“Black Is Powerful”: A Gramscian Rhetorical Analysis of Post-Racialism at the University of Missouri

Abstract

In nearly every aspect of life in America, black men and women are forced to make sacrifices and compromises in order to participate in the simple act of living in the United States. The extent to which black Americans go to answer society's expectations of what is asked of them is difficult to grasp, especially for individuals of racial, economic, and familial privilege. The issues at the heart of racial injustice in America today are complex and diverse in nature, stemming from a transition at the turn of the century that attempted to move past race; yet, the issues that affected black men and women in 2008 continue to pose challenges for black Americans in 2018. No stretch of the imagination would be required to predict that in the near future the relentlessness against an already excessively strained group of people will not cease. In any struggle of power between the social elite and the general public, a variety of influences are at play that orchestrate the processes of oppression that simultaneously fuel some, and deter others. While the wheels of power have crushed the lives, both physically and theoretically, of countless individuals who have attempted to counter these injustices, progress is slow, and often just as much a product of timing as it is dedication. The triumphs of any movement for social justice, like the issues that inspire their activism, are diverse and formed through countless influences. The complexities of this subject matter serve not as a deterrent or pessimistic overtone on which any fight for equality must take place, but rather the overbearing pressure to which every oppressed individual must rise in the morning, continue throughout the day, and fall asleep at night. The insurmountable turmoil that takes place daily, and punishes the mind, body, and soul of countless black Americans would seem a force far too great to allow for any resistive movements or actions. Throughout the history of racial discrimination and social