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Rhetorical Analysis Of Crusade For Justice By Ida B. Wells

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At the beginning of the article “They Call Me Dr. Ore,” Ersula J. Ore asserts that “battling an epistemological system that assumes me always already “out of place” is a constitutive feature of my lived experience and, thus, a chief component of my rhetorical situation” (1). This assumption of being “out-of-place” affects many marginalized individuals (particularly African American women) in academia and everyday spaces, but the distinct ways people like Ore understand and address their rhetorical situations reveal not only successful rhetorical strategies but also the complicated design of their public ethos. Likewise, Ida B. Wells’ autobiography Crusade for Justice exemplifies these lessons in rhetorical strategies. By analyzing Wells’ developing …show more content…

Despite being perceived as “out-of-place,” despite regularly addressing white audiences, Wells refuses to compromise her truth, instead constructing a rhetoric rooted in evidence, confidence, and assertive optimism.
Throughout Crusade for Justice, Wells establishes and delineates her rhetorical situation. Obviously, she is aware of the prejudice she faces as an African American woman in the United States; however, she further defines her topic, purpose, and audience so that her actions cannot be misunderstood. The most obvious aspect is her topic: particularly at the beginning of her autobiography, a majority of her speeches and writings discuss the reality of lynching in the United States, or as she writes, “An excuse to get rid of Negroes who were acquiring wealth and …show more content…

One, it displays her defiance and bravery when interacting with governmental employees that employ intimidation rather than real law. Repeatedly, Wells risked her life in the name of “telling the truth,” an act that governmental forces were not cautious about attempting to repress. Two, this conversation is an implicit call to action. Even if Wells is speaking to officers in this moment, digressing with a criticism of apathy, Wells is also challenging the reader: Do you want to be the lone individual remembered for telling the truth or one of those 11,999,999 individuals forgotten for their silence? This motivating dialogue, indirectly addressing the reader, appears throughout Crusade for Justice, and again represents a careful response to her rhetorical situation. Even if Wells can’t always demand her audience to act in a certain way, she can present consequences and her own defiant actions, and trust that her audience will be

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