Legacy Leadership: Elaine Brown's “Education for Liberation” Bolstering the Fight for Black Freedom

Rhetoric & Public Affairs Jun 2024

Legacy Leadership: Elaine Brown's “Education for Liberation” Bolstering the Fight for Black Freedom

Darrian Carroll

Abstract

Abstract In 2014, Elaine Brown evoked “legacy leadership,” a form of leadership that supports Black liberation. Legacy leadership is a version of leadership that both lauds and laments a legacy to persuade audience members to fight for liberation in the present. In her 2014 lecture at the University of Georgia titled, “Education for Liberation,” Brown leaned on the highs and lows of Black Panther Party history to persuade her audience that they should commit their lives to the struggle for Black freedom. In turning to Brown's “Education for Liberation,” this essay extends contemporary rhetorical understandings of leadership by revealing how reflecting on previous ideological commitments, recharacterizing concrete conditions, and inspiring individuals to act immediately can produce a form of leadership that serves liberation.

Journal: Rhetoric & Public Affairs
Published: 2024-06-01
DOI: 10.14321/rhetpublaffa.27.2.0135
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multilingual writers