Final answer:
The jeremiad is a genre of literature that involves lamentation or doleful complaints, often reflecting on societal moral decline and combining elements of prophetic rhetoric, as notably used during the Civil Rights Movement by figures like Martin Luther King Jr.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term jeremiad refers to a genre of literature that expresses a deep lament or doleful complaint, often due to the moral decline of society, and usually contains a prophecy of society's impending downfall unless it returns to a virtuous path. The name comes from the biblical prophet Jeremiah, known for his prophecies of woe.
The classic notion of a jeremiad includes elements of a rhetoric of indignation and can be considered a uniquely American version of a rhetorical tradition, especially as it was used during the Civil Rights Movement. Scholars like Houck and Dixon note that during this period, leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. used prophetic rhetoric in speeches that were instrumental in shaping the nation’s views on civil rights issues, highlighting the need for societal change based on biblical visions of equality and justice.