- Since its earliest days, the United States has aspired to be a society in which all men and women are equal. Throughout our history, we have struggled to achieve this ideal. But throughout our history, we have chosen to continue the struggle. Our political institutions have created a vast number of laws and institutions to help us achieve the goal of equality. (At least nine of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution address equality issues and the desire of the American people to achieve a more equal and just society.)
The conundrum of arguing for an equal society is defining what such a society would look like. How do we know when we have achieved the goal of a society where all men and women are equal? Using the course materials, with a focus on this phase's content, examine either gender or racial equality (or both). [If you would like to examine another category of equality, consult with your Instructor.]
Compose a ‘Letter to the Editor' (650 words) and an outline for your letter in which you describe the specific aspects and attributes of an equal society. Be certain to construct an argument that establishes credibility by founding it upon objective facts and credible sources. Remember, your job is to demonstrate learning based upon the assigned course materials. Reference at least three of the assigned articles from the course including one from a previous phase of the course.
- Review the following Required Reading Articles:
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, then Malcolm Little became Malcolm X after a conversion to an American form is the Islamic faith. In this speech as a "black nationalist" and a segregationist, Mr. X was the antithesis to Martin Luther King's integrationist, non-violent approach to Civil Rights. Mr. X echoes Frederick Douglas' ‘What is the Fourth of July' speech.
Watch It or Read It: The Ballot or the Bullet Malcolm X, 1964
Watch Video
Malcolm X - "The Ballot or the Bullet", Mind-Forged Manacles, 2015
Watch It or Read It: Gettysburg Address A Lincoln, 1863
The Weekend Interview with Walter Williams: The State Against Blacks Walter Williams, Wall Street Journal, 2011
Hopwood v. State Harvard University,1996
Gandhi's politics: The experiment with nonviolence Meneejeh Moradian & David Whitehouse, 2001
Constitution of the United States Review the amendments 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 15, 19, 24, and 26, The Charters of Freedom
OPTIONAL Research Articles:
King's Dream Remains Elusive Goal Pew Research Center, 2013
Race in America: Tracking 50 Years of Demographic Trends Pew Research Center, 2013
10 Findings about Women in the Workplace Pew Research Center, 2013
Women and Leadership Pew Research Center, 2015
Gender Gap in Jobs Outlook Widest in the Americas Gallup, 2014
What a single woman's income suggests about sex, contraception, and abortion rates Brookings, 2015
Respect and Dignity for Women Lacking in Latin America Gallup, 2014
On Pay Gap, Millennial Women Near Parity-For Now Pew Research Center, 2013