"Lifting as We Climb": A Rhetorical Analysis of the Speeches of Hallie Quinn Brown
Natonya Listach (Author), University of Memphis
The accomplishments of Hallie Quinn Brown can be separated into segments of her teaching career, her experiences as a public speaker and elocutionist, and her work as an activist. She successfully educated various students, spoke before dignitaries, and moved her audiences to tears on multiple occasions. She fought for civil and women⁰́₉s rights until her death at 100. Yet, while her membership and participation in specific organizations are not disputed, her importance, significance, and impact on African American rhetoric are relatively ignored. This dissertation analyzes Brown⁰́₉s speeches and (re)introduces Brown to the study of rhetoric. By examining Brown⁰́₉s speeches through close reading and didactic oratory, this dissertation adds to the study of African American rhetoric and public address, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ultimately, the author argues that studying Brown⁰́₉s oratory adds depth to the traditional rhetorical canon and expands our understanding of the influence of African American rhetoric
Thesis, Dissertation, English, 2023
University of Memphis, [Memphis, Tennessee], 2023