Always outspoken, Harry Belafonte found inspiration for his activism from such figures as singer Paul Robeson; writer and activist W. E. B. Du Bois; and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Over the years, Belafonte has supported for many other causes as well. In addition to his role as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the performer has campaigned to end the practice of apartheid in South Africa, and has spoken out against U.S. military actions in Iraq. Belafonte has sometimes landed in hot water for his candidly expressed opinions. In 2006, he made headlines when he referred to President George W. Bush as "the greatest terrorist in the world" for launching the war in Iraq. On February 1, 2013, Mr. Belafonte received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Awards Spingarn Medal for his outstanding achievement. .
Mr. Belafonte's over all goals for his speech was to inform. He wanted to inform everybody of gun control and bring openly to the forefront that this largely affects the African American population. More importantly, he proposes multiple questions, "Why are our people (Black people) mute? " "Where are our leaders? " "Where are our legislatures? " and "Where is the church? " These are questions could possibly start action in the communities to save our black men, women, and children to gun violence. He wants the audience to raise awareness. .
I do not think there was necessarily a speech organization. He had speaking points to get his point across, but Mr. Belafonte's speech was spoken from the heart and based on experiences. I personally believe that Mr. Belafonte's role to the rest of the audience is coming as a role similar to family elder. Based off his age and knowledge, he has experienced a lot more than most of his colleagues. His role to the rest of the audience makes his speech effectiveness more concrete because it comes across as wisdom. .
His technique was to intrigue the audience by stating the basis for winning the award and then giving examples of his more "famous " friends and mentors who won the award.
