Rhetorical Essay Readings and Outline

"Shades of Black"
Louis Chude-Sokei

This essay was the first that really caught my attention. It addresses many racial issues; however, it is all within the same race. The article is called "Shades of Black" because the author describes the tensions between native blacks and immigrant blacks, because the immigrant blacks are oftentimes more educated, and whites use differences in the two groups to charge the African Americans with problems without being accused of racism.

"Welcome Candy, Sam & George: Immigrants Change Countries, and Their Names"
Yvonne Abraham
This essay was very interesting to me. I was never aware of how many immigrants changed their names when they moved into the US. Many people change their names to avoid scrutiny and complications when dealing with American citizens who are too ignorant to realize the importance of diversity.

The essay that I chose to use for my rhetorical analysis is "Shades of Black". I chose this essay because it had more of an argument than that of "Welcome Candy, Sam & George: Immigrants Change Countries, and Their Names".

I. Introduction
II. Text
a. Essay
b. Argumentative
III. Reader/Audience
a. General Public
b. Readers of the Los Angeles Times
c. Those either supporting or interested in Barack Obama
d. More specifically, minorities
IV. Author
a. Louis Chude-Sokei
b. Associate Professor of literature at the University of California-Santa Cruz
c. Author of The Last ‘Darky’: Bert Williams, Black-on-Black Minstrelsy and the African Diaspora
V. Constraints
a. Because the author is a professor of African-American Studies, he has a first-hand look at African American prejudices.
b. He believes that white America looks down on native blacks as opposed to immigrant blacks.
c. Depending on who is reading it, these constraints can limit effectiveness of the essay, or create common ground.
i. Anyone who is racist can oppose any of the author’s views.
ii. Those who are racially tolerant will agree with the author and therefore accept the essay’s claims.
VI. Exigence
a. The essay was written because Barack Obama is running for presidency.
b. He is biracial, however, he is not considered white; black, but not African American; American but not African.
VII. Conclusion