On the Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. R obert F. Kennedy .

On the Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Robert F. Kennedy . BACKGROUND STUDY GUIDE SPEECH VOCABULARY THEMES LITERARY TERMS READING A SPEECH OTHER FAMOUS SPEECHES

BUILDINGBACKGROUND • Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968) • “Bobby” Kennedy, as he was usually known, was the seventh of nine children. As a child, Kennedy traveled abroad with his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, received letters from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and he even met the Pope. Kennedy enjoyed proving himself by taking risks. When his older brother, John was elected President, he appointed Bobby his Attorney General. Robert Kennedy used this position to help further the cause of civil rights. After his brother’s assassination, he was elected Senator from New York. Many people believe he would have won the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968 if he had not been assassinated.

BUILDINGBACKGROUND Robert and John Kennedy were personally supportive of Dr. King and his family. The Kennedys believed in Dr. King’s nonviolent desegregation efforts.

BUILDINGBACKGROUND • On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was in Indiana campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President when he learned that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had been shot and killed. Just five years earlier, Kennedy had lost his brother, John, who was also shot and killed by an assassin.

BUILDINGBACKGROUND • That evening at a rally with a mostly black crowd, Robert Kennedy announced King’s death in the heartfelt speech that you will read. Kennedy went on to win the Indiana primary. On June 4, 1968, after he won the California primary, a man approached him as if to shake hands. A shot rang out, and Robert Kennedy crumpled to the floor. Two days later he, too, died. 17-year-old Juan Romero tries to hold Robert F. Kennedy after he was suddenly shot.

BUILDINGBACKGROUNDCIVIL RIGHTS IN AMERICA • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj80sO-DGYw • This is a brief overview of the Civil Rights Movement. The Kennedys and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were key players when promoting NON-violent demonstrations so that there would be desegregation (allowing whites AND blacks to co-exist). Home Page

READING A SPEECH Home Page

Vocabulary • dedicate (verb) to give up wholly to some purpose; devote • evidently (adverb)plainly; clearly • polarization (noun) breaking up or separating into two opposing sides • compassion(noun)sympathy or pity • abide (verb) live, reside • desegregation (noun) the elimination of laws, customs, or practices under which different races, groups, etc., are restricted to specific or separate public facilities, neighborhoods, schools, organizations, or the like. • ALLUSION(noun) a reference to something outside of the text. Robert F. Kennedy alludes to the poet “Aeschylus” in his speech. Home Page

1. How did Martin Luther King, Jr., die? • Answer: Martin Luther King Jr., was shot. • Evidence: “I have bad news for you, for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King Jr., was shot and killed tonight” (para. one, page 530).

2. What point of view is this speech written in? • Answer: This speech is written in second person point of view. • Evidence: • “I have bad news for you […]”(para.one, page 530). • “For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust […]”(para. five, page 530). • “So I shall ask you tonight to return home […]”(para. eight, page 531).

3. What kind of work did Martin Luther King, Jr., do? • Answer: Martin Luther King Jr., worked for civil rights and achieving justice for all people. • Evidence: “Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings, and he died because of that effort” (para. two, page 530).

4. What reaction to King’s murder does Kennedy fear people will have? • Answer: Kennedy feared that the people would become hateful and violent. • Evidence: “[…] you can be filled with bitterness, with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in great polarization- black people amongst black, white people amongst white, filled with hatred toward one another (para. three, page 530).

5. What reaction does Kennedy encourage people to have? • Answer: Kennedy encourages people to continue to be hopeful, compassionate, sympathetic, similar to King’s response to people. • Evidence: “Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend, and to replace that violence , that stain of bloodshed across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love”(para. four, page 530).

5. What reaction does Kennedy encourage people to have? (continued) • “Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend, and to replace that violence , that stain of bloodshed across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love”(para. four, page 530). IMAGERY: When the author paints a picture with his/her words. Here, Robert F. Kennedy is painting a picture of how bad the violence is – that it leaves a “stain” of “bloodshed” across the nation.

6. What does Kennedy ask his audience to pray for? • Answer: Kennedy asks his audience to pray for Dr. King, for our country, and for understanding and compassion. • Evidence: “So I shall ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, that’s true, but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love- a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke” (para. eight, page 531).

7. Does Kennedy believe that the people in the United States want to have justice for all Americans? • Answer: Yes, Kennedy believes that the people in the United States want to have justice for all Americans. • Evidence: “But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land” (para. ten, page 531)

8. To what specific experience from his own life does Kennedy refer to explain the necessity of moving beyond bitterness and hatred in the face of tragedy? • Answer: He refers to the assassination of his brother, John F. Kennedy. • Evidence: “[…] I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort to understand, to go beyond these rather difficult times” (para. five, page 530).

9. Explain the quote, “to tame the savageness of man and to make gentle the life of this world? • Answer: The “savageness of man” refers to the cruel side of humankind, the side that would kill a peacemaker such as Martin Luther King, Jr. • “[…] to replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love”( para. four, page 530). • To “make gentle the life […]” means to work towards living peacefully among all people. • “But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land”(para. ten, page 531). Home Page

Link to Robert F. Kennedy’s Speech • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT3Hp9kSrpA Home Page

LITERARY TERMS • Tone: describes the author’s or speaker’s attitude towards the subject and the audience, or reader. • What tone (attitude) does Kennedy take in his speech? • Forceful, persuasive, optimistic, hopeful, comforting, humble

Literary Terms: Tone Read each quote and identify the tone for those specific words. • “I have bad news for you.” • mournful, sad • “Martin Luther King, Jr., dedicated his life to love and to justice…” • respectful, hopeful • “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness…” • forceful

LITERARY TERMS • MOOD focuses on ME. • TONE = AUTHOR • MOOD = READER • The tone of a speech or written work provides the mood, the atmosphere or feeling the reader gets from the speech. The choice of details and words all contribute to create a specific mood.

LITERARY TERMS • Explain the difference in tone and mood when reading this speech and when viewing it.

LITERARY TERMS • Repetition: word or phrase used over and over again for emphasis. • What words and phrases does Kennedy repeat in his speech? • Possible Answers: • “Let us dedicate….” • “…want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, want justice….” • “What we need…” • “We have to make an effort…” Home Page

LITERARY TERMS • Theme: recurring idea or insight found in the story; also known as the HIDDEN MESSAGE. It can also be the lesson the character learns. • What do you think the theme of Robert Kennedy’s speech is?

THEMES • . Home Page

Overcoming Differences • Kennedy emphasizes the importance for all Americans to “overcome” the “differences” that they believe separates them and unite as Americans, and not create division because it will only lead to hatred and violence. He warns them not to move in a “direction” of “great polarization” (para. three, page 530).

Dealing with a Loss • Kennedy tries to help the people in the crowd cope with the “loss” of Martin Luther King. His speech focuses on how Americans need to come together “[…] with an effort to understand with compassion and love” (para. four, page 530).

LITERARY TERMS • ALLUSION(noun) a reference to something outside of the text. Robert F. Kennedy alludes to the poet “Aeschylus” in his speech. • “My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: ‘In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.’ “ (paragraph 6, page 530).

Compilation of Great Speeches • In our past, in our present, and in our future, many people have made, make, and will make powerful speeches that make powerful and emotional connections to their audiences. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPi8cAYLYO0 Home Page

On the Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. R obert F. Kennedy .