Baldwin’s debate started off with a background on the history of black people in America, detailing the origins of racism and the experience he and many other black people had in America as a result. He then goes on to describe the irony and cruelty of the treatment of black Americans. He describes that the cruelty goes both ways; for black people, the obvious violence and oppression— but for white people, the not so clear monsterification of their behavior as a result of what they have been taught. Finally, he leaves off with a truth or maybe a threat— that if one ninth of the population is so cruelly oppressed, they will fight back. 

Berkley’s debate responds to Baldwin’s by first identifying him as an equal, white man. He then introduces once again the history of Black Americans, but minimizes the efforts of black Americans by saying that expense is necessary for all dreams. Finally, he proposes a question: what will Black Americans do? And answers it by saying that America has even more opportunities as a result of their radical beginnings, and supplies evidence of America’s rapid changes for Black Americans. His main point becomes that expense is necessary, and the Black American as a result of the development of the American dream, has an even higher chance of success.

In Baldwin’s debate, he uses pathos in many instances to bring about emotion and sympathy in the crowd. For example, he speaks of his and his people’s suffering under white oppression. He also said this line: the worst is not being oppressed, but seeing your children oppressed by the system. In addition to pathos, he uses logos when describing the irony of slavery and the idea that black people owe white people for ‘humanizing them,’ when in truth Black people are the ones that built America up for 400 years.

In Berkley’s debates, he uses pathos when speaking of the similarities between white people and black people, and uses that analogy to make jokes while also minimizing Baldwin’s claims. In addition to pathos, he uses logos to supply his claims with evidence. For example, he states that black people have become black doctors since a long time ago, and the number of black doctors has been increasing since then.