"Obama's Speech at Selma, 2015"

Question

by Barack Obama

We are Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer, women who could do as much as any man and then some. And we’re Susan B. Anthony, who shook the system until the law reflected that truth. That is our character.

We’re the immigrants who stowed away on ships to reach these shores, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free –- Holocaust survivors, Soviet defectors, the Lost Boys of Sudan. We’re the hopeful strivers who cross the Rio Grande because we want our kids to know a better life. That’s how we came to be.

We’re the slaves who built the White House and the economy of the South. We’re the ranch hands and cowboys who opened up the West, and countless laborers who laid rail, and raised skyscrapers, and organized for workers’ rights.

We’re the fresh-faced GIs who fought to liberate a continent. And we’re the Tuskeegee Airmen, and the Navajo code-talkers, and the Japanese Americans who fought for this country even as their own liberty had been denied.

Remarks by President Barack Obama at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

In this passage, President Obama uses allusion for what purpose?

(1 point)
Responses

to highlight the diversity of the nation’s citizens
to highlight the diversity of the nation’s citizens

to argue that the current moment in history is unique
to argue that the current moment in history is unique

to compare people from other countries with U.S. citizens
to compare people from other countries with U.S. citizens

to contrast supporters of freedom with those who oppose it
to contrast supporters of freedom with those who oppose it

Answer 1

In the passage, President Obama uses allusion primarily to highlight the diversity of the nation’s citizens. He references historical figures, marginalized groups, and various groups of people who have contributed to the fabric of American society, showcasing the range of experiences and backgrounds that make up the nation.