Cedric Burrows joins ASU as an Associate Professor in the writing, rhetorics and literacies program in the Department of English. Prior to ASU, he was an Associate Professor of English at Marquette University. His research focuses on cultural rhetorics, specifically Black rhetoric and its interpretations by mainstream culture. His book Rhetorical Crossover: The Black Presence in White Culture (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2020) earned the 2021 David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English by the National Council of Teachers of English. His current research focuses on the reception of Black history narratives by mainstream audiences.
Ph.D. English, University of Kansas
M.A. English, Miami University (Ohio)
B.A. English, Alcorn State University
Cultural Rhetorics
Black Rhetoric
Civil Rights Rhetoric
Social Movement Rhetoric
Book
Rhetorical Crossover: The Black Presence in White Culture. University of Pittsburgh Press, October 2020.
Articles
"A Historical and Cultural Rendering of the Rhetoric of Disciplinary Crisis.” Composition Studies, vol. 50, no. 3, 2022, pp. 149-152.
Rasha Diab and Beth Godbee, and with contributions by Cedric Burrows and Thomas Ferrel. “Rhetorical and Pedagogical Interventions for Countering Microaggressions.” Pedagogy, vol. 19, no. 3, 2019, pp. 455-481.
“Writing While Black: The ‘Black Tax’ and the African American Graduate Student.” Praxis: A Writing Center Journal, vol. 14, no. 1, 2016, Web.
“The Yardstick of Whiteness in Composition Textbooks.” WPA: Writing Program Administration, vol. 39, no. 2, 2016, pp. 42-46.
“El-Hajj Malik E-Shabazz or Malcolm X: The Construction of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz’s Religious Identity in Composition Readers.” Journal of Africana Religions, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 31-43.
Book Chapter
“How Whiteness Haunts the Textbook Industry: The Reception of Nonwhites in Composition Textbooks.” Rhetorics of Whiteness: Postracial Hauntings in Popular Culture, Social Media, and Education. Edited by Tammie Kennedy, Joyce Irene Middleton, and Krista Ratcliffe, Southern Illinois University Press, 2017, pp. 171-181.
Review Essay
“Conversations in Great Time: The Dialogues of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” with Frank Farmer. Journal of Advanced Composition 33.3/4 (2013): 781-795.
Book Reviews
Ebony Magazine and Lerone Bennett Jr.: Popular Black History in Postwar America by James West. Reception: Text, Readers, Audiences, History, vol. 13, no. 1, 2021, pp. 121-124.
Fashioning Lives: Black Queers and the Politics of Literacy by Eric Darnell Pritchard. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, vol. 22, no. 3, 2019, pp. 483-485.
Origins of the Dream: Hughes’s Poetry and King’s Rhetoric by W. James Miller. American Literary Review, 2016, Web.
Annotated Bibliography
“Martin Luther King.” Oxford Bibliographies in American Literature. Ed. Paul Laute,. New York: Oxford University Press, updated 2022, Web.
Courses
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENG 205 | Intro to Writing, Rhet, Lit |
| ENG 556 | Theories of Literacy |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENG 390 | Methods of Inquiry |
| ENG 556 | Theories of Literacy |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ENG 393 | Theories of Literacy |
| ENG 598 | Special Topics |
Outstanding Scholarship Award, Council of Writing Program Administrators, 2022
David H. Russell Award for Outstanding Research in the Teaching of English National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), 2021
Marquette University (2013-2023)
Teaching Fellow, Center for Teaching and Learning, August 2022-December 2022
Associate Professor of English, August 2021-May 2023
Assistant Professor of English, August 2014-July 2021
Writing Instructor, Upward Bound, June 2014-August 2014
Writing Instructor, Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, June 2014-August 2014
Visiting Assistant Professor, August 2013-May 2014
Washburn University
Lecturer, Department of English, August 2012-May 2013
University of Kansas
Lecturer, Department of English, January 2011-May 2012
First- and Second-Year English Administrative Intern, August 2010-May 2011
Writing Consultant, Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, June 2008-July 2013
Teaching Assistant, Department of English, August 2005-December 2010
Presentations/Panels
Keynote Speaker: "Reimagining the Public Image of Martin Luther King, Jr." Black History Month: Lunch and Learn Lecture, Wisconsin State Capitol, 2023.
Keynote Speaker: "Rethinking Martin Luther King and Diversity in a Post-2020 World." Milwaukee Area Technical College, 2023.
Presenter: “Crossover, R&B Music, and Dinah Washington.” Lecture Series. St. John’s on the Lake Retirement Community, 2022.
Presenter: “Words Matter: The Language of Inclusivity.” CBS/Viacom Diversity Week, 2021.
Panelist: “The Long Struggle: Resistance Movements Against Apartheid and Jim Crow.” Milwaukee Public Museum, 2021.
Panelist: “Systems of Racial Violence Discussion.” Milwaukee Public Museum, 2021.
Presenter: “DBLAC Reading Series Spring 2021, A Conversation with Dr. Cedric Burrows and Kwudjwa Osei.” Digital Black Lit and Composition., 2021.
Presenter: "Whitescripting and Afroplaining Reconstruction, Black Power, and Black Lives Matter.” Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse Department Writing & Rhetoric Across Borders Speaker Series. DePaul University, 2021.
Panelist: “Black Lives Matter: Workplace Edition.” The Public Relations Society of America’s Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, 2020.
Presenter: “Conversation Circle - Words Matter: Race and Rhetoric.” Association Forum, 2020.
Presenter: “The Black Vote.” Black History Month Celebration. Rockwell Automation, 2020.
Panelist: “Codeswitching: A Communication and Behavioral Strategy for Diverse Professionals.” Advancing Equity in Our University. Alverno College, 2020.
Media Interviews
“Marquette University Professor Shares Special Bond with Emmett Till on Teen's Birthday.” WTMJ, 2022: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/marquette-university-professor-shares-special-bond-with-emmett-till-on-teens-birthday
“Marquette Professor Hopes for Greater Diversity on University Faculties.” WTMJ, 2022: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/marquette-professor-hopes-for-greater-diversity-on-university-faculties
“The Costs of Crossover.” Marquette Discover, 2021: https://stories.marquette.edu/the-costs-of-crossover-bdff8041a627
“The Stories That We Tell Ourselves—And Others.” Marquette Arts & Science, 2021: https://issuu.com/marquetteu/docs/asc_magazine_2021_issu
“Crossing Over with Cedric Burrows.” Rhetoricity Podcast, 2021: https://rhetoricity.libsyn.com/crossing-over-with-cedric-burrows
“Q&A with Cedric Burrows about His New Book Rhetorical Crossover: The Black Presence in White Culture.” heart-head-hands.com, 2021: https://heart-head-hands.com/cedric-burrows-rhetorical-crossover/
“The Construction of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X in Composition Textbooks: Rereading Readers (2011).” NewBooks Network Podcast series on Malcolm X and Black Nationalism, 2021: https://newbooksnetwork.com/cedric-burrows-the-construction-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-and-malcolm-x-in-composition-textbooks-rereading-readers-2011 c
“Martin Luther King Holiday.” Black Nouveau. Milwaukee PBS, 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjQYnbcROHU
“‘Words Matter': Marquette's English Course Reimagined to Focus on Diversity and Racial Justice.” WTMJ-TV, 2022: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/words-matter-marquettes-english-course-reimagined-to-focus-on-diversity-and-racial-justice
“Here are Some Commonly Used Terms That Actually Have Racist Origins.” ABC News, 2020: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/commonly-terms-racist-origins/story?id=71840410
“Responding to Inequalities: Common Words or Phrases with Racist History.” WTMJ-TV, 2020: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/responding-to-inequalities-common-words-or-phrases-with-racist-history
“Juneteenth.” WTMJ Nights w/ Doug Russell. WTMJ Radio, 2020: https://wtmj.com/wtmj-nights/2020/06/18/wtmj-nights-w-doug-russell-06-18-20/
“Milwaukee Protests Continue into Monday Night Following the Death of George Floyd.” WDJT-TV, 2020: https://www.cbs58.com/news/milwaukee-protests-continue-into-monday-night-following-the-death-of-george-floyd
“Martin Luther King: The Dreamer and the Radical.” Milwaukee Public Radio, 2020: https://www.wuwm.com/race-ethnicity/2020-01-20/martin-luther-king-jr-the-dreamer-and-the-radical