Race: Introduction; Hedwig Essay Prompt Due!

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Period 1:

20-minute writing/wrap up for Gender unit. Please complete your assignment draft from last class. See the previous post for details! Complete your essay draft and submit your essay draft as a test grade (and for your portfolio). Then, we'll hold a 10-15 minute discussion about chapter 1 of American War.

 Period Two: Race. What does Race mean to you? (5 minute reflection): [on a scale how important is race to you? Why study race in school/this class?; what are the biggest issues/problems facing races today?; who's on top or bottom, who's in, who's out? Personal experiences regarding race? Other?]

Race: Define it in your own words.
Ethnicity: Define it in your own words.
Minority: Define it in your own words.

Let's start with this crash course video: Race & Ethnicity: Crash Course Sociology. Take notes as a writer would--seek to pull out issues surrounding this topic that inspire/drive or interest you to examine the issue further. Consider what you can do creatively with the information you learn. 


Galton, (remember him?) the biological determinist who coined the idea of nature vs. nurture, supported the idea of eugenics: The belief (and practice) of improving the genetic quality of the human race through selective breeding, extermination, (or sterilization in some cases), separating the superior from the inferior. Eugenics was practiced in the US years before Hitler got his claws into the idea to exterminate the Jews (and others). During the Progressive Era, eugenics was seen as the best way to preserve and improve the dominant Hegemony in our population. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, the American eugenics movement received funding from various corporate foundations (the 1%) including the Carnegie Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation. The Eugenics record office (ERO) was located in Cold Spring Harbor, NY by Charles Davenport. The ERO was one of the leading organizations to promote eugenics in seeking a solution to the problem of the "unfit" members of our society.

Before we throw stones, even prominent Black scholars and writers like W.E.B. Du Bois and Thomas Wyatt Turner believed "the best blacks were as good as the best whites (the talented tenth) of all races should mix", the idea of which is supporting eugenics. W.E.B. Du Bois stated that "only fit blacks should procreate to eradicate the race's heritage of moral iniquity..." see article for more information. Even "Better Baby" contests were held.
  • Discuss
View any of the following today in the lab, or as homework, or for next class:
Short videos to consider as inspiration/knowledge for your writing. Watch, take notes, brainstorm ideas for stories, plays, poems, podcasts, scripts, essays, memoirs, speeches, etc.:
Things to research (in the lab, on your own, during this unit, etc.):
  • One drop rule
  • Better Baby contests
  • Beauty contests (& beauty pageant history)
  • Nature versus Nurture
  • Immigration
  • Jim Crow laws
  • The Negro Motorist Green Book 
  • Current events regarding immigration
  • Women in minority cultures/races
HOMEWORK: Write creatively about any topic of discussion today. Watch any video/speech/talk that you think might be of interest to you and view it if we didn't get around to it today.

Please read Chapter Two of American War.

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