Black Rhetoric examines how Black communities have used rhetoric and symbolic expression to construct, challenge, and reimagine representations of themselves and their communities. Drawing from speeches, music, literature, film, television, and digital media, the course explores Black rhetoric as a tradition rooted in African cultural frameworks, historical struggle, and lived experience. Students are introduced to theoretical and cultural paradigms grounded in African diasporic traditions as tools for rhetorical analysis. The course also explores the Black public sphere, tracing its development from field songs and sermons to digital spaces such as Black Twitter.
General Education Fulfillment: Cultural Analysis and Interpretation