Darnell/USHDue: 5/23

American Egalitarian Symposium: Measuring the Degree of Existing Equality

Introduction:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.”

--Thomas Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress Committee, The American Declaration of Independence, 1776

The American experiment in republican government has been about achieving this self-evident truth that “all men are created equal.” Our symposium is an opportunity for us to evaluate our effort to establish an egalitarian society.

Toward this end, you will research one of the historical figures listed below and portray the character’s perspective at a national press conference.

Historical Figures:

Non-violent ReformistsMilitant ReformistsTraditionalists

  1. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  2. Thurgood Marshall
  3. Betty Friedan
  4. Justice Lewis Powell
  5. Michael Harrington
  6. Jackie Robinson
  7. Linda Brown
  8. J.D. Shelley
  9. James Meredith
  10. Ella Baker
  11. Franklin McCain
  12. Elizabeth Eckford
  13. Caesar Chavez
  14. Dolores Huerta
  15. Fred Korematsu
  16. Ed Roberts
  17. Maggie Kuhn
  18. Jeanne Manford
  19. Yuri Kochiyama
/
  1. Malcolm X
  2. Stokely Carmichael
  3. Bobby Seale
  4. Elijah Muhammad
  5. Dennis Banks
/
  1. Clarence Thomas
  2. Phyllis Schlafly
  3. Allan Bakke
  4. Thomas Sowell
  5. Ward Connerly
  6. Louis D. Kraemer
  7. Eugene “Bull” Connor
  8. Virgil Blossom
  9. Orval Faubus

Step 1:Historical Figure Research Focal Points

  1. Personal background
  2. Relevant historical issue
  3. Perspective on historical issue
  4. Actions taken related to historical issue
/
  1. Contrarian perspectives
  2. Related historical conflicts/controversies
  3. Historical significance/contributions/impact

Step 2:Symposium Critical Thinking Inquiries (Answered from the perspective of your historical figure)

  1. Which American ideal is the most important and why?
  2. Has the United States lived up to its founding ideals?
  3. What should equality look like in American society?
  4. What level of equality exists today in American society?
  5. Does the federal government have an obligation to alleviate poverty in America?
  6. Is it the responsibility of the individual, state government or federal government to alleviate discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, etc.?
  7. Are Affirmative Action programs necessary today?
  8. Is militant action a justifiable reform strategy?
  9. What reform strategy in American history has been more successful, militancy or non-violence? Why?
  10. What future steps are necessary to further strengthen American egalitarianism?

Step 3:Symposium Preparation

  1. Historical Figure Research (See above)
  2. Answers to the Critical Thinking Inquiry questions from the perspective of your historical figure (See above)
  3. Press Questions
  4. Create three critical thinking questions your historical figure would want to ask one of the other panel members
  5. Provide detailed written answers to the questions from the perspective of the targeted panel member
  6. Yes, this means you will have to do some level of research on the “other” historical figure to understand their perspective answers
  7. Yes, all three questions can be targeted to one historical figure in a panel group other than the group you were assigned

Symposium Participation:

  1. All parts of project must meet High Work Quality Characteristics!!!
  2. Dress in costume related to historical figure
  3. Wear name-tag with historical figures name
  4. Act in character of your historical figure
  5. Minimum expectation for passing grade:
  6. Ask at least one press question to a panel member
  7. Answer at least one press question from the perspective of your historical figure

Project Scoring:45 pts

  1. Historical Figure Researchup to 5 pts
  2. Historical Figure Answers to Symposium Questionsup to 5 pts
  3. Press Questions and Answersup to 10 pts
  4. Symposium Participation
  5. Dress and name-tagup to 3 pts
  6. Character Portrayalup to 2 pts
  7. At least 1 Question Answeredup to 10 pts
  8. At least 1 Question Posedup to 10 pts

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