Question Description
Part 1
While we most often think of the fight for civil rights in this country having largely taken place in the 1950s and 1960s, the fight for civil rights in this country is still very much alive.Find a current event article related to a current struggle for civil rights in this country.(Remember, there is a big difference between civil liberties and civil rights, so be sure to understand the difference.)Here are the guidelines:
a.Choose an article from a newspaper source. I do ask that this be an article from a newspaper and NOT from just any online site such as msnbc.com~ most newspapers are accessible online for free.If in doubt, ask Google.
b.While using a local paper such as the Austin American?Statesman or the Dallas Morning News is fine, I encourage you to branch out to newspapers that you may not ordinarily read such as The Washington Post and the New York Times. You may also want to look at other community newspapers to provide a different perspective, i.e. New Orleans Times Picayune, Miami Harold, San Francisco Bee, Boston Globe, or perhaps the community where you grew up.
c.Your article should be no older than 7 days.
d. Please include the name of the newspaper, the title of the article, and the date on which the article appeared, on the heading of your paper.
e.Please include a url (web address) or scanned copy of the article.
f.What to write about? Well, in a few sentences tell me what the main point of the article is (the point of this assignment is not to regurgitate the article to me, so please only give me a 3-5 sentences about the article). The rest (most important part) of the paper should explain its relation to civil rights and why you feel this is an important issue (or not).
g.You are required to write 1-2 pages? typed, double space, 12 font, regular margins, blah blah blah
h. Grading criteria for current event assignments is as follows:
Format:
Proper heading .5 pt
Included url/scanned copy of article .5 pt
Current article (no more than 7 days old) .5 pt
Used a proper source (newspaper) – .5 pt
Length/other directions (margins, spacing, font, etc) .5-1 pt
Content:
Brief description of article 1 pt
Relation to topic 1.5 pt
Importance of topic to American politics 1 pt
Part 2
Option 2: Code Switch Podcast- Location Location Location – explores housing discrimination and the effects of redlining.
NOTE: This podcast contains a bad word (more details on the handout).
https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=601131468:601396049
Code Switch: Location! Location! Location!
(April 11, 2018; 35 min)
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch
NOTE: This podcast contains language that some listeners will find offensive. More specifically, they play a clip of a Chris Rock bit and he drops the f-bomb.
1)Historically, what has been the importance of home ownership in the US?
2)What was the point of the National Housing Act of 1934?
3)What is redlining?
4)What happened in redlined neighborhoods?
5)How did the assassination of MLK, Jr create momentum for the passage of the Fair Housing Act?
6)What is the purpose of the Fair Housing Act?
7)What was behind the idea of affirmatively furthering fair housing initiative of the Obama administration?
8)Why werent fair housing laws enforced more vigorously? Whats happening under the current administration?
9)What are some long term effects of housing discrimination that we see in our communities today?
10)Across the nation, how many streets are named after MLK, Jr? Whats the reputation of those streets?
11) What is a border vacuum?
12)Whats the difference between Mt. Vernon and Harlem Park in Baltimore?
13)Describe whats happening in DeKalb county in Georgia?
14)What are the reasons communities like Sandy Springs give for wanting cityhood?
15)What has been the impact on black communities in unincorporated DeKalb county?
16)Why are some people in the black community reluctant to incorporate?
17)Can you identify any examples of how housing disparity has impacted your own community? Can you identify a border vacuum?
