Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 5-10-2019 Reclaiming Rhetorical Intersectionality: From Silence to Parrhesia and Attuned Listening Tahirah Walker Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons Recommended Citation Walker, T. (2019). Reclaiming Rhetorical Intersectionality: From Silence to Parrhesia and Attuned Listening (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1792 This One-year Embargo is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. RECLAIMING RHETORICAL INTERSECTIONALITY: FROM SILENCE TO PARRHESIA AND ATTUNED LISTENING A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Tahirah Joyce Duncan Walker May 2019 Copyright by Tahirah Joyce Duncan Walker 2019 RECLAIMING RHETORICAL INTERSECTIONALITY: FROM SILENCE TO PARRHESIA AND ATTUNED LISTENING By Tahirah Joyce Duncan Walker Approved March 15, 2019 ________________________________ ________________________________ Name of Professor Name of Professor Professor of English Professor of Physical Therapy (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Name of Professor Name of Professor Assistant Professor of Music Assistant Professor of History (Committee Member) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Name of Dean Name of Department Chair Dean, School Name Chair, Department Name Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Mathematics Biochemistry iii ABSTRACT RECLAIMING RHETORICAL INTERSECTIONALITY: FROM SILENCE TO PARRHESIA AND ATTUNED LISTENING By Tahirah Joyce Duncan Walker May 2019 Dissertation supervised by Professor Pat Arneson, PhD Intersectionality is a term applied by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in the late 1980s to a social experience. A person experiences intersectionality when different aspects of her identity converge in a way that causes uniquely amplified marginalization or oppression. The classic three identities that produce intersectionality experiences in the United States are race, gender, and class, making poor women of color the central figures of intersectionality study. Crenshaw explained that these forces take three main forms: structural, political and representational (“Mapping the Margins” 1243). Intersectionality has always been rhetorical. Structural, political and representational intersectionality are supported in language. The power of language influences our everyday actions. Joining Crenshaw are communication scholars Brenda Allen, Deborah Atwater, and Marsha Houston who recognize that intersectionality is iv enacted in language. In exclusionary rhetorical frames, people perform language in a series of systematic techniques that do not require thought and action. Structural, political, and representational intersectionalities are formed by an exclusionary construction of rhetoric that supports the notion that some people are worthy of speaking into existence the world and some people are not. One of communication scholarship characteristics is that we are attentive to context. For example, when one uses the phrase “our feminism will be intersectional” it is important to consider that intersectional is not the same as diverse or multicultural. In my project, I document the reclaiming of rhetorical intersectionality by women of color and explored the nature of this reclamation. v DEDICATION This is dedicated to my daughters Isis, Bilquisu, and Hajara for illuminating every corner of my work and giving me the constant reminders of why it matters. To my nieces Reina, Mimi, Tori, Zahirah, Majesty, Hannah, Kupcake, and Dodi: may the intersection always uplift you. And most of all to my wonder of a mother who began this journey with me in life but carries me over the finish line in spirit - may you fly forever free. Mommy, our intersection is unbroken; it’s power unmatched. Thank you for teaching me the meaning of Stevie Wonder’s words “true love asks for nothing; her acceptance is the way we pay.” vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge and express my deep gratitude to the following people: Benjamin Walker - for holding all the broken pieces together in love and partnership; Judah Walker for every tickle, giggle and dinosaur stomp; Joyce Beverly, Danielle Inez Walker, Ruth Coleman and Jocelyn Mallory who were always willing to cheer me on and up. I offer my sincere thanks to the rest of the Beverly and Walker families, the Coleman family, Johnathan White, and the staff of the University of Pittsburgh’s Teaching Center for their encouragement. Finally, many thanks to Autumn Redcross (the dopest dissertation queen for sure) and Dr. Pat Arneson for all of the late evenings and early mornings of feedback and ideas. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication ............................................................................................................................v Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................. vi Chapter One: An Introduction to Intersectionality ..............................................................1 The Research Approach to This Study ........................................................................6 Key Terms and Scholars ..............................................................................................7 Intersectionality: Historically Situated ......................................................................19 Communication Scholarship on Intersectionality ......................................................28 Chapter Two: Silence and Intersectionality .......................................................................38 Key Terms and Scholars ............................................................................................38 Some Theories of Silence ..........................................................................................43 Examining Silence and Intersectionality ...................................................................50 Chapter Three: Parrhesia and Intersectionality Key Terms and Scholars ............................................................................................76 Some Theories of Parrhesia ......................................................................................80 Examining Parrhesia and Intersectionality ...............................................................87 Reclaiming Rhetorical Intersectionality with Parrhesia ............................................... Chapter Four: Listening and Intersectionality ....................................................................... Key Terms and Scholars ..........................................................................................105 Some Theories of Listening .....................................................................................107 Examining Listening and Intersectionality ..............................................................116 viii Chapter Five: Reclaiming Rhetorical Intersectionality....................................................139 Sowing Rhetorical Intersectionality .........................................................................141 The Exigence of Reclaiming Rhetorical Intersectionality .......................................143 Works Cited .....................................................................................................................158 ix CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION TO INTERSECTIONALITY Intersectionality is a term used to describe an experience. This experience is a social one. A person experiences intersectionality when different aspects of her identity converge in a way that causes uniquely amplified marginalization or oppression. The classic three identities that are found to produce intersectionality experiences in the United States are race, gender, and class, making the poor woman of color the central figure of intersectionality study. Identity constructs that contribute to intersectionality might also include sexuality, educational background or country of origin. If intersectionality were represented on a family tree, that tree would have roots of struggle in the social constructs of race, gender and class and other identity constructs that are built to delineate privilege in our society. Narratives of those struggles intertwined and grew into one strong tree that gave rise to scholars and activists who have worked on issues of racial, economic and misogynist oppression for centuries. Many of these scholars and activists have contributed so much that they now have their own branches. The branches include the theoretical work and activism of Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Toni Cade Bambara, Patricia Hill Collins, Paula Giddings, Gloria Hull, Cherie Moraga, and Gloria Anzaldua, and Angela Davis. The branch instituted by legal scholar and critical race theorist Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw guides this project. Crenshaw was the first person