Wallace S. Golding

Wallace Golding is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication studying rhetoric and public discourse. His research focuses on the history of Black activism in the United States, especially the ways that activists have used political language to define their identities and their relationship to the nation and to argue for changes in democratic practice and policy.

His dissertation investigates the rhetorical history of Black reparations arguments in the United States. The project analyzes the specific strategies used by those favoring reparations through time and evaluates how different arguments for and strategies favoring Black reparations define the centrality, history, and role of anti-Blackness to American public life.

Wallace teaches courses in public speaking, public writing, rhetorical criticism, and visual rhetoric. In the past, he has served as a peer leader for CMN 111/112 (Oral and Written Communication I/II) and as President of the Communication Graduate Student Association. In fall 2022, he helped launch the Speaking Center at Illinois, which provides free and personalized public speaking assistance to any Illinois student. He currently manages the Center and its small but growing staff.