For Discussion #3, you will need to write a two-part response to the first several chapters of Kendi’s book (his Intro, and Chapters 1, 2, and 3). (See the Week #3 Overview Page for a review of What to Look For in each chapter.)

Part 1:

Write a personal response, describing either your own “origin story” and your own family background, or describe an early episode in your life in which you experienced “race consciousness,” or your own awareness of your own cultural identity.

Part 2:

Extend the discussion with research on one of the topics, events, or people mentioned in Kendi’s Intro or in Chapters 1, 2, or 3, or do some research on the history of your own cultural group. (You should use sources other than Wikipedia for your research.)

Some possible research topics from Kendi’s book: Stonewall Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies, Plessy v. Ferguson and Jim Crow segregation, Black Liberation Theology, Stokely Carmichael, the Great Migration, the Reagan-era war on drugs, the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, W.E.B. Du Bois, Portugal and the slave trade of the 1400s, Henry the Navigator.

• Both parts of the write-up should relate in some way to Kendi’s first few chapters. You should be making connections with the reading in each section.
• Your write-up should include three quotes, minimum, from the first few chapters of Kendi, as well as three quotes, minimum, from your research.
• Be sure to include a Works Cited list (in MLA format (Links to an external site.)) at the end for any sources used in your research.
• Remember to cite your sources within your write-up for any quoted or paraphrased data or ideas from research.

(Approx. 450-500 words; more is fine.)