Compare and contrast segregationist, assimilationist, and antiracist thinking in American history. Explain which of these ideas were built into America’s social systems and institutions (e.g. state and federal government, justice system, economy and business, law enforcement, housing and property, health care, education, culture) and how significant American individuals exhibited or promoted these ideas in their own life.
Prompt: Compare and contrast segregationist, assimilationist, and antiracist thinking in American history. Explain which of these ideas were built into America’s social systems and institutions (e.g. state and federal government, justice system, economy and business, law enforcement, housing and property, health care, education, culture) and how significant American individuals exhibited or promoted these ideas in their own life.
Use evidence from Stamped, the “Seeing White” podcasts, and any other books or sources from the 1st semester. The evidence you introduce, cite and examine will be individuals (e.g. Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William L. Garrison, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B DuBois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Angela Davis) and institutional or systemic (e.g. significant documents, laws, events or movements: the Constitution, the 3⁄5 Compromise, 13th-15th Amendments, Reconstruction, KKK, Birth of a Nation, NAACP, UNIA, SNCC, Brown v. Board of Education, BLM).
As you organized your essay, use the outline below, keep in mind the chronology and compare & contrast logic of your argument in each paragraph, and use transitions. Your essay should be approximately four pages in length.
● Introduction
○ Briefly introduce the people, documents, events or movements you will discuss
○ Write a thesis statement comparing and contrasting segregationist, assimilationist, and
antiracist thinking in American history.
● Section
○ Claim answering question above
○ ICE example of an individual segregationist from history
○ ICE example of institutional/systemic segregation from history
○ transition
1 – How has segregationist thinking evolved in America?
● Section
○ Claim answering question above
○ ICE example of an individual assimilationist from history
○ ICE example of institutional/systemic assimilationism from history
○ transition
2 – How has assimilationist thinking evolved in America?
● Section
○ Claim answering question above
○ ICE example of an individual antiracist from history
○ ICE example of institutional/systemic antiracism from history
○ transition
● Conclusion – How do these three ideas manifest themselves in America today? ICE = Introduce, Cite and Explain Evidence from Stamped
Prof. Kendi’s Definitions:
● Race – a power construct of collected or merged differences that live socially.
● Racism – A powerful collection of policies that lead to inequality based on the social construct of
race
3 – How has antiracist thinking evolved in America?
● Racist- One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions or inaction or expressing a racist idea.
● Segregationist – One who is expressing the racist idea that a permanently inferior racial group can never be developed and is supporting policy that segregates away that group.
● Assimilationist- One who is expressing the racist idea that a racial group is culturally or behaviorally inferior and is supporting cultural or behavioral enrichment programs to develop that group
● Antiracist – One who is expressing the idea that a racial groups are equals and none needs developing, and is supporting policy that reduces racial inequality
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