Ancient Rhetoric, Abolition, and Rev. Peter Thomas Stanford’s The Tragedy — a Talk by Kelly P. Dugan

What role does ancient rhetoric play in 19th century freedom narratives? Peter Thomas Stanford’s The Tragedy of the Negro in America—an 1897 antilynching treatise recounting centuries of colonization and enslavement, from the ancient Mediterranean to the aftermath of the Civil War in the United States—leverages ancient rhetorical forms and references, both classical and biblical, to argue for the sanctity of Black life in America. How does ancient rhetoric function at the intersection of education and activism in Black freedom literature? And how did racist publishing practices attempt to stifle the emancipatory messages this literature proclaimed?

Kelly P. Dugan is an Adjunct Instructor of Classics as well as Curriculum Coordinator and Lead Advisor for the Undergraduate Colleges at Stony Brook University. She teaches courses on college success, teacher training, and Greek and Roman culture. Her work emphasizes equity in education, including antiracist pedagogy and antiableist curriculum design. She holds a PhD from the University of Georgia and previously taught at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. 

This talk is being held in the context of BISR’s Language Learning and Critique program, an innovative approach to classical languages and their ever-changing scenes of reception. RSVPs will receive a link to the Zoom meeting room where the talk will be held. This talk will be recorded and available for later viewing. Click here for an article to accompany the talk.

This talk is now available for viewing on BISR’s Vimeo page; click here to watch.

Course Schedule

Monday, 6:30pm ET
October 07, 2024

$0.00

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