Overview: This assignment asks you to use the readings we have done thus far to respond to one of the prompts listed on the second page. Papers are worth twenty percent of your final grade.
Researching the Paper: You do not need to conduct any outside research to complete this paper. Your essay should cite and quote from at least three (3) readings from our course in support of your argument. At least two of these readings must be from the read-at-home portion of the syllabus, while one can be chosen from our in-class work with primary sources.
Writing the Paper: Your paper should have a title, a clear introduction, a thesis statement, several paragraphs with examples supporting your thesis, and a conclusion that restates your argument and offers final thoughts on the connections between past and present. Please make sure to put your paper through at least one round of revision, either by yourself or with the help of a friend or tutor. Re-reading and re-writing will make your argument, and essay, stronger.
Formatting the Paper: Please format your papers in Times New Roman or a similar font, 12- point and double-spaced (or a rough equivalent). Please make sure your paper has your name, a clear title, and page numbers. Citations can be in any format you like, but they must be clear and consistent. Papers should be approximately four double-spaced pages (at least 1,000 words).
ESSAY PROMPT
In The Education of Blacks in the South, James Anderson writes: “Both schooling for democratic citizenship and schooling for second-class citizenship have been basic traditions in American education. These opposing traditions were not, as some would explain, the difference between the mainstream of American education and some aberrations or isolated alternatives. Rather, both were fundamental American conceptions of society and progress, occupied the same time and space, were fostered by the same governments, and usually were embraced by the same leaders.” In your own words, what does Anderson mean by this, and do you agree? Give examples to support your argument.