Analysis of Ethos

Before being involved in the Civil Rights and Peace Movements, the author of “The White Problem” Albert Bigelow was a United States Naval commander and captain. He served in the U.S. Navy throughout World War II. Only one month away from his pension Bigelow resigned from the U.S. Naval Reserve after becoming aware of the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima to later become prominent for protesting nuclear weapons. Bigelow had established his respectable character long before writing this article, automatically making his arguments worth considering and important to the audience he was aiming towards. Being a Freedom Rider himself Bigelow also had first hand experience with the violence and destruction the Freedom Riders and African Americans in general faced. Being able to share a perspective with the target group of the injustices and having previous credibility for serving the US during war gave validity to his claims and his call to action.

No to Jim Crow Laws

 Audience Analysis

      Steve Schapiro is “a respected and sought after portraitist” who specialized in intricately revealing the social upheavals of the 1960s and 70s along side with his other genres. “Summer of 1964 Freedom Bus” is one of Schapiro's precious work. It conveys the story behind a valiant group of different race, civil right activists called Freedom Riders who in 1961 challenged segregation in the South silently. Throughout their ride from Washington D.C to Mississippi, the Freedom Riders courageously tested the Jim Crow Laws, laws that enforced racial segregation in the South. The caucasians used the colored only bathrooms. The colored people used the white only bathrooms. They also participated sit ins. Riders did not retaliate as they received brutal treatments from those in support of racial segregation. Schapiro’s  photo “Summer of 1964 Freedom Bus” is addressing the public mostly where Jim Crow Laws were enforced. It brought to light the urge of racial equality, and the atrocity the freedom riders were willing to sustain and not retaliate in order help change racial segregation throughout the South.

The White Problem- Audience

Bigelow is addressing the entire nation (The United States) where racism, segregation, and discrimination against African Americans was propagated. He particularly focuses on mentioning whites and those that were, at the least, accomplices if not a part of the wrongdoings that occurred during his time. He is attempting to provoke a “fight” response in his audience as opposed to the accepting “flight” response most people had. By discussing the segregated condition within political issues like voting he targets those in political positions and power as well as civilians.

 

The White Problem- Rhetorical Situation

The overall segregated condition of the 1960’s sparked many Civil Rights Movements of the time. While some turned to violence to solve the problem, other groups like the Freedom Riders took a passive approach into combating the discrimination. Throughout their journey, the Freedom Riders suffered acts of hate directed towards them in their quest for racial equality. Bigelow describes his experience on the bus that was bombed and burned in Anniston by segregationists  and brings to attention the story of an African American who was shot for trying to vote. By giving accounts of such brutal and deadly acts committed against African Americans and Civil Rights groups like the Freedom Riders he gave a sense of urgency to his argument and invoked a sense of personal responsibility to act in readers.

"The Wheels On The Bus"

Rhetorical Situation

“The Wheels on the bus go round and round..... all through the town.” This depicts the capricious journey a group of men and women, who called themselves the Freedom Riders, embarked on in 1964 . The group was comprised of people from different backgrounds and walks of life who were passionate and motivated to take a stand in fighting for racial equality. They rode on a greyhound bus starting from the capital, Washington, D.C., ending up in Mississippi. Throughout their travels, the riders stopped in racially segregated restaurants and shops and participated in sit-ins where they would take on abuse from those against racial equality. This iconic photo taken by Steve Schapiro, Titled “The Summer of 1964 Freedom Bus,” depicts the sense of community the freedom riders had and wanted to share with the rest of America. This movement pushed racial equality to the forefront of the political agenda by drawing attention to it. By fighting for their cause in a passive aggressive way, the injustice and unfair treatment was more obvious in the violent acts people committed against them although they were exercising non-violent protests.