General Summary: Professor Linda Ferreira-Buckley discusses the importance of a rhetorical education and how this concept applies to Barbara Jordan’s life. Ferreira-Buckley talks with two undergraduate students about the process of learning rhetoric throughout one’s life and her experience at The University of Texas at Austin’s Rhetoric and Writing Department.

Detailed Summary: Introduction providing context regarding Linda Ferreira-Buckley and Barbara Jordan’s lives (00.00-02.29); Ferreira-Buckley’s ethical connection between Barbara Jordan and Quintilian’s book Institutio Oratoria (02.30-04.06); Ferreira-Buckley’s educational background and her interest in eighteenth and nineteenth century rhetoric (04.07-06.51); Ferreira-Buckley’s emerging interest in Barbara Jordan (06.52-11.16); In-depth description as to what a rhetorical education is and how it shaped Jordan’s life (11.17-17.53); Ferreira-Buckley’s understanding as to why an individual's rhetorical education cannot be separated into categories, as each aspect is interconnected and equally influential (17.54-20.49); How Jordan’s political career would be different without her rhetorical education and life experiences (20.50-22.41); Students’ experiences outside of formal education are imperative to forming their ability to become great rhetors (22.42-26.21); Ferreira-Buckley’s honors program course taught in Fall 2020 and its importance (26.22-29.24).

Scholarly Article Informing this Production: Ferreira-Buckley, L.. (2013). "Remember the world is not a playground but a schoolroom": Barbara Jordan's early rhetorical education. Rhetoric, History, and Women's Oratorical Education: American Women Learn to Speak. 196-216. 10.4324/9780203073773.

Credits: This podcast was produced by Madeline Simpkins, Brianna Margo, Rose Torres, Brett Coulston and Gabby Ponds, with resources and assistance provided by the Digital Writing and Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. It features the voices of Linda Ferreira-Bickley, Gabby Ponds and Rose Torres. Music featured in this podcast, titled “commonGround,” was created by airtone and has been repurposed here under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial license 3.0. Additionally, conversation.wav was adapted and incorporated under Creative Commons 1.0 license.