African American Citizenship: Rhetoric, National Identity and the Problem of Economic Inequality

• In Event: The More Things Change…: Economic Disparity, Power, and the Changing Electoral Landscape in the African American Community

Abstract

Few African Americans have achieved the level of economic prosperity necessary to enjoy full citizenship in the United States. While political victories have secured legislation intended to provide equal protection under the law, grossly unequal distribution of wealth continues to undermine equality. By definition, citizenship and prosperity should not be interdependent; but history tells a different story. This essay argues that African Americans encounter particularly complex rhetorical choices when proposing paths toward economic equality.

Author

• Monica Waugh-Benton, Georgia State University