‘Why Am I Called Upon to Speak Here To-day?’ The Jeremiad in the Speeches and Writings of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X

Abstract

Takes a closer look at the rhetorical strategies and logic Douglass and Malcolm X use in selected speeches and writings. Argues that both use the jeremiad in its uniquely American form primarily to embody a frequently apocalyptic vision of the American landscape even as it allows for achieving social equality between white and black Americans. Claims this approach forces a revisionist reading of both speakers, especially Malcolm X.