Justification for Archival Choices:

This syllabus mixes historical and contemporary primary and secondary sources to demonstrate how Afrocentric rhetoric remains dynamic and relevant. 

Unit 1: Foundations of Afrocentric Rhetoric

• Objectives:
• Define Afrocentric rhetoric and identify its core elements.
• Understand its historical and cultural roots.
• Concepts Introduced: Communal Voice, Refrain, Rhythm, Call-and-Response

Readings:

• Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change,
•  Bell Hooks — Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black (Ch. 1) 
• (1966) Stokely Carmichael, “Black Power” – Excerpt from The Rhetoric of Black Power (1967) — foundational context
• Persuasive Acts: Women’s rhetorics in the twenty – first century (A Letter From Duchess & Chapter 1) Fannie Lou Hamer: Civil Rights Activist : Civil Rights Activist – EBSCO

Multimedia:

• Women Hall of Fame and Obama –  Griot storytelling video (YouTube)
• Angela Davis — Black Feminism and Intersectionality
• Film Clip: Malcolm X (1992), speech scene 
• Fannie Lou Hamer Speech 1964 — Fannie Lou Hamer speech at the Democratic National Convention

Class Activity: Break down a Malcolm X speech for rhetorical devices

Assignment:
 Reflective journal entry: How does Afrocentric rhetoric challenge traditional Western rhetorical norms?

Unit 2: Activism & Oratory in the 1970s-1980s

• Objectives:
• Explore rhetorical strategies in Black women’s activist speeches.
• Identify refrain, cadence, communal voice, and spirituality in oratory.

Multimedia:

• Primary Source: Excerpt from Angela Davis’s 1972 speech at UCLA
• Primary Source: Shirley Chisholm’s 1983 speech at Greenfield High School
• Music: Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam” — lyrical rhetoric

Class Discussion: How public figures balance anger and hope rhetorically

Assignment: Write a short speech on a contemporary issue using call-and-response or refrain

Unit 3: Contemporary Afrocentric Rhetoric in Digital & Popular Culture

• Objectives:
• Trace Afrocentric rhetoric’s evolution into digital spaces and pop culture.
• Identify the role of cadence, refrain, and call-and-response online.

Primary Sources:

• Michelle Obama — DNC Address
• Kemi Badenoch — Black History Month Statement

Multimedia:

• Viola Davis — Emmy Speech (2015)
• Films: Do the Right Thing (1989) , Black Panther (2018)
• Excerpt from Film: Hidden Figures
• Reel Analysis: T’Challa’s final UN speech scene (communal responsibility)

Assignment: Create a TikTok or Instagram video on relevant/current pop culture moments using Afrocentric rhetorical devices.
Collaborative Activity: Students submit examples of Afrocentric rhetorical moments in pop culture (at least 3 examples)

Unit 4: Afrocentric Rhetoric in Music & Hip-Hop Culture (1990s–Present)

• Objectives:
• Identify Afrocentric rhetorical devices like call-and-response, repetition, communal address, moral narrative, and social critique in music.
• Examine how artists from Tupac Shakur to Kendrick Lamar use music as a platform for rhetorical resistance, identity-affirmation, and activism.
• Explore how hip-hop and neo-soul serve as both oral tradition and contemporary political commentary.

Primary Sources (Lyrics & Performances):

• Tupac Shakur —,  Keep Ya Head Up, Changes, Dear Mama,
• Lauryn Hill —  Doo Wop (That Thing), Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Album, Black Rage (live performance)Lauryn Hill Black Rage Live Atlanta 2014 & 2012 
• Kendrick Lamar — Kendrick Lamar’s Alright (2015) — protest and spiritual resilience

Secondary Source Readings:

• Manifestations of Afrocentricity in Rap Music –Harley Patterson Reading
• Tessa Brown – “Let the People Rap”: Cultural Rhetorics Pedagogy and Practices Under CUNY’s Open Admissions, 1968-1978

Project: Digital Lyric Breakdown
Choose one song by a listed artist. In a TikTok, Instagram Reel, or Canva graphic post:

• Identify 2–3 Afrocentric rhetorical devices used in the song (e.g., call-and-response, refrain, spiritual invocation, Black communal address, oral storytelling).
• Explain how these devices connect to larger social or political issues.
• Include a caption reflecting on how this song functions as both art and activism.

Optional: Host a class cipher or spoken word open mic, where students perform original verses inspired by the Afrocentric rhetoric studied.

Unit 5: Contemporary Rhetors

• Figures: Amanda Gorman (2021 Inaugural Poem)
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (TED Talk on Feminism)
• Shirley Sherrod (Speech at the NAACP Banquet)

Activity: Group breakdown of Amanda Gorman’s poem for Afrocentric techniques

Peer Submission: Students recommend contemporary Black speakers for study

Unit 6: Black Digital Activism

• Secondary Source: Lakisha Odlum Towards an Understanding of Black Girls’ Digital Activism
• Secondary Source: Sherri Williams Digital Defense: Black Feminists Resist Violence With Hashtag Activism
• Secondary Source: Asa McMullen There is Power in Looking The Oppositional Gaze in Black Women’s Sousveillance Practices When Encountering Police

Assignment: Create an account on a social media platform of your choosing and curate a collection of primary sources (photos, videos, audios, tweets etc.) on any topic within the realm of Black Activism or Black female activism Example: Instagram curated collection