Topic: Lenny Zakim: A Local Hero
Working Thesis Statement: (Don't worry if it feels a little clunky.)
Although he grew up in a tight knit family with a strong Jewish identity, it was the relationships that Lenny Zakim made across cultural lines that enabled him to become a powerful advocate for the poor and all minorities.
Outline for Paper
To figure out the main ideas and sections of you argument as you construct your outline, look closely at your thesis. If it's a good thesis, it will tell you how to pattern your essay.
I like students to develop outlines by writing Topics Sentences for each of your Body Paragraphs: (These should be complete sentences that show BOTH the main point of the paragraph and how one point will flow into the next.)
Thesis: Although he grew up in a tight-knit Jewish family, Lenny Zakim's relationships across cultural lines enabled him to become a passionate advocate for all minorities.
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Introduction Ideas: Boston's History of Intolerance...(end intro with thesis)
Section I. Childhood
A. Lenny Zakim grew up in Clifton, New Jersey where he first encountered anti-semitism
B. Determined to improve perceptions of Jews, he embraced the ideas of hard work, especially in sports, and civil rights and activism.
C. As a teen he participated in a number of efforts to help the disadvantaged.
D. At the Age of 17, he took a trip to Israel that helped forge his identity and changed his life.
Section II. Coming of Age
A. In college he embraced student politics and did more volunteer work with the poor.
B. When Lenny settled in Boston after graduating from law school, he began a career in politics that helped him become an even more effective activist.
C. In 1984 he became the director for the Anti-Defamation League, but he was also concerned about the plight of Blacks in Boston.
D. Lenny Zakim and the Rev. Charles Stith founded an annual Black-Jewish Seder in Boston which inspired many interfaith Seders with Catholic, Protestant and Jewish participants in Boston and nationally.
Section III. The Legacy
A. In 1994, he was diagnosed with terminal bone marrow cancer, but he didn't stop fighting bias.
B. Despite personal hardship, he founded The Lenny Zakim Fund, which fought urban poverty and brought different cultural groups together.
C. (What's missing here?)
D. During his life, he received many honors for his hard work, including one from the Pope.
Conclusion Idea: Lenny Zakim spent his adult life building bridges and being a crusader against bias, so it is fitting that Boston's grandest bridge is named after him.