Be sure to use course material to formulate your answers. You should use at least one quote or example from the reading or films. Relevant course material may include Jones, “The Level of Racism”; Brodkin, “How Jews Became White Folks”; Race: The Power of an Illusion, Episode 3 The House We Live In; Lopez, “Segregated by Design”, or the recommended readings.
Answer one of the following:
1. Central to the concept of the American Dream is the notion that anyone who works hard enough will be rewarded – that anyone can “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.” How has this been made more difficult for people not defined as white? Give specific examples from course material. What is the long-term impact of this
denial?
OR
2. John A. Powell observes, “Most of the benefits can be obtained without ever doing anything personally. For whites, they are getting the spoils of a racist system, even if they are not personally racist.” Talk about the difference between personal racism, where beliefs or actions of an individual reflect prejudice or result in discrimination, and institutional racism, where people benefit or are disadvantaged without necessarily doing anything themselves. Give specific examples. How might people address institutional racism?
please see below for the readings and video:
Segregated by Design:
https://www.segregatedbydesign.com/
The Power of an Illusion, Episode 3 The House We Live In:
The Level of Racism, Jones:
https://internal.simmons.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Jones-Article.pdf
How Jews Become White Folks:
https://nelsonssociology101.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/1/6/26165328/jews.pdf
