Umoja English 4 Fall 2017

Umojians, Here are two pieces you need to listen to and read. One is "Malcolm X Prospects of Freedom in 1965" (Jan. 7, 1965)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m2E4UCD0Vs The other is an article that looks back on Baldwin's legacy and situates The Fire Next Time,   written by Henry Louis Gates Jr., entitled, "From the Stacks: The Fire Last Time"  https://newrepublic.com/article/114134/henry-louis-gates-james-baldwin-fire-last-time You are reading/listening to these pieces in the context of the second half of Baldwin's text and along with the so-called debate, that we listened to in class Monday 10/23 Malcolm X and James Baldwin, Sept. 5, 1963  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JIp9_IIV3s Keep in mind that the dates matter, Baldwin and X in 1963 (the year The Fire Next Time was published) kept evolving their thought over time. Read and view by Wednesday

English 4 Umoja Fall 2017 This essay will be a close reading focused on the first half of the book, up to page 47, where there is a break in the text. The question: Where does Baldwin leave us, the readers, when he concludes this section by saying, "If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of him"(47)? Part of figuring out an answer to this question is by retracing Baldwin's argument up to this point, which is focused on himself, America, white people, the Black church, the ghetto, Western Civilization, morality, the frailty of human beings, the culpability of white people who continue to benefit from a legacy of oppression and the abuse of power, and always the future which means our children. You should pull out particularly strong or complex or thought provoking quotes from the first half of the book and as you open up the meaning or implicati...

Choose 1 article or news report and analyze how the reporting frames the issue of kneeling during the national anthem. Every news account has a frame, a rhetoric, whether you agree, disagree, or are critical about. As you write your piece, you should also include your own perspective on the meaning of this mass kneeling, of athletes exercising their platform as superstars, of the NFL, the owners, the President using this as a moment to stoke the fire of the "culture war" going on in the US. Is this for real or just a distraction? 2-3 pages, be very direct, cite your sources, have a short intro with thesis. Due midnight Oct. 7th. Post on your blog. Here is the link I sent in an email on Monday: https://www.democracynow.org/ shows/2017/9/25?autostart=true

Essay Assignment DACA deWit Fall 2017 This week, you will write your first essay in Umoja 4. We are focusing on something that is extremely current and core to American politics. You are mostly going to self-teach, meaning research this subject; I will partner you with two other students in the class and you can teach each other. You can submit a single shared essay or submit your own, your choice Essay Assignment Take a position on DACA (also including ending DACA). Include references to your research. You should include both your own perspective as well as some of the politics surrounding DACA. 4-5 pages typed, 1" margins due 9/22/2017, midnight, share on your blogger as a link to a google docs

deWit Umoja  Fall 2017 Assignment on DACA You need to go do research on DACA over the weekend. You should read and listen to as much as you can to wrap your mind around the issue. I am assigning this for two reasons: it is relevant and urgent, and I want you to ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS. The questions will lead to the understanding. There will be a quiz on Monday, in first 5 minutes of class, to check your knowledge. Here are the specifics of your assignment Read/listen to at least 6 sources. Create a Works Cited page and record your sources Write a 1/2 page summary about what DACA is. Then, for now, ask a lot of questions --questions that come up for you as look into DACA, questions that you need answered to have a deeper understanding of the issue, questions that raise how DACA relates to you personally and politically. You should have a whole page of questions, try to put them in some order, either by category, or by significance. Due Sept. 11, print out and br...