Advisory Committee Chair
Cynthia Ryan
Advisory Committee Members
Kerry Madden-Lunsford
Jaclyn Wells
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2023
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
This thesis focused on addressing the framing of criticisms of Toni Morrison's Beloved in the state of Virginia through the context of African American Criticism and Critical Race Theory. The methodology undertaken addresses the central research question, How might African American Criticism and Critical Race Theory provide a theoretical framework for responding to recent criticisms about Beloved? The researcher approached Beloved by historicizing select passages from the novel and situating those passages and the realities they reflect in the context of criticisms waged by parents and politicians. The thesis also explained how tenets of African American Criticism and Critical Race Theory were apparent in criticisms of Beloved. Finally, the thesis utilized Edbauer’s notion of “rhetorical ecologies” to demonstrate how criticisms of Beloved, political rhetoric, police brutality, and the debate on Critical Race Theory are interrelated.
Recommended Citation
Freeman, Mia J., "A Colorblind Approach to Silencing African American Voices Through the Banning of Critical Race Theory" (2023). All ETDs from UAB. 77.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/77
