When the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of the
Lincoln Memorial on August 23, 1963, and proclaimed, "I have a dream,"
he achieved greatness as an orator.
Dr. King was preceded by a host of black men and women seeking
freedom and the good life in America.  Black leaders and others   who
articulated and articulate the grievances and aspirations felt by
the masses have always understood the power of the word in the black
community.  This course examines the basic rhetorical characteristics
of African American communication and the socio-cultural factors that
contribute to the distinctive aspects of black language and hip hop.


Specific Objectives:

More specifically, the course covers:

1. The defining aspects of African American communication.
2.  African American rhetoric as an instrument of social change.
3.  The socio-cultural events that shaped black rhetoric.
4.  The historical and contemporary origins and characteristics of
black
language.
5.  The cultural and rhetorical features of hip hop.

Required Texts:

Foner, Philip S. & Branham, R. J.  (eds.) Lift Every Voice:  African
American Oratory 1787-1900, Tuscaloosa, Alabama:  University of
Alabama press (1998).

Smith, Arthur L. (Molefi Kete Asante).  Language, Communication and
Rhetoric,
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers (1972).

Foner, P. (ed). The Voice of Black America.  Volumes I & II, New York:
Capricorn Books (1975).


The reading assignments are in a packet of materials titled CMC C238
Callaway-Thomas.