The Will of a People: A Critical Anthology of Great African American Speeches

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rhetoric / african american studies “Nothing less than the canon of African American eloquence! The speeches in The Will of a People brilliantly articulate the immense moral authority of the freedom struggle. They reveal much about America’s changing conceptions of hierarchy, equality, caste and class, and our national obsession with race.” —Andrew King, Hopkins Professor of Communication, Louisiana State University “Professors Leeman and Duffy have once again brought together a selection of important rhetorical artifacts. This volume will be required reading for all students and scholars of the theory, history, and criticism of public address who are interested in the transformative powers of the spoken word.” —Mark Lawrence McPhail, author of The Rhetoric of Racism Revisited: Reparations or Separation? D rawing upon nearly two hundred years of recorded African American oratory, The Will of a People brings together in one unique volume twenty-two of the most noteworthy speeches, each paired with a comprehensive introduction designed to highlight its most significant elements. From Maria Miller Stewart’s 1832 speech “Why Sit Ye Here and Die?” to President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural address, these carefully selected orations are closely tied to the key themes, issues, and events of American history and race relations. This substantial collection will serve as an essential guide to the African American oratorical tradition. Richard W. Leeman, a professor of communication studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is the author or editor of five books, including African-American Orators: A BioCritical Sourcebook (1996) and (with Bernard Duffy) American Voices: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Orators (2005). He has received several awards and has served as a scholar-in-residence for an NEH-sponsored summer seminar on African American oratory. Bernard K. Duffy, a professor of rhetoric in the communication studies department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, is the author or editor of six books, including American Orators of the Twentieth Century: Critical Studies and Sources (1987), and has been a coeditor or an advisor for thirty-two books on individual American orators published by Greenwood Press. southern illinois university press 1915 university press drive mail code 6806 carbondale, il 62901 www.siupress.com Printed in the United States of America $49.95 usd isbn 0-8093-3057-1 isbn 978-0-8093-3057-7 ‘‘ ‘ ‘TheWill ofaPeople ACritical Anthologyof GreatAfrican AmericanSpeeches Editedwithintroductionsby RichardW.LeemanandBernardK.Duffy The Will of a People: A Critical Anthology of Great African American Speeches Leeman and Duffy Southern Illinois University Press Leeman.Duffy mech.indd 1 12/15/11 10:15 AM ...