Photo Credit:
Overall Structure Analyses
 Introduction (1-3)
--Recall of memory→ The history of Democratic
Party
 Body (4-12)
--Question description→ People’s indifference
of society
--Key issue→ The cooperation of the whole
country
--Supporting ideas→ The public officials’ help
 Conclusion (13)
--Famous quote, Abraham Lincoln, the Republican
President—common will & true equality
Key Messages & Reasoning
*Why do people want to turn
to Democracy party for
help?
• The Democratic party’s
concept of governing.
*Beliefs
• 1. Equality for all and privileges for none.
• 2. People are the source of all governmental power.
• 3. The government is not just one interest group.
• 4. They are a party of innovation.
• 5. The gap between the promise and reality of
America can one day be finally closed.
*Restatement
• The beliefs are the bedrock of our
concept of governing.
• The beliefs represent what this
country is all about.
• The beliefs are not negotiable.
Structure: Introduction
1. In the beginning—
Introduce history of the convention.
2. Then—
continuation of the tradition
Yet--- “something is different about tonight”
the uniqueness
3. A lot of “I could…”
---to show her sincerity
Structure: Body
4. Because “the citizens of America expect
more,” she states her ideal goal.
--- A national community
5. Therefore--People turn to the Democratic Party for help.
6. To fulfill the promise of America
To create and sustain a society in which all of
us are equal
• 7. Admit their mistakes and
reassure people that they’d improve.
• 8 Raise problems and consequences
• 9. Who will speak for America?
Who then will speak for the
common good?
10. New election year define and
shape the common good
11. What public officials should do
more is required
12. Make assurance doubly sure (I have
confidence…)
13. Conclusion— Common Good & Equality
quoted Abraham Lincoln
Skills we can apply to
our speech
• 1. Question
• 2. Parallel
• 3. Sympathy
• 4. Quotation
Question---
If that happens, who then will speak for
America?
Who then will speak for the common
good?
This is the question which must be
answered in 1976.
Are we to be one people bound together
by common spirit sharing in a common
endeavor or will we become a divided
nation?
Parallel & ContrastProposal
•I could list the many problems which
Americans have.
•I could list the problems which cause
people to feel cynical, angry, frustrated:
problems include lack of integrity; the
feeling that the grand American experiment
is failing or has failed.
•I could recite these problems and then I
could sit down and offer no solutions.
•But I don’t choose to do that either.
Quotation for a Memorable
Conclusion
• Now, I begin this speech by
commenting to you on the uniqueness
of a Barbara Jordan making the
keynote address.
• Well I am going to close my speech by
quoting a Republican President and I
ask you that as you listen to these words
of Abraham Lincoln, relate them to the
concept of national community in
which every last one of us participates:
“ As I would not be a slave, so I
would not be a master. This expresses
my idea of Democracy. Whatever
differs from this, to the extent of the
difference is no Democracy.”
---Abraham Lincoln
Thank you for your attention!
Overall Evaluation of the Speech

Strengths: (Why we consider the speech as a
great speech for analyses)
– Its effective introduction & conclusion
– The four skills we can learn and apply

The Instructor’s Comment:
– How does the speaker tailor her speech to the
occasion and how effective is the speech in
delivering her message and persuading about
equality (upheld by Democratic Party)?
– How effective is her delivery (if any audio
materials is provided)?
Reference

“A Tribute to Barbara Jordan”1936-1996
http://www.elf.net/bjordan/default.asp
--with her photo,
-Opening of Barbara Jordan's address to the
Judiciary Committee considering impeachment of
then President Richard Nixon.

This led to Barbara Jordan's Keynote Speech
at the 1976 Democratic National Convention.