Analyzing Rev. Lorenzo Sewell’s Inaugural Speech
Grade Level: High School (Grades 9-12)
Subject: English Language Arts / Social Studies
Theme: Leadership, Rhetoric, and Historical Significance
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will:
- Analyze the historical and social context of Rev. Lorenzo Sewell’s speech.
- Identify and evaluate the rhetorical and literary devices used in the speech.
- Compare and contrast Rev. Sewell’s speech with Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches.
- Reflect on the broader themes of leadership, justice, and community engagement in today’s society.
- Create a short speech applying learned rhetorical techniques.
Lesson Activities
1. Warm-Up: Setting the Stage
- Discussion Question:
- What makes a speech memorable? Think of a speech you’ve heard that inspired or moved you. What stood out?
- Contextual Background:
- Provide a brief introduction to Rev. Lorenzo Sewell, emphasizing his leadership role and the historical significance of his inaugural speech.
- Discuss the historical parallels of Sewell’s speech with the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr.’s advocacy for justice and equality.
2. Watch and Listen: Speech Viewing
- Play the video of Rev. Lorenzo Sewell’s inaugural speech. Encourage students to take notes on:
- Key themes and messages.
- Emotive language or repeated phrases.
- Tone and delivery. See the full transcript of the speech below
3. Guided Analysis: Literary and Rhetorical Devices
- Mini-Lesson:
- Review common literary and rhetorical devices with examples (e.g., metaphor, anaphora, parallelism, appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos).
- Group Activity:
- Divide the class into groups of 4 and assign each group Rev. Sewell’s speech to analyze. Divide the group by giving each remember one of these:
- Rhetorical strategies (e.g., repetition to emphasize a point).
- Literary devices (e.g., metaphor to inspire hope).
- The overall effect of these devices on the audience.
- Thematic content and Historical references
- Divide the class into groups of 4 and assign each group Rev. Sewell’s speech to analyze. Divide the group by giving each remember one of these:
- Class Discussion:
- Groups present their findings and discuss how the devices contribute to the speech’s emotional and persuasive power.
4. Compare and Contrast: Drawing Parallels to Martin Luther King Jr.
- Provide excerpts from one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speeches. See below.
- Guided Questions for Pair or Group Discussion:
- What similarities do you notice in tone, themes, and rhetorical strategies?
- How does each speaker appeal to their audience’s emotions, values, or sense of justice?
- How do both speeches reflect their respective historical contexts?
- Class Discussion:
- Share insights and reflect on how Rev. Sewell’s speech builds on the legacy of leaders like MLK.
5. Reflection and Application
- Individual Writing Task:
- Students write a short reflective essay or journal entry responding to one of the following prompts:
- How do Rev. Sewell’s and MLK’s speeches inspire action and change?
- Choose one rhetorical device from Rev. Sewell’s speech. How does it enhance the overall impact?
- If you were to deliver a speech to inspire your community, what would your key message be, and why?
- Students write a short reflective essay or journal entry responding to one of the following prompts:
- Optional Extension:
- Ask students to draft a speech or write a poem incorporating literary devices inspired by Rev. Sewell and MLK.
Assessment
- Participation in group analysis and class discussions.
- Completion of the speech analysis worksheet.
- Quality and depth of reflection in the written task.
Homework or Extension Activity
- Research and share a speech from another influential leader (e.g., Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai). Identify rhetorical and literary devices used in the speech and compare them to Rev. Sewell’s style.
Closing Discussion
- Reflect on the power of words in shaping movements and inspiring change.
- Ask students to share one takeaway from the lesson that they can apply in their own lives.
This lesson plan ties together historical context, literary analysis, and personal reflection, ensuring students grasp the significance of Rev. Sewell’s speech while developing critical thinking and analytical skills.
Rev. Lorenzo Sewell inaugural prayer remixes “I Have a Dream” speech
“Let us pray for our 47th president. Heavenly Father, we’re so grateful that you gave our 45th and now our 47th president a millimeter miracle. We are grateful that you are the one that have called him for such a time as this. That America would begin to dream again.
“We pray that we would fulfill the true meaning of our creed, that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. We pray that you use our president, that we will live in a nation where we will not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.
“Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we are so grateful today that you will use our 47th president so we will sing with new meaning, ‘My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died. Land of the pilgrims’ pride. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.’ And because America is called to be a great nation, we believe that you will make this come true.
“From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring. From the snowcap Rockies of Colorado, let freedom ring. From the curvaceous hilltops of California, but God, we’re asking you not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain, Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill in Mississippi, from every state, every city, every village and every hamlet. And when we let freedom ring, we will be able to speed up that day where all of your children, Black men and white men, Protestant and Catholic, Jew and gentile will be able to sing in the meaning of that old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last. Thank you God almighty, we are free at last.’ If you believe with the Spirit of the Lord, there is liberty. Come on, put your hands together and give your great God great glory.”
Excerpts from “I Have a Dream”
(Delivered August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom)
- On the Vision of Equality:
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.’ This is our hope.” - On the American Dream:
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” - On Justice and Freedom:
“Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”