Robert F. Kennedy at stellenbosch university

The circumstances surrounding Robert Kennedy's appearance at Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 1966 pose an interesting opportunity for a rhetorical critique. With the majority of the Stellenbosch students strong supporters of the governmental policy of apartheid, this speaking engagement took place in a highly charged emotional atmosphere. This article discusses the details of the rhetorical situation and illustrates how Kennedy utilized the numerous constraints imposed upon him as assets in constructing his epideictic speech to elicit desired responses from an ideologically hostile audience. In particular, it examines Kennedy's use of the question‐and‐answer session which followed the speech as a means of reinforcing his arguments and promulgating his value hierarchy.