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A look at race and how it has been perceived throughout history.
A look at race and how it has been perceived throughout history.
Categorizing People by Race
Look at these clips
- Think you can categorize people by race by just looking at them? Try this.
- Now answer these questions.
Answer these questions.
You will see a woman named Bliss Broyard looking at some of her family photographs.
Determine the race of the family in the photograph.
Determine what Bliss Broyard learned about her father that she didn't know before.
How is it possible that Bliss did not know of her father's black ancestry?
Determine what the choices were for "color" on the Social Security Card application Anatole Broyard filled out.
How did Anatole Broyard answer the "color" question on the form?
Have you ever had to indicate your race on a form?
What kinds of forms collect information on race?
How many of these seven African Americans can trace 100% of their ancestry back to Africa (rather than to Europe, Asia, or to Native American populations)?
Listen for Chris Rock's definition of a black person. What is it?
Determine why Tom Joyner prefers terms like "black" and "African American" to various other terms used to describe Americans with African heritage.
After watching Barack Obama's speech, what are your thoughts about his ideas about rationalizing race in this country?
The Assignment:
Looking ahead to the year 2050, should we continue to keep track of race in the U.S. Census and other official surveys using categories such as 'black' and 'white?'
Write an essay that takes a stance on this question. It should be well supported by using examples, reasoning, and evidence.
In supporting your position, make reference to sources drawn from the activities of this lesson, including: systems of racial classification, historical examples of how the division of people into races has been used in this country, and stories of individual experience.
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