Center for Democratic Deliberation Rhetorical Analysis Contest
Purpose
To encourage greater familiarity with discursive events in the United States that have congregated around the African American Freedom Struggle, particularly the events identified on two websites sponsored by the Center for Democratic Deliberation:
The Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement
The contest is open to all Penn State undergraduate students.
Prizes
First Place: $1000
Second and Third Place: $250
The winning essay will also be displayed on the Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement website.
Prompt
Write a scholarly and informed analysis of piece of civil rights rhetoric that interests you—one that has not received enough attention or that you think has been misunderstood.
Then, in an essay between 1000 and 5000 words, produce “the authoritative essay” on your topic.
Submit your essay by March 15 to civilrightsrhetoriccontest@gmail.com.
Tips
As you consider which object of analysis to pick, think about your interests, explore the Voices of Democracy and Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement web sites, and/or talk with your teachers.
You can submit a revised version of an essay that you completed for a class assignment, or you can start from scratch on a topic that is new to you. (Note: Entrants are not required to consult either of the web sites, but judges are likely to favor those who do.)
Usually the best papers come from your engagement with a speech or document or song or photo or film (or other artifact) that you are especially curious about. If there is a specific civil rights personage that you have always wondered about—historical or contemporary—pick something produced by that person. Or pick a civil rights artifact that has intrigued you, or something that you have a personal connection to—something you have encountered in a course or on a family trip or in your home community. Then become an expert on your topic by studying it thoroughly: use primary and secondary sources sources that are available on each website. Aim to explain the rhetorical event so well, so completely, and so authoritatively that your essay will stand as the one that others depend on.
Example essays that may guide your own analysis are included under “Resources for Research” on the civil rights website and on the Voices of Democracy site.
And as you craft your essay, keep in mind these suggestions as well:
- Be strategic in deciding which features of your topic you want to emphasize and which ones you should deemphasize; focus on the most interesting or problematical features while also being attentive to the whole.
- Be sure that your essay develops a clear thesis, defends it with a carefully organized and evidence-saturated argument, and is expressed clearly and effectively. In short, be a professional in terms of presentation. A common format is to offer an introduction describing the rhetorical challenge faced by the person whose artifact you have chosen, and then to fill the body of your essay with accounts of the strategies and tactics used by the author to meet that challenge. Look at some of the papers on the web site for guidance!
- Follow MLA guidelines (i.e., double space with one-inch margins; and follow MLA advice about type size and style as well as documentation and the correct way to insert photos and quotations).
Questions?
All questions about the essay contest can be directed to Jack Selzer, Paterno Family Liberal Arts Professor Emeritus of Literature, at jls25@psu.edu.