Rhetorical Activism and
United States Civil Rights Movements		 English 319
Fall 2007

Professor Alisse Portnoy
Email Address: alisse@umich.edu

Graders: Catherine Calabro and Blaine Garrison
English 319
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Schedule of Assignments

  • Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date listed.
  • Be sure to look at the course's online photogallery on days when "Photo/Bio" is noted.
  • BlueStream assignments will be announced in class and over email. BlueStream assignments are a formal part of the course content, rather than supplemental to course readings.
  • Please note that this schedule of assignments is subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and emailed to students registered for the course. You are responsible for all changes announced in class and/or distributed over email to your "umich" address.
September October November December

Date Day Topics for Discussion and Assignments Due
September 5 Wednesday

First day of class.
Welcome and introductions.
What is Rhetoric?  Rhetorical Theory?  Rhetorical Activism?

September 7 Friday

Course Information, Schedule of Assignments.
Declaration of Independence.
United States Constitution (be sure to read the Bill of Rights and the Amendments!).
Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", 1852. Photo/Bio
[Note: In case you are not yet registered for the course or if you have not yet had a chance to get the course pack, this reading is available online. Be sure to print a copy to annotate as you read and to bring with you to class.]

September 12 Wednesday

BlueStream: Schoolhouse Rock's "Three is a Magic Number" and "Nike Commercial"
BlueStream: All in the Family's "Gloria and the Riddle," Parts 1 and 2.

September 14 Friday BlueStream: "Anthony Trial" and "Antisuffrage in the 1890s"
McKay, Remonstrating Against the Right of Suffrage, 1870.
Anthony, Address on the Charge of Illegal Voting, 1872. Photo/Bio
Cleveland, "Would Woman Suffrage Be Unwise?", 1905. Photo/Bio
September 19 Wednesday Discussion of theory and texts continues.
September 21 Friday Discussion of theory and texts continues.
September 26 Wednesday BlueStream: "Hard Times," "Woman's Suffrage - West 1890s," and "Terrell Intro"
Terrell, "Progress of Colored Women," 1898. Photo/Bio
Shaw, "Fundamental Principle of a Republic," 1915. Photo/Bio
September 28 Friday Discussion continues from Wednesday.
October 3 Wednesday

BlueStream: Excerpt from Kennedy's Address
An Online Biography of Wallace
An Online Biography of Kennedy
Kennedy, "To the American People on Civil Rights," 1963. Photo/Bio
Wallace, "Segregation Forever," 1963. Photo/Bio
Have you stopped by to chat during office hours yet?

October 5 Friday Discussion continues from Wednesday.
October 10 Wednesday

BlueStream: "I Have a Dream" (at least five minutes), "Black Freedom Women"
King, "I Have a Dream," 1963. Photo/Bio
King, "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," 1963.
Malcolm X, "The Ballot or the Bullet," 1964. Photo/Bio

October 12 Friday

Discussion continues from Wednesday.
Course Evaluation.

October 17 Wednesday BlueStream: "Black Panther Party Founding," "Black Panther Party Philosophy," "Carmichael Speaking: Black Power," "Carmichael Speaking: International Struggle," "Fannie Lou Hamer," "Women Civil Rights Activists Today."
SNCC, Black Power, 1966.
Carmichael, Black Power, 1966. Photo/Bio
Carmichael, Black Power, 1967.
King, Black Power, 1967.
October 19 Friday Discussion continues from Wednesday.
October 24 Wednesday

BlueStream: "Davis and Black Panther Party 001," "Davis and Black Panthers Party 002," and "Davis and the Black Panther Party 003."
Cleaver, "A Word to Students," 1968. Photo/Bio
Davis, "Get it Together," 1971. Photo/Bio

October 26 Friday Discussion continues from Wednesday.
October 31 Wednesday First exam.
November 2 Friday

U.S. House Joint Resolution 40, 2007
Equal Rights Amendment, written in 1921 and introduced in every session of Congress since 1923.
National Organization for Women's "Chronology of the Equal Rights Amendment 1923-1996".
Eagle Forum's "A Short History of ERA".

November 7 Wednesday

BlueStream: "I'd Rather be the Sun," "Evans Sexual Harrassment," Steinem Naming," West Wing, clips 1 and 2, and "Ladies First."
Mainardi, "Politics of Housework," 1970.
Syfers, "Why I Want a Wife," 1971.
Friedan, "An Open Letter to True Men," 1974. Photo/Bio
Falwell, "The Feminist Movement," 1980. Photo/Bio

November 9 Friday Discussion continues from Wednesday.
November 14 Wednesday Chisholm, "The 51% Minority," 1970. Photo/Bio
Beale, "Double Jeopardy," 1970.
November 16 Friday

Discussion continues from Wednesday.

November 21 Wednesday No Class: Thanksgiving Break.
November 23 Friday No Class: Thanksgiving Break.
November 28 Wednesday

BlueStream: Davis on Violence, Racism, and Homophobia; West Wing: military, Jenna Jacobs; Harvey Milk on hope; "William's Doll."
Newton, "A Letter from Huey . . .," 1970. Photo/Bio
Shelley, "Gay is Good," 1970.
Milk, "The Hope Speech," 1978. Photo/Bio
Lorde, "There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions," 1983. Photo/Bio
Liebman, Letter to William F. Buckley, Jr., 1990.
Buckley, Response, 1990.

November 30 Friday

Michigan House Resolution #141, 2003.
Sections of RNC and DNC Platforms, 1980 - 2004.
Marriage Measures, 2006.
Jon Stewart interviews Lynne Cheney, Part 1 and Part 2
Case Study: Andrew Sullivan on Marriage, 1989, 2000, 2003 (June, August, October, November), 2004.

December 5 Wednesday Steinem, "Words and Change," 1979/1982/1995. Photo/Bio
Wrap-up, review, class evaluation.
Optional critical essay due at the start of class.
December 7 Friday

Second exam.

September October November December

English 319 Home Course Information Contact Information Photogallery

MRU: 20 November 2007