Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Dialogue on “The Imperative of Racial Rhetorical Criticism”

Abstract

Our conversations about “the imperative of racial rhetorical criticism” broadened to encompass not only issues of theory and methods but also personal struggles, victories, identities, and emotions. This experience, our creation of what Cherríe Moraga once termed “theory in the flesh” likely resonates with other scholars of race, and is reflected in Lisa Flores’ article. It is in this spirit we decided to continue our conversation, here, in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies. We seek to perform this embodied and collaborative approach in the format and content of this essay as we discuss “the imperative.” Over the course of the ensuing conversation, we address the following questions: Why is it important to acknowledge work on race as an imperative? How do we frame and push this “imperative” beyond the community of scholars who already are committed to race work? How do we as scholars impress the importance of racial rhetorical criticism so that others follow and take up arms?