Chapter 5 "Women of a Common Country, with Common Interests" Fannie Barrier Williams, Anna Julia Cooper, Identification and Arrangement.
From the title of the chapter one could see that the focus of these women was to reach a common ground with the audience to which they relayed their message. As speakers Anna J. Cooper and Fannie Barrier Williams employed different "rhetorical strategies" not only to unite black women as a whole but, to engage black men and white women in the needs, and interests among black women (Logan 99). Williams focused on identification in her arguments; showing the "divisions" amongst white and black women and, showing what unified them. For Cooper on the other hand, Logan shows how Cooper's meticulous hand in arranging the arguments in her speeches played a part in how effective her arguments turned out to be. When speaking to distinct crowds the methods of using rhetoric for Cooper and Williams seemed to change but, thier message was carried across regardless. Cooper hailing from the South and Williams from New England they crossed paths at the 1893 World's Congress of Representative Women in Chicago. Below I share some of my favorite quotes, and briefly convey the point being directed in each of them.
Anna Julia Cooper
- Anna J. Cooper 1893 Woman's Congress (Logan 113) "Calling here for human solidarity, Cooper changed the ground of the discussion from a question of what can be done to help black women to what must be done to help" - Said by S. W. Logan in order to explain Cooper's point of making this change a collaborative effort that requires urgency. |
Fannie Barrier Williams
Here Williams highlights the divisions amongst black and white women and makes the public aware of the struggle of the black woman. - Fannie B. Williams written for "The Woman's Part in a Man's Business" for the November 1904 issue of the Voice of the Negro (Logan 111) " With the interest of that kind of woman in a man's business, he cannot fail, and, without her he has already failed" Willia said this to show how vital the black woman is as a support system and as a guide for the man. - Fannie B. Williams written for "The Woman's Part in a Man's Business for November 1904 issue of the Voice of the Negro (Logan 111) "In this article Williams lashed out at black men who failed to show proper respect for "the colored girl." Instead of comparing black women with white women Williams advised black men to adopt a black standard of beauty. The strong call to accept black women on their own terms...reminds us that her readers were primarily black" She said this in order to stop the comparisons of black and white women. Though they both identify as women it is unfair to compare the two, when their physical features are obviously different . - Fannie B. Williams written for "The Colored Girl" which appeared in the June 1905 Voice of the Negro (Logan 112) |
Logan, Shirley W. We Are Coming: The Persuasive Discourse of Nineteenth-century Black Women. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois UP, 1999.
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