Black Memoir as Intellectual Frameworks

This thesis works to offer thoughtful literary analysis of Patrisse Khan-Cullors’ When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. Using Khan-Cullors’ text, this project aims to critically consider the social and political function of memoir, and how memoir can function as a form of activism. Rooted in a desire to advocate for ethical and empathetic representations of identity throughout society, this project offers analysis and critique of systems of power and oppression, as well as neoliberal conceptualizations of love and care. Through this analysis and critique, this thesis suggests the need for the return to a pre-neoliberal love ethic, which prioritizes care for Black and brown people, and creates space for Black and brown abundance, joy, and liberation.