As you can see, there is a LOT to do this week. Assume that getting through this entire list may take you all the way till next Monday. However, before our Zoom call on Wednesday, September 2nd, please make sure that you have read/watched/listened to the first three items on our list. You can find links to all of the texts under the “texts” heading at the top of our home page.
1.What – Listen to a short interview with Bridgett Davis that aired on NPR last winter: “Who Ran the Numbers Racket? Mom”
Why – To conclude your exploration of Davis’ memoir and to connect her story of her mother to our semester’s focus on politics, democracy, and personal engagement.
How – As you listen to the interview and reflect on your reading of The World According to Fannie Davis, think about how Davis’ very personal story connects or intersects with larger stories in American history. Please identify one example of how Davis’ story is affected by external historical, political, or societal events. Please come to class on Wednesday prepared to share your example.
2.What – Watch George Takei’s TED talk, entitled “Why I Love a Country That Once Betrayed Me”
Why – To learn how Takei’s family history has affected his own ideas about America and about patriotism.
How – In addition to watching Takei’s TED talk, you might want to google him, so that you can have a fuller sense of who he is. How do you think Takei’s family’s experience during WWII shaped his political and ideological views? Did anything surprise you about Takei’s story?
3.What – Read “Chameleon”, a chapter from the South African comedian’s autobiography, Born a Crime.
Why – To begin to think about how our childhood experiences shape our beliefs and political outlooks in preparation for beginning our own personal narratives next week.
How – As you read, please think about what Trevor Noah’s childhood experiences taught him about race, identity, and navigating difference. How might we use his experience and reflections as a way to think about race and identity in America? Please select a line or passage in “Chameleon” that seems to you to be particularly important and have it ready to share when we meet on Wednesday. Make sure that you have “Chameleon” accessible to you before you log on to our Zoom call!
4.What – Read Angie Cruz’s essay, “What We Deserve.”
Why – To think about how Cruz’s family history shapes her reaction to the separation of migrant children from their families today.
How – How does Cruz organize her essay? What does she accomplish by setting up her essay this way? How are her contemporary political views connected to her personal family history?
5.What – Read Caitlin Flanagan’s essay “I Believe Her”
Why – This gives us yet another way of thinking about how our own lived experiences shape the way we view the world. How are the personal and the political linked in this essay?
How – How does the fact of Flanagan sharing her own personal story change the way we think about her political views, in this case, her opinion about Justice Brett Kavanaugh?
6.What – Compose a written response to any one of the texts assigned this week. In order to receive credit, your response must be a minimum of 350 words and must be posted to our blog (as a new post) by Monday, September 7th. Please respond to the following prompts:
-Identify the text you’re writing about and provide a brief description of it.
-What are the central issues raised by this text?
-In this text, how are the personal and the political connected?
-Include a quotation from the text and describe its significance.
-What made you choose this text? How can you connect it to your own experience or to issues that are important to you?
