African‐Americans and higher education: An exigence in need of applied communication

Abstract

Responding to signs of increasing racial tension across the United States, in the spring of 1997, undergraduate communication majors at Loyola University Chicago initiated and organized a campaign on “African‐Americans and Higher Education.” Bitzer's (1968) construct of the rhetorical situation served as an organizing tool for the student planners and here provides the frame for a case study of the project. In the case study, communication undergraduates applied their understanding of communication theories to advocacy for increased African‐American enrollment at this university. The limited positive results from their project demonstrate potential for a more thorough and rigorous application of communication theory and research for social justice.