Rhetorical Analysis of “Remarks to the NAACP National Convention”
In the article “Remarks to the NAACP National Convention”, Michelle Obama speaks about her “Let’s Move” campaign to fight the issue of childhood obesity. She starts by welcoming those who are attending the NAACP convention and thanking them for their support. Mrs. Obama transitions into an upbeat speech that shows how the NAACP has fought out against unfair practices and the treatment of people for over a hundred years. She does this in order to illustrate that obesity is another issue that the NAACP should take on because inequalities in income and wealth are a major influence on obesity rates. She warns that obesity is a serious problem that affects every community in the United States, and demonstrates why obesity rates have gone up due to changes in lifestyle and how they are different from when she was a child. Mrs. Obama outlines her “Let’s Move” campaign with four critical points. These points include: giving parents information to make healthy choices for their families, bringing healthier and more nutritious food into schools, finding ways to motivate children to exercise and be active, and making sure that all families have equal access to nutritious and affordable food where they live. Finally, after proposing ways in which these goals may be achieved, Mrs. Obama urges the NAACP to take actions that would help in her plight to eliminate childhood obesity and make America a healthier nation.
Mrs. Obama primarily targets her speech toward members of the NAACP, since they are attending the convention. However, the words and phrases that are used, such as “And if we don’t do something to reverse this trend right now, our kids won’t be in any shape to continue the work begun by the founders of this great organization”, suggest that her speech is directed beyond members of the NAACP (420). The way that she uses “we” to describe who should be reversing the trend of childhood obesity, and the...