Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Primary Major
Music
Second Major
Political Science
Thesis Advisor
Alison Howard, MA
Abstract
Black Americans are disproportionately affected by gun violence. In fact, in 2022 Black Americans were projected to be ten times more likely than White Americans to die by gun homicide.1 One of the responsibilities of Congress is to represent people within their district by developing and voting on legislation that protects constituents by making their communities safer. It is the responsibility of Congress to address the issue of gun violence because it is an issue that jeopardizes the safety of many American communities, as there are roughly 100,000 victims of gun violence each year.2 Research has shown that the race of a Congressional member impacts how they frame issues that constituents face in their districts, especially issues that disproportionately affect minority groups. Most scholarship focuses on whether minority Congressional officials are more concerned with minority issues. Through researching Black Congressional members’ communication surrounding gun violence, this thesis will fill a gap in the literature by focusing on how Black Congressional members specifically frame the issue of gun violence, an issue that disproportionately affects Black American citizens. This thesis asks the question of how members of the 117th Congress, who identify as Black, frame the issue of gun violence? Using content analysis, this thesis analyzes speeches, press releases, and Twitter posts published by Black members of the 117th Congress. The results of this thesis suggest that Black Congressional members are more likely to frame the issue of gun violence as it pertains to the Black community if they represent an urban district that suffers from gun violence at a higher rate than the national average. This thesis contributes to the literature about how racial identity affects how elected officials frame issues, specifically issues that pose more of a threat to people of color.