Dunbar/Payne
Integrated Civics and Economics
Summer Reading Assignment
“You can judge a nation by the way it treats its most vulnerable citizens.” -Aristotle
“A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization.” -Samuel Johnson
Integrated Civics and Economics will begin with a close examination of the issue of race
in America. We’ll examine key events in America’s near history—like Ferguson, Eric
Garner, and the riots in Baltimore—and place these events in the larger historical
narrative of race relations in the United States. We’ll grapple with the difficult questions
raised by these events and consider what measures our government and civic institutions
can take to improve our society. You are encouraged to critically examine America and
form an opinion regarding how well you think our society has dealt with the issue of race.
Assignment: The following articles have been carefully selected to get you thinking about
the issue of race in America. Read each article and reflect. Record some thoughts about
how the content in each article challenges your assumptions about America. Also
consider how your background (socio-economics, religious beliefs, political affiliation,
experiences) seems to influence how you feel about the issue of race?
Allen, Jeff. A Letter to My Native Son, Elijah Nasir Allen, Firstborn.
http://www.theblueshiftjournal.com/#!allen/cqdv
Kang, Jay Caspian. ‘Our Demand Is Simple: Stop Killing Us.’
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/magazine/our-demand-is-simple-stop-killingus.html
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. The Case for Reparations.
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
Seitz, Matt Zoller. Different Rules Apply.
http://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/what-white-privilege-really-means-an-anecdote
Madrigal, Alexis C. The Racist Housing Policy that Made Your Neighborhood
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/05/the-racist-housing-policy-thatmade-your-neighborhood/371439/
Pulitzer Prize Winning Photograph taken during the Riots in Ferguson
(https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/pulitzers_breaking_news_photography.jpg)
(https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/pulitzers_breaking_news_photography.jpg)