Discussion Board 3: Communicating Change for Racial Conflict
By: Abigail Collins
Liberty University
BMAL504-B01
Dr. Heinz
Due: 2/14/21
1. According to Kotter, "That shared sense of a desirable future can help
motivate and coordinate the kinds of actions that create transformations." Is
the Landrieu speech consistent or inconsistent with this premise? How or how
not?
As Phiilippians 2:2 teaches us, “then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” The speech Mitch Landrieu gave to
the people of New Orleans aimed to unite a city divided on the controversial issue of the
Confederate statue removal. The speech did unite the people of New Orleans with several
illustrative phrases such as “You see—New Orleans is truly a city of many nations, a melting pot,
a bubbling caldron of many cultures. There is no other place quite like it in the world that so
eloquently exemplifies the uniquely American motto: e pluribus unum—out of many we are
one.” This tone is important to set in the beginning of the speech; it is important for Landrieu to
create a sense of unity and togetherness to move to the argument that this statue should be
removed.
After creating a tone of unity with the people of New Orleans, Landrieu shifts to a more
divisive language, “The historic record is clear, the Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and P.G.T.
Beauregard statues were not erected just to honor these men, but as part of the movement which
became known as the Cult of the Lost Cause. This “cult” had one goal—through monuments and
through other means—to rewrite history to hide the truth, which is that the Confederacy was on
the wrong side of humanity.” These statements, while divisive, are clear that these statues do not
represent all of the greatness of New Orleans, it represents something New Orleans should not be
proud of.
So overall, the tone of this speech is creating a shared sense of wanting a desirable future
because Landrieu does not attack the people of New Orleans for supporting the statue, instead he
argues that they are all a part of New Orleans and its history. This particular point in time is not
something the people who oppose the statues removal want New Orleans to be remembered for.
2. Which of the "Key Elements in the Effective Communication of Vision" can
you identify in the speech? Give examples. What is the impact of the presence
