This research explores rhetorical strategies employed by Angela Davis to (re)conceptualize liberal freedom as collective freedom and uncover hidden forms of oppression within America's criminal justice system. Criminal justice reform movements have gained increased attention in recent years, most notably through the Black Lives Matter movement, and Davis's rhetoric offers insights into how oppressive discourses can be deconstructed and challenged. Davis's strategies also demonstrate how abolitionist rhetoric from the 19th century has adapted to confront exigencies of the 21st century. This essay aims to understand how Davis relied on rhetorical strategies in two speeches she gave in the mid-2000s. I argue that Davis employed the metaphor of "prison is slavery" by using vivid examples and connecting present circumstances to historical beginnings. She also used contradiction as a rhetorical strategy and provided international comparisons to illuminate possibilities for transformation.
Key words: feminist rhetoric, neo-abolitionism, intersectionality
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