Lesson 3: Racism

"I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before You Begin...

The following texts were written between 1950 and 1983. This is important to keep in mind as you are reading through because the values of society at the time might have changed compared to the values of society today. As you are reading, think about whether or not these pieces could still be relevant or accurate today. Has the treatment and rights of racial minorities improved over time?

Poems by Langston Hughes

Guided Reading Questions:

1. What does the recurring theme of America mean? Who is Hughes directing his poems towards?

2. What common mood and tone are shared amongst his poems?

3. In “I, Too”, what does Hughes mean by “They’ll see how beautiful I am / And be ashamed”? Who will be ashamed and why?

4. In “I, Too”, are the table and kitchen metaphors for something larger? Explain your thoughts.

5. In, “Let America be America Again”, why is “America never was America to me” in brackets? What do they mean by that statement?

6. How do you feel about Hughes’ writing?

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"Poison" by Roald Dahl

Guided Reading Questions:

1. Where does this story seem to take place?

2. Describe the characters Harry Pope, his friend and Dr. Ganderby. List their characteristics.

3. On the surface, what is the “poison” in the story that is referred to in the title?

4. What is another, deeper meaning, of the title? This is brought out through a twist late in the story.

5. What is the theme of this story as it relates to social justice issues?

"The Reunion" by Maya Angelou

Guided Reading Questions:

1. Describe the two main characters, Beth and Philomena. What is their relationship?

2. What does the narrator mean by, “My fingers found the places between the keys where the blues and the truth lay hiding”?

3. Does Philomena’s perception of Beth change towards the end of the story after their conversation? Why or why not?

4. In Philomena’s opinion, why will she always be the “song struggling to be heard”?

5. Who is Philomena crying for in the end?

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"I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Guided Reading Questions:

1. In one sentence, summarize what MLK, Jr.’s dream is.

2. Choose 5 quotations from this speech that you think are significant. Explain why you chose each one.

3. Why do you think this speech was so successful and powerful? Imagine being in the crowd hearing this speech. How do you think you would feel and how do you think the crowd would respond?

Journal Response

Reflect on what you've read on the topic by completing a journal entry. For this section, complete a double entry journal (example below) with at least 10 quotes from the texts that illustrate racism in some way. Explain how this relates to social justice.

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