L18: Race in 2012: Are We A Post-Racial America?
Equality and Hierarchy: The African American
Experience
Agenda
Objective:
1. To evaluate whether
we live in a postracial America in
2012.
Schedule:
1. Group Discussion,
Analysis, and Digital
Collage
Homework:
Consult Unit Schedule.
Reminder:
1. Sign Up for
Interview
2. Unit Test (Tan = Mon;
Red & Blue = Tues)
Defining Post-Racial
• To describe America as a post-racial society is to
see that the nation has become devoid of racial
preference, discrimination, and prejudice.
• Some Americans believe that the election of
Barack Obama signifies that the nation has
become post-racial.
• Others believe that the continuation of race-based
violence like the Trayvon Martin case, or the use
of racist language in the recent presidential
campaigns, proves we have not moved beyond
race as a meaningful source of social distinction.
Do We Live in a Post-Racial
America?
• Your task for today will be to evaluate whether we live in a postracial America.
• Specifically you will…
– Break up into groups of 4-5
– Explore and discuss the question of whether we live in a post-racial
society.
• Visit major news websites to get a sense of their take: CNN, MSNBC< Fox, Rush
Limbaugh, etc.
– Write a paragraph answering the above question
• You must have a thesis statement and 3 pieces of specific evidence
– Create a digital collage of your argument & evidence.
• Random Side Note:
– Check out this segment from MSNBC’s Politics Nation
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755884/ (Inside the GOP Playbook)
– Host Rev. Al Sharpton talks about the emergence of the “Southern
Strategy” among conservatives and how segregationist language
became replaced with language about law and order and welfare --how coding for race emerges. It is relevant to our discussion of The
New Jim Crow