1. “The Handicap of Definition”
A Rhetorical Analysis

2. In 1982 William Raspberry, a columnist for the Washington Post, wrote an opinion piece about the dangers of conforming to a narrow definition of one’s race called “The Handicap of Definition”.
In this article he argues that the definition of what it means to be black is too narrowly confined to success in athletics and entertainment and that the narrowness of this definition “handicaps” black children with the belief that they cannot be successful in fields more likely to lead to economic success.
The result is a generation of black kids who are doomed to failure when their careers as singers or athletes don’t materialize.
He begins his argument by defining what it means to be black followed by a discussion of the consequences of this definition. He moves on to consider the possibilities of a broader definition of blackness and concludes with a suggested solution to the problem: creating a broader and more positive cultural definition of blackness.

3. Raspberry begins by illustrating how the definition of blackness is too narrowly confined to success in athletics and entertainment.
His examples further suggest how deeply ingrained this limited definition is in our culture.
The article opens with Raspberry anticipating objections to his argument even before he starts.
“I know all about bad schools, mean politicians, economic deprivation and racism,” he concedes, but follows it with “Still it occurs to me that one of the heaviest burdens black Americans—and black children in particular—have to bear is the handicap of definition.”
Responding to these objections before he has even made his point establishes a knowledgeable ethos for Raspberry as one familiar with the typical arguments for black economic struggles and makes it clear that he has a more innovative take on an important issue.
He is not simply going reiterate tired old arguments about racism and bad schools; his audience will likely respond to this suggestion of a new approach from a trustworthy source with heightened interest.
Capitalizing on this momentum….

4. Capitalizing on this momentum, he explains what he means by the “handicap of definition and illustrates how narrowly defined blackness is in our culture with easily recognizable cultural references set up in parallel paragraphs.
One paragraph begins, “If a basketball fan says that the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird (3-time NBA MVP and 12-time NBA all-star) plays “black,” the fan intends it—and Bird probably accepts it—as a compliment.”
With the same syntax, Raspberry includes in the next paragraph a series of opposite examples: “Tell a white reporter that he writes “black” and he’ll take a writing course. Tell a white lawyer that he reasons “black” and he might sue you for slander.”
These cultural references illustrate how deeply held the belief that blacks are naturally talented in athletics and entertainment is in our culture by giving examples that no one would disagree with.
Additionally, the parallel structure of the positive and negative examples of blackness establishes the congruity of the two sides of the definition of blackness—positive and negative. If you accept one, you must accept the other.
Although the positive side appears to be a compliment, Raspberry’s syntax choice suggests that there is an inherent insult that it comes along with: the belief that other more mainstream avenues to success beyond athletics and entertainment—speaking and reasoning for example—are not things black people can be good at.
Completing this section of his argument….

5. Completing this section of his argument, Raspberry’s one sentence paragraph emphasizes the idea that “What we have here is a tragically limited definition of blackness, and it isn’t only white people who buy it.”
He follows this with a series of parallel examples illustrating how black kids taunt each other for engaging in activities typically considered white, suggesting each is equally harmful.
“Trying to please a teacher might be criticized as acting ‘white.’ Speaking correct English is ‘white.’ Scrimping today in the interest of tomorrow’s goal is ‘white’.”
The repetition of the ends of each of these sentences builds to a climactic point: behavior that leads to economic success is considered by whites and black alike to be the sole territory of whites.
In this first section Raspberry not only explains how narrowly defined blackness is but illustrates how deeply rooted this belief is in our culture.