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"The Souls of Black Folk": In consideration of W. E. B. Du Bois and the exigency of an African-American philosophy of rhetoric
Abstract
This study explores the centrality of W. E. B. Du Bois' The Souls of Black Folk to a philosophy of African-American Rhetoric. The major consideration is a question of metaphorical depictions of a race ideology vs. dialectic juxtapositions of Du Boisian notions of the race problem. The primary methodological approach was rhetorical criticism of the text, The Souls of Black Folk to explicate the African-American uniqueness and delineate specific cultural and socio-rhetorical exigencies. The Afrocentric paradigm was also used. Created by language and African culture scholar, Dr. Molefi Asante, the paradigm enabled us to test the parameters of a Du Boisian vocabulary of race. Implementing the paradigm along with traditional methods of criticism, such as a topics analysis of Du Bois' key arguments broadened, yet focused the critique.
Subject Area
Communication|Black studies|Ethnic studies|African American Studies
Recommended Citation
Quainoo, Vanessa Wynder, ""The Souls of Black Folk": In consideration of W. E. B. Du Bois and the exigency of an African-American philosophy of rhetoric" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329657.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329657