Advisory Committee Chair
Christopher Minnix
Advisory Committee Members
Margaret Jay Jessee
Bruce M McComiskey
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2020
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
This thesis addresses parallels between the rhetoric of contemporary secessionists and the arguments surrounding the rise and fall of Jim Crow laws which maintained segregation for decades. Cities like Gardendale, Alabama and Baton Rouge, Louisiana make uncanny arguments in their attempts to break-away from county school systems, promoting new and improved propaganda, alluding to “separate but equal” in their attempts to separate for the good of their communities. Despite years of multicultural instruction, schools are fighting the same battle, on the same turf, generations later—some cities surrounding Birmingham and across the country add a new twist on the same white flight that encouraged both de jure and de facto segregation. Breaking away from city school districts under the guise of seeking a better education for their children, this newer version of parent-led white flight is disconcertingly similar to old attempts to keep dual school systems. Like the public-school secessionists who flee from diverse school systems, some homeschoolers flee globalism and multiculturalism—promoting nationalism in the name of patriotism. Framing the rhetoric of religious fundamentalism and how it often reinforces white nationalism and supports the al-right movement provides a way to understand both the means and the motive. Looking at the complex rhetorical situation encompassed within both public and private arenas affords a greater understanding as to how systemic racism continues to impact genuine integration. By iv examining the rhetoric of recent break-away attempts and their relationship to arguments surrounding historical segregation and on-going issues with integration, I hope to provide insight into the nature of recent attempts at secession and perhaps offer a pathway toward a solution.
Recommended Citation
Perz, Sally Anne, "There and Back Again: A Rhetorical Journey From Oppression to Exclusion" (2020). All ETDs from UAB. 653.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/653