Ethnic Studies 101
American Ethnic Studies
ESSAY 2
Based on your reading of Takaki chapter 13, Canvas Readings 12, 13 and 14, address
the following questions in your essay:
1) Based on your reading in Takaki, in your own words compare the
experiences of African Americans who migrated to Chicago and Harlem, NY
during the Great Migration. What racial challenges did African Americans
face in Chicago and how did they address them? What intellectual and
cultural movements in Harlem helped to foster “Black pride”? Do you feel
life in the North was an improvement over life in the South? Support your
analysis using examples raised in the text.
2) Based on your reading of “Rights, Power, and Equality” (Canvas Reading
12), in your own words summarize and compare the confrontation in
Birmingham, Alabama and the Movement in Mississippi during the Civil
Rights Movement. How were the approaches to activism utilized in
Birmingham and Mississippi different? Which approach do you believe was
more effective? Based on your reading of “Challenging the Politics of
Spokesmanship” (Canvas Reading 13), what form of leadership was
embraced by Ella Baker and SNCC? Why did they feel that form of leadership
was more effective? What form of leadership do YOU feel was more effective
during the Civil Rights Movement – “top-down” or “bottom-up” – and why?
Support your analysis using examples raised in the readings.
3) Summarize, in your own words, Stokely Carmichael’s argument regarding
the justifications for “Black Power” in Canvas Reading 14. Do you agree with
his position? What connections do you see between the call for “Black
Power” and the current movement of #BlackLivesMatter? Support your
analysis using examples raised in the text.
GRADING:
The essay is worth 25 points. To receive full credit, you must address all of the
questions listed in all three parts.
The essay must be 800 words minimum and must have an introduction and a
conclusion. Essays under 800 words of text will receive a zero. The paper must be
typed in 12 font in any standard academic font, double-spaced, and have one-inch
margins. Make sure you put your name on your essay!!
You are not to cut and paste from the text and you are not to use outside sources.
The essay is to be written in your own words, including any examples from the
readings that you use. If you choose to use a direct quote from the readings, it should
only be used to back up a point that you are making. Make sure that you cite where in the
readings you received your information (e.g. Takaki, p. 15). If you take any information
from a source and do not cite it, this is plagiarism. If any plagiarism is detected, the
essay grade will be an automatic zero…no exceptions!! You are also to have a work
cited page listing the sources used. (This will NOT count toward the 800-word minimum!!)
This essay is a formal writing assignment. In addition to the quality of the content (e.g.
the soundness of your argument), pay close attention to grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and paragraph structure. PROOFREAD!! USE SPELL CHECK!! Read
your essay out loud to yourself before you submit it. If it does not make sense to you,
IT WILL NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME!! If there are grammatical errors, spelling errors,
and/or poorly constructed paragraphs, points will be deducted from your grade.
This is due Wednesday, March 30 by the beginning of class. You are to email me
your essay in either PDF or Word. DO NOT SUBMIT THROUGH GOOGLE DOCS!!!
Late essays will receive a maximum of 12 out of 25 points.
As stated in the syllabus, failure to submit the essay will result in a course grade
of ‘F’….no exceptions!!
