Journal of Religion and Society

Journal of Religion and Society: Come Through the Water, Come Through the Flood

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Chris Hedges: The Rev. Jeremiah Wright Recalls Obama’s Fall From Grace - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig

Chris Hedges: The Rev. Jeremiah Wright Recalls Obama’s Fall From Grace - Chris Hedges' Columns - Truthdig:

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Rap music as an extension of the Black rhetorical tradition: "keepin' it real" | Western Journal of Black Studies, The | Find Articles at BNET

Rap music as an extension of the Black rhetorical tradition: "keepin' it real" | Western Journal of Black Studies, The | Find Articles at BNET:

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Metaphysics and Justification of Rhetoric in the African American Vernacular Tradition

by Douglas Clarke*

Abstract:
A look at the underlying metaphysical, philosophical and rhetorical themes that can be found in
the language of the African American Vernacular Tradition. This paper traces rhetorical and
performative language from Africa through to mainland American in several forms including
tropes and rhetorical method, syntax, vernacular and signifying.


Introduction
Some traditions are criticized for their self-dependence, the fact that they can be self  generating or the idea that they are not part of a larger hegemonic or dominant tradition.  This is a dangerous way of thinking.  If one must ascribe to the overarching culture and the standards that they imprint, then it is possible to miss out on many rich and important subcultures and traditions.  One such tradition that has come under some scrutiny is the African American vernacular tradition or more simply put “Black English”.  Many linguistic and anthropological scholars have critiqued this tradition for the way that it has come about, claiming that it is a
simple bastardization of Standard English or that it is the lazy pronunciation of words that have developed into a slovenly form of the dominant language or the artists are unable to do anything original and thus mimic poorly the dominant culture‟s method of discourse (Morgan 1994, 326 and Tamura 2002, 18, 21).
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Descendents of Africa, Sons of ’76: Exploring Early African-American Rhetoric

Jacqueline Bacon
Independent Scholar, San Diego, California, USA

Glen McClish
Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies, San Diego State
University, San Diego, California, USA

Abstract:

African-American rhetoric of the early Republic has been largely unexplored by rhetorical scholars. Addressing this gap in the scholarship, this study analyzes two intricately related forms of discourse: late eighteenth-century petitions and speeches celebrating the 1808 abolition of the international slave trade to the United States. Both sets of texts contribute to the expression of an African-American public voice, build upon
and critique American ideals while retaining a proud sense of African heritage, exploit the available generic conventions, develop increasingly radical appeals, and feature arguments that transcend local issues to
engage general questions of identity and history.
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African American Civil Rights Rhetoric in LGBTQ Politics on Vimeo

African American Civil Rights Rhetoric in LGBTQ Politics on Vimeo:

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Humanity, Liberty, and Community: Themes in African American Rhetoric from 1768-1861

by Mary Green

Throughout the assigned readings in Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American Anthology, the rhetoric of African American speakers has functioned as a powerful tool to speak out against the injustices of American slavery and to further the cause of Abolitionism. As a response to oppression and marginalization, the rhetoric of African Americans in antebellum America maintains consistent themes that seek to assert the humanity of the African/African American slave, call forth the principles of American democracy and freedom, and reiterate the significance of community amongst African Americans as they fight for freedom and citizenship.

            A significant theme prevalent in African American rhetoric during antebellum America is the humanity of the African and/or African American slave. Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equaino, or Gustavus Vasa, the African, Written by Himself recounts African life before slavery and the subsequent horrors of slave life, detailing the gruesome experience of being a human commodity in the transatlantic slave trade. Equiano details his life before his kidnapping and stresses every aspect of African life and culture in order to challenge the image of the “savage African.” With such detailed recollections, his text asserts the civility and humanity of the African: “We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every great event such as triumphant return from battle or other cause of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dancers, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion” (11). He continues with vivid descriptions of the clothing and methods of cooking in his tribe and provides details of the ways in which they lived to counter the argument of African inferiority and savagery.

            In her speech “What If I Am a Woman?” Maria Stewart also emphasizes the humanity and noble achievements of the African: “History informs us that we sprung from one of the most learned nations of the whole earth—from the seat, if not the parent of science; yes, poor, despised Africa was once the resort of sages and legislators of other nations, was esteemed the school for learning, and the most illustrious men in Greece flocked thither for instruction” (42). Like Equiano, Stewart is refuting the myth of the “savage African” by calling upon the intellectual achievements of Africa and its consequential contributions to Western society. Declaring the African American’s humanity, speakers and texts juxtapose their humanity with the inhumanity and barbarity of white Westerners. In his speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass affirms that the hypocrisy and cruelty of white America “would disgrace a nation of savages” (86). David Walker’s “Appeal” notes the uniqueness of American slavery for its unprecedented methods of cruelty and warns of divine punishment for crimes afflicted upon African Americans at the hands of barbaric white slaveholders.

            Another theme present in African American rhetoric is American freedom and democratic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Many speakers use the rhetoric within those documents to highlight the hypocrisy and injustice of American slavery within the context of a “free” and “democratic” society.  In his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Douglass asks, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” (85). By presenting his speech on the Fourth of July, a national holiday marking the anniversary of from Great Britain, Douglass shows the paradoxical act of celebrating independence in a society structured around African enslavement. In his speech “Let Your Motto Be Resistance!”  H.H. Garnett uses the very language of the American Revolution to denounce American slavery, and parallels the convictions of American revolutionaries with the convictions of slaves and African Americans: “Where they ignorant of the principles of Liberty? Certainly they were not. The sentiments of their revolutionary orators fell in burning eloquence upon their hearts, and with one voice they cried, LIBERTY OR DEATH” (58). Garnett uses the American Revolutionary’s rhetoric to further acknowledge the similarities between the fight for freedom from England and the fight for freedom from American enslavement. 

            Finally, African American rhetoric consistently acknowledges the need for solidarity amongst all African Americans and expresses the importance of community. Their sense of community became a necessary element of their struggle as they resisted slavery, racism, and marginalization.  Maria Stewert pronounced African rights as an issue for all African Americans, slave and non-slave alike, declaring: “African rights and liberty is a subject that ought to fire the breast of every free man of color in these United States, and excite in his bosom a lively, deep, decided and heart-felt interest” (41). In his sermon “Thus Doth Ethiopia Stretch Forth Her Hand from Slavery, to Freedom and Equality” Prince Hall not only encourages African Americans to empathize with the shared experiences and conditions of other African Americans, he proclaims that it is their moral obligation to do so: “I shall now attempt to show you that it is our duty to sympathize with our fellow men under their troubles” (19). Using similar rhetoric, H. H. Garnett also stresses African American solidarity: “While you have been oppressed, we have also been partakers with you; nor can we be free while you are enslaved. We, therefore, write to you as being bound with you” (57). Thus, it is essential that their rhetoric reflects the shared experiences of oppression because their sense of community does not simply function as a network of support; it establishes a unified, empowered voice in denouncing American slavery and racism.

Work Cited

Marable, Manning, and Leith Mullings. Ed. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American     Anthology. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefied Publishers, Inc., 2009.

Reflections on the class: Listening to Say It Plain

The “Say it Plain” presentation was interesting… I had never listened to an “audio documentary” before and, initially, I didn’t know how to respond to its format. I’m used to hearing a particular speech with a back drop of visuals or video footage of the speaker presenting his/her speech. So, “Say it Plain” forced me to really listen without (visual)distraction to what Fannie Lou Hammer was saying as she spoke before the Credentials Committee (DNC) or what Booker T. Washington was saying in his “Atlanta Exposition,” amongst a crowd of predominately white farmers and businessmen . I was only given the magnanimity of the words in which they spoke, the powerful tone of their voices, and the audience’s impassioned response(s).
Professor and historian Barbara Savage brought up an excellent point that I had never considered: the presentation of the speech itself (not just the content of the speech but how it is performed) was a way to disprove the argument of black intellectual inferiority and, thus, “every speech [was] an opportunity to counter that argument” (Savage). I’ve always analyzed and focused on the words or message of the speech and neglected the way in which a speaker physically performs the speech and never thought about how the act of giving a speech, aside from the message, is in itself an act of resistance and agency.
I was familiar with most of the speakers, activists and leaders mentioned in the documentary and though I was familiar with them, I’m always fascinated and a bit surprised by the means in which “everyday people” challenge and resist oppressive structures of power not just to gain freedom and legal recognition for themselves but for their communities as well. I was (and still am) inspired by the voices and activism of African American women (Hammer, Bethune, and Chisholm). Chisholm’s speeches, for me, are undeniably bold and moving. She used her voice and her position of power (as an elected official) not just to challenge the white power structure and racism, but she also challenged patriarchy in all forms and criticized the black male hierarchy in the Civil Rights Movement which was a courageous act. Definitely check out, if you haven’t already, the documentary Chisholm '72: Unbossed and Unbought—it’s great!-by Mary Green

The "Say It Plain" presentation was very informative and inspiring. I already had knowledge of many of the names mentioned, but this presentation gave me a better insight on them and their speeches. In school, when learning black history, I have read books and seen movies, but I cannot honestly say that I have had the opportunity to sit and listen to many speeches. Introducing everyone with a speech was a very good tactic to give the reader a better understanding of whom and what they are listening to. Listening to their speeches and actually getting to hear their voice made the presentation more realistic and intriguing. I feel as if I now have a better understanding of their message and feeling of their emotions. I have always had a great deal of respect for those who participated in the civil rights movement, but I think that I now have even more respect for them--especially the women.
I learned a few new things. I now have knowledge of James Horton, Fannie Lou Hamer, the "Fields of the Deep South" movement, Dick Gregory, Stokely Carmichael, and Barbara Jordan, all of which I previously did not have knowledge of. I find it very cool how people such as Dick Gregory, found ways of indirectly protesting oppression. Making a joke of it brings attention to it and really demonstrates the severity of the issue with a twist of sarcasm. I really respect Fannie Lou Hamer because being an uneducated woman of Mississippi during that time and demanding rights for blacks was a very courageous and dangeorus thing. She is a very strong and brave woman. Furthermore, although her initial attempt to receive recognition as a delegate was unsuccessful, it set the precedence for her future successful recognition as a delegate. Moving along, I really liked how Booker T. Washington's 1895 speech received positive feedback and reactions from the crowd. Furthermore, I really like how he spoke. He spoke very eloquently and intelligently. I respect MArcus Garvey and his approach to the movement as well. I compare Booker T. Washington to Marcus Garvey in the same manner that I compare Martin Luther King and Malcolm X: they both shared the same positive message, just in different ways. I respect both of their approaches and positions though. I hate that Garvey had to be deported, but his voice marked his name before he left. I also hate that people such as Stokely Carmichael and others lost faith in the fight for equality. It did take quite some time, but the time was well worth it.
I don't disagree with anything from this presentation. In my opinion, there is nothing to disagree with. This presentation stated facts, and the evidence was there for us to interpret ourselves. Overall, I think that this presentation was very good and enlightening. I am now very eager to see what the rest of this course has in store for us.-by Nadalyn Criner

WRD Professor interviewed on KET

Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Media professor Adam Banks sits down with Renee Shaw on KET's Connections to talk about digital communications, models of Black leadership, new media platforms, and what this means for minorities facing the Digital Divide. His second book, Digital Griots: African American Rhetoric in a Multimedia Age, develops a specific approach to teaching writing rooted in African-American rhetorical traditions and was published by Southern Illinois University Press's Studies in Writing and Rhetoric series. Watch the full interview here.

The Griot: The Rhetorical Impetus of African American Fiction

By Eric Atkinson

Abstract:

The paper addresses the West African oral concept of griot, as it utilizes nommo, a Bantu term that denotes the magical power of words to cause change, as a critical African American lexical lens. In the broadest definition, a griot is culture in the sense that through the collecting and disseminating of stories, genealogies, histories, songs and rituals, a griot creates a shared community, a shared culture. The written discourse of African American literature and the oral definition of griot have now been placed together on the culture’s fiction. A griot passes on community values and traditions orally in the traditional sense, but now through the written word: the book itself bears the griot tradition because it educates, entertains and performs the ritual of culture creation by engaging the reader in the teller/listener dynamic that fashions unity and harmony from chaos. Essentially, through fictive narratives, African American authors construct social harmony through metaknowledge: they are simultaneously commenting, constructing, creating and criticizing African American discourses from an emphasis of West African philosophical tropes. Culturally literate readers become part of the story’s construction from the culturally contextual clues placed throughout the narrative.
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Reverend Jeremiah Wright:National Press Club Address

Over the next few days, prominent scholars of the African-American religious tradition from several different disciplines -- theologians, church historians, ethicists, professors of Hebrew Bible, homiletics, hermeneutics and historians of religions -- those scholars will join in with sociologists, political analysts, local church pastors and denominational officials to examine the African-American religious experience and its historical, theological, and political context. The workshops, the panel discussions, and the symposia will go into much more intricate detail about this unknown phenomenon of the black church -- than I have time to go into in the few moments that we have to share together.

And I would invite you to spend the next two days getting to know just a little bit about a religious tradition that is as old as and, in some instances, older than this country. And this is a country which houses its religious tradition that we all love and a country that some of us have served. It is a tradition that is in some ways like Ralph Ellison's "The Invisible Man". It has been right here in our midst and on our shores since the 1600s, but it was, has been and, in far too many instances, still is invisible to the dominant culture in terms of its rich history, its incredible legacy, and its multiple meanings.
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Eric Holder:Speech at the DOJ African-American History Month Program

I’m still getting used to the notion of Attorney General Holder. I hear that and I expect to hear Attorney General Thornburgh, Reno, Barr, you know. I’ve been through a number of Attorneys General, all of whom I have had a great deal of respect for and I’m still getting used to the fact that my name follows that great title.

I want to thank everybody who put this great program together. The folks at the EEO staff I think have done a good job in getting these great, wonderful, young singers here with us today and the young woman who sang the Star Spangled Banner, I mean the National Anthem, I thought did a great job.

I look at you all and see the future of this nation. And we are very proud of what you have done and expect great things from you. You come from a great institution and there is a responsibility for you to carry on in that great tradition. And we thank you, sir, for bringing them with us today.
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