Performing critical interruptions: Stories, rhetorical invention, and the environmental justice movement

Abstract

Warren County, NC, is the birthplace of the environmental justice movement. This study argues that the discursive efforts of Warren County residents have, in Farrell's words, “critically interrupted” two stories that frame their ongoing environmental struggle. By examining the inventional resources communities possess, I conclude, rhetorical scholars more fully may appreciate the ways in which citizen groups are able to reframe the narratives that sustain oppressive environmental conditions. This investigation challenges the referent of Warren County as solely an “origin,” offers insights into evaluating the “success” of a movement, and encourages environmental communication scholars to further explore environmental justice.