Downloads

Teaching Materials and Web Links I

Teaching Materials and Web Links II

Teaching Materials and Web Links III

Section I: Supplemental Teaching Materials and Web Links

Instructor Supplemental Materials: Insurgent Nationalism

Pedagogical Objective: To provide online resources to enhance lectures, discussions, and assignments on Omi and Winant’s discussion on “insurgent nationalism” in Chapter 3 this information can also relate to discussions covering Chapter 6, “The Great Transformation.” This discussion is important in understanding how race is “rearticulated” during the 1960s because of the creations of collective identities and challenges put forth by non-white resistance and particularly the black movement in the U.S.

Materials to Consider:

Websites:

  • Malcolm X: Comprehensive website dedicated to Malcolm X and his work. Includes biography, photos, and film clips. http://www.malcolmx.com/
  • Black Panther Party: Current website provides information on the party’s history and current goals and objectives. http://www.blackpanther.org/

 

Online Videos/Documentaries:

  • The Black Power Mixtape: Footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement in the United States is edited together by a contemporary Swedish filmmaker. Available by purchase or university libraries.
  • Black Movements: Brief video clips from prominent black leaders during the civil rights struggle put together by PBS. http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/civil-rights-movement/#.U4OPsrQjR8E

In-Class Exercise: Comparing and Contrasting Paradigms on Race

Pedagogical Objective: To encourage students to examine and apply Omi and Winant’s discussion of ethnicity-, class-, and nation-based paradigms to their own lives and identities.

Exercise Rationale: One of the more difficult tasks in using this book is making sure students understand the distinctive differences between ethnicity-, class-, and nation-based paradigms even though they work with one another to create a complex understanding of race and racism in the United States. This in-class exercise will help students digest this topic by reflecting on their own identities based on what they view is their ethnicities, social class ranks, and nationalities.

Instructor Preparation:

  • Students will need to read Chapters 1 through 3 of Omi and Winant to be able to discuss the differences between these theoretical arguments about race and how it plays with their identities.

Exercise Instructions:

  • Have students break up into small groups of 4 to 5 people (or less) after reading Chapters 1 through 3.
  • Once they are in groups, have each take out a sheet of paper and draw three columns. At the top of each column, write one of the following words: ethnicity, class, and nation.
  • By themselves, each student should write down how they personally relate to each type of category. For instance, a student might write down that they are “German” for ethnicity, “middle class” for class, and “American” for nation.
  • After they have written this down, have each student then write down what are the indicators of each of these identities for them (i.e., clothing, skin color, language), as well as circle which one of the three indicators that best represents who they are.
  • Now that they have this information, have each student in their respective groups share their information and discuss why they chose one indicator over the other.
  • Then, have them discuss the following questions and write down the group’s answers to share with the class:
    • Do they have any common answers of which one of the above identities best describes them all?
    • Was there one answer that was different from everyone else and if so, why?
    • Do the students think that one is more important than the other in explaining their life chances in the U.S.?
    • Does race have anything to do with their dominant identity they picked? Why or why not?
    • Does race better explain who they are in comparison to three suggested identities?
    • How would Omi and Winant view these three identities and how they might hide or conceal the significance of race in the students’ lives?
  • Have the class discuss their experiences and the answers to their questions. The instructor may want to tally the number of responses as to which indicator best represented each student.
  • The instructor should relate this discussion at the end to whether these paradigms: (1) explain their students’ lived experiences in the U.S. and (2) whether they are appropriate in explaining race relations and racism in the U.S.?

 

In-Class Exercise: Immigration Debate

Pedagogical Objective: To encourage a critical dialogue on the current issues of immigration in the United States in relation to Omi and Winant’s discussion of the ethnicity-based paradigm of race.

Exercise Rationale: This in-class exercise provides students a chance to discuss immigration in the United States. Certainly, in their lifetimes, this has been a hot topic of debate and comes up in everyday conversations of whether to “secure the border,” “provide pathways to citizenship,” or just to notice the growing diversity in many of their communities or at least within the media. This exercise was adapted from a Taking Sides (2005) chapter written by David Cole and Peter Brimelow. 

Instructor Preparation:

  • You may need to look up some information on foreign-born populations concerning size, consistency, and current rates of undocumented and documented immigration to the U.S. Here are two website links to help with this: U.S. Census (http://www.census.gov/population/foreign/) and the Pew Hispanic Center (http://www.pewhispanic.org/).
  • Many times, this debate becomes a discussion about “illegal” versus “legal” immigration. This is a great chance to talk about how we racialize this discussion and who the U.S. sees at the problem based on ethnicity-based arguments of race and how this paradigm cannot explain why this often focuses solely on non-white populations since the 1960s.
  • The debate will also have clear overtones of structural racism and nativism in various institutions including the economy (loss of ‘American’ job opportunities and lower wages), criminal justice system (laws, policing, prison/detainment), education (whether or not to offer ESL and assistance to non-English-speaking students), and government programs concerning welfare, social security, and public health. These are great to refer back to when discussing current racial projects focusing on non-white immigrant groups.
  • To debrief, the instructor could show students an ongoing debate online on this exact topic by using the following website: http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-immigration-good-for-america.
  • NOTE: Instructors can alter the topic and scope of this debate in several ways. For example, you can make this debate more specific to whether students are for or against English-only language or if they believe more efforts should be made to create social integration programs for immigrants. 

Exercise Instructions:

  • Prepare students for this in-class exercise at least a class period in advance by having them do the following:
    • Have students split evenly or pick a side on the following question: Is immigration good or bad for America?
    • Inform them that you will have a debate next class and they should bring 3-to-5 facts to help support their positions on the questions. (You could have them type up and print these up with their names to give them credit for an in-class assignment.)
    • They should also read through Chapter 1 of Omi and Winant’s book so they can carry on a conversation about the notions of immigrant assimilation and incorporation into American culture.
  • At the next class meeting, have the room divide and face one another to do the debate.
  • The instructor should act as the moderator or facilitator and record arguments and responses on a white- or chalk-board for students to see their arguments play out.
  • Allow each side to take turns stating a fact to support their side and then the other to respond.
  • Somewhat departing from the traditional debate style, consider peppering the discussion with the following questions to relate this discussion to Omi and Winant’s points about ethnicity-based paradigms:
    • What standards of inclusion (assimilationism or pluralism/multiculturalism) are we placing on immigrants today?
      • Have these standards changed over time?
      • Are we truly a melting pot society?
      • Are we truly a "salad bowl" society?
      • Explain inequality in respect to immigration and inclusion.
    • Do your “facts” tend to use class-, ethnicity, or nation-based arguments to make their points about immigration being good or bad for America?
    • Does race have anything to do with this debate and who we see as “good” or “bad” for America?
      • Which immigrants are the examples of successful assimilation and being “good” for America? Which immigrants are the examples of unsuccessful assimilation and being “bad” for America?
    • Consider the phrase, "A nation of immigrants."  Does that label still apply to America? How have immigration's racial dimensions varied over historical time?
      • Compare immigration with colonialism.  How are they similar and how are they different? What relationship did early immigrants have with the original inhabitants of North America, the Indians or Native Americans?
      • What is the meaning of the term "nativism"?  To whom does that term apply today?  What relationship do immigrants have with citizens in America today?

 Writing Assignment: Compare and Contrast Paradigms Explaining Race in the U.S.

Pedagogical Objective: To evaluate student understanding of Omi and Winant’s explanations and critiques of ethnicity-, class-, and nation-based explanations of race and racism in the United States.

Assignment Rationale: It is important that students understand how these paradigms impact American understandings of these paradigms in explaining race and racism in the U.S. This writing assignment should be able to show student understanding of these arguments and more important, their expressions of the problems associated with these explanations in contrast to Omi and Winant’s racial formation theory.

Instructor Preparation:

  • Students completing this writing assignment should have read Chapters 1 through 4.
  • Instructors should also provide a lecture pointing out the main points of Chapters 1 and 4, as well as had some discussion on how the various paradigms compare and contrast with racial formation theory.
  • This writing assignment could be used as a 3-to-5 page “application” paper or as a mid-term, 5-to-6 page paper. Either way, sufficient time should be given for students to complete it by assigning two to three weeks before it is due.

Assignment Instructions (create an instructions document and grading rubric with the following in mind):

  • Students should pick one current event in the United States in which race seemed to an important variable in the outcome or at least understanding of what happened. In 2014, this could include the Trayvon Martin shooting, the Donald Sterling incident, recent “stop and frisk” laws, or the large deportation of undocumented immigrants during the Obama administration.
  • Taking this event, they should do the following for the sections of the paper:
    • Section 1: Provide a short but concise explanation of the event, explaining what happened and how the public responded to it. Provide at least two sources (scholarly or online news articles) for this section.
    • Section 2: Provide an explanation using one of the three paradigms (ethnicity, class, or nation) to explain why race matters in this situation and to point out any flaws in using the paradigm to explain this event.
      • To expand this assignment, you can require they relate the event to all three paradigms.   
    • Section 3: Using Omi and Winant’s racial formation theory, how would this event be interpreted differently? Provide at least three clear differences in interruption of how race matters in this event versus through the paradigm you selected above.
      • Again, you can expand this assignment by having students point differences to all three paradigms.
    • Section 4: Summarize the paper and provide a conclusion suggesting which explanation is more appropriate in your opinion; Omi and Winant’s racial formation theory or the paradigm you chose.

Section II: Supplemental Teaching Materials and Web Links

Instructor Supplemental Materials: Social Construction of Race in the U.S.

 

Pedagogical Objective: To provide online resources to enhance lectures, discussions, and assignments on the social construction of race in the United States (see Chapter 4). This discussion is important to aid in understanding the complexity and fluidity of assigning social meaning to create difference and inequality based on physical cues of the racial body.

Materials to Consider:

Websites:

  • Race – The Power of an Illusion: PBS information website that provides definitions and discussions of the social construction of race, a timeline on its construction and use in the U.S., discussions of the biology (and genetics) of race, and clips to a three-part documentary on race and racism in the U.S. A great activity included in this website is the “sorting people” activity that allows individuals to sort people based on pictures into the five racial/ethnic categories provided by the U.S. Census. It is a great way to see how one can be wrong in using physical features to determine racial classification. http://www.pbs.org/race/001_WhatIsRace/001_00-home.htm
  • Race – Are We So Different?: Website constructed by the American Anthropological Association on the discussion of race in America. Much like the PBS website, it discusses the history of race in the U.S., the questions on biology and genetics, and provides some personal stories about the lived experiences of race. http://www.understandingrace.org/home.html
  • Visualizing Race, Identity, and Change: National Geographic provides an interesting story and set of photographs to talk about the change of race and ethnicity due to diversity. Although it suggest that multiracial offspring is answer to the problems of race and racism, this site can lead to some interesting conversations about how this racial project of accepting diversity smashes against  or possibly perpetuates ideals of the “one drop rule,” anti-miscegenation, and scientific racism. http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/17/visualizing-change/
  • U.S. Census Projections: As suggested by Omi and Winant, U.S. Census projections that whites will no longer be the statistical majority by 2050 and that Latinos and other non-white groups will make up the majority of the population. This prediction has caused some public concern but it provides an important avenue to discuss whether racial categories are fluid and do not change. Below are several links to help build up a discussion on the U.S. Census concerning their projections:

 Videos/Documentaries:

  • PBS Race: The Power of an Illusion: Three-episode series on the social construction of race and its impact on the lived experiences of Americans. Some parts are on Youtube but it can be checked out at a university library as well. Here is a link to a description: http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-about.htm
  • White Like Me: Race, Racism, and White Privilege in America: A powerful documentary using Tim Wise’s work on white privilege and its impact on the discussions of race and racism in 21st century America. You can access through the following website to order as a DVD or stream: http://www.mediaed.org/whitelikeme/. Here is also a link to an interview with Tim Wise on the documentary to give some insight into its usefulness in class: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/51c476e0fe34444db000049b  
  • Black in America: CNN special reports and videos about blacks in 21st century America. Provides several insights into how race continues to matter as a social construction of difference for blacks across all American social institutions:http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/
  • Multiracial Identity: A documentary that highlights multiracial identity in the U.S., exploring the social, political, and religious impact of the multiracial movement. Great for discussing the idea of growing collective identities brought on by race as a master category of organization, difference, and resistance. Here is a link to a trailer for this documentary and it can be checked out through university libraries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6h3ySmC6TU  

In-Class Exercise: The Racialization of Social Behaviors and Interactions

 

Pedagogical Objective: To assist students in understanding and applying the concept of racialization to everyday situations and experiences.

Exercise Rationale: One of the more important points made by Omi and Winant’s racial formation theory is their explanation of racialization: “the extension of racial meaning to a previously racially unclassified relationship, social practice, or group” (p. 111). This in-class exercise requires students to consider how race influences our views of everyday experiences including views of sex, dancing, and even attending college.

Instructor Preparation:

  • Students will need to read Chapter 4 from Omi and Winant to learn about the concept of racialization.
  • The instructor should prepare a list of social behaviors and interactions that are common in our society and particularly common for college students. Below are some suggestions:
    • Having sex   
    • Shopping                                
    • Doing drugs
    • Stealing a car                    
    • Going to college                     
    • Eating chicken
    • Dancing                            
    • Playing basketball                  
    • Listening to hip-hop
    • Skydiving                         
    • Running a red light                
    • Playing beer pong
    • Eating sushi                      
    • Joining a fraternity/sorority    
    • Joining the debate team
    • Cheerleading                    
    • Jaywalking                             
    • Writing a poem
    • Bathing daily                   
    • Listening to bluegrass            
    • Taking a selfie
  • Once you have this list, make sure to create an overhead slide or write them up for the class to see as they work through the exercise.

Exercise Instructions:

  • Group students into small groups, having each student bring a piece of paper and writing utensil.
  • Show them the list of behaviors or interactions and tell the group to pick at least three they would like to explore and discuss.
  • With each behavior, have the group discuss and write down their answers to the following:
    • Describe the behavior or interaction in a sentence.
    • Describe at least three social norms or rules pertaining to this behavior.
    • Describe how each of the following racial/ethnic groups do this behavior?
      • Whites
      • Blacks
      • Asians
      • Hispanics
    • Are there any similarities or differences with this behavior across groups?
    • Which group does it “better” or does it more than the others?
    • Why doesn’t every group do it or at least do it in the same ways?
  • Giving the students 15 to 20 minutes to process this information, go around the room and have each group pick one behavior or interaction to report to the class.
  • While they are reporting, ask the group or class the following:
    • Why does race matter in these behaviors or interactions?
    • Where did these characterizations of behavior come from?
    • Who decided that this is the way certain groups act with these behaviors or interactions?
    • Do these characterizations seem factual? If so, how? If not, why not?
    • Who do we reify that this is how specific groups act with these behaviors or interactions?
    • Why do we still have these everyday behaviors and interactions racialized in the 21st century when race supposedly doesn’t matter anymore?
  • Finally, have the students read the definition of racialization by Omi and Winant have them discuss: (1) how this becomes racial projects that continue the use of race as an important concept and (2) how these racialized views of behaviors and interaction fuel racism in the U.S.

In-Class Exercise: The Racial Project of the U.S. Census

Pedagogical Objective: To expose students to the concepts of macro-level racial projects based on the U.S. Census racial classifications over time.

Exercise Rationale: This exercise goes into greater detail about how the U.S. Census has mirrored and also shaped views of racial classification for decades in American history. It should also help to show students a macro-level racial project that, while not intentionally racist in nature, leads to unintended racist outcomes. Finally, it shows the problems of using physical markers to define race and even collective identities is problematic.

Preparation:

INSET PICTURE 1

Additional Exercise:

  • Create a “fictional” Census survey including the ethnicity and race questions from the 2010 decennial census for class.
    • For example, add additional racial and ethnic categories: 
      • Phenotypical: Brown/Yellow/Red, Short/Tall, Hair texture: Curly/Straight/Nappy..., Eye shape: Round/Almond/Epicanthic fold...
      • Countries of origin: Swedish, Australian, Nigerian, Portuguese, Moroccan, Irish.... 
      • Religious: Jewish, Muslim (Shia, Sunni), Hindu.... 
  • Hand out the fictional census survey for students to complete, allowing about five minutes.
  • Ask students and tally on a white/chalkboard: what ethnicity and race were identified?
  • Go around the classroom and ask:
    • Why did you choose the race and ethnicity that you did?
    • What determines your racial and ethnic make-up?
    • What do you think about being able to write in your racial and ethnic categorization?
    • Do the ethnic and racial categories cover the entire spectrum of possible racial identities?
  • Present information from Omi and Winant’s Chapter 4, as well as the overall history of census classification and census directives.
  • Present information from Chapter 4 about how the census influences state and federal policies.
  • Ask students the following questions:
    • Applying what you read, how is this a racial project?
    • If we know that there are problems with the Census’ racial classification, then why do we still use it?
    • Should the government continue to track race and ethnicity in America?
    • If the Census continues to track ethnicity and race, what could be done differently?
  • Point out to students that in the past, Census takers would determine racial and ethnic classification based observation.
  • To show the flaws in this and to better point out the problems of using the racial body to classify people into racial groups, ask students:
    • On 0 to 100% scale, how accurate do they think they could racially classify people based on their physical features?
  • Once you know the rate of accuracy from your students, proceed in doing the “Sorting People” exercise offered through PBS. Go through each picture as a class and have them call out how each person should be racially classified.
  • Once you know their results, ask students:
    • Why did you perform so poorly on sorting people based on race?
    • What is wrong with using physical features to determine race?
    • What does this mean about how well we can make decisions about race if we are not very accurate in determining someone’s race?
  • To debrief: while the U.S. Census and our abilities to classify people into racial categories is problematic, the real problem is that these flawed categorizations lead to social decisions (see Chapter 4). Point out that there are other institutional or macro-level racial projects in which just reporting your race means something more than just filling out a survey. For example, in many states driver's licenses (and other licenses too) have a “race” category on them; your application to college asked you about your race; loan applications (banks, care dealers, etc.) and do this too. While these questions seem harmless, how are they used? How do they reinforce the importance of racet in shaping larger structural decisions (i.e., racial projects)?

Writing Assignment: Racial Projects in America

Pedagogical Objective: To evaluate student application of Omi and Winant’s explanation of racial projects.

Assignment Rationale: One of the more powerful tools to use from Omi and Winant’s racial formation theory is the ability to notice and critique racial projects in various American social institutions. This assignment requires mastery of the concept and its application to current events to note the continuing significance of race in shaping American society.

Preparation:

  • Students completing this writing assignment should have read Chapters 4 and 5.
  • Instructors should also provide a lecture pointing out the major tenets of defining and identifying a racial project, particularly what makes a racial project racist.
  • This writing assignment could be used as a 3-to-5 page “application” paper and sufficient time should be given for students to complete it by assigning two to three weeks before it is due.
  • NOTE: There can be several variations on the content required for this assignment. Several options are provided below.

Assignment Instructions:

  • Students should pick one current event or social institution to investigate using racial projects as the premise for discovery.
  • All of the papers should have sections that do the following to present student comprehension and application:
    • A section defining what a racial project is, based on Omi and Winant’s explanations.
    • A section that presents evidence (via observations or literature reviews) to demonstrate the application of racial projects to an institution or event of their choice.
    • A section concluding their papers, focusing on whether the racial projects identified in their examination were micro- or macro-level projects and more important, whether they were “racist” racial projects?
  • Below are some specific examples that the instructor can use to create this assignment as a set of choices or specifically picking one example to make the assignment more specific:
    • ‘White Saviors and Magical Negroes’: Racial Projects in Movies: Matthew Hughey’s recent research on the portrayal of African Americans and whites in many blockbuster movies in the U.S. is more than just stereotypical but represents a racial project.
      • Taking five (or ten) recently released blockbusters where black and white characters are prominent (e.g., The Blind Side, Secret Lives of Bees, Men in Black, 12 Years a Slave, Django Unchained), consider the following:
        • How do these movies racialize blacks and whites historically and currently?
        • How are these movies a racial project based on Omi and Winant’s racial formation theory?
    • ‘All’s Good in the Hood’: Racial Projects in Neighborhoods: Think about the ways in which race and ethnicity shape your hometown or community. Are there places that are the “bad side of town” or even considered the “white” or “black” side of town? What about spaces that have been named “little” Mexico, Havana, or China-town? With this assignment, you will discuss how the physical aspects of the various subsections of your town are racialized and become a racial project of segregation.
      • This assignment requires the following:
        • Go around town and take digital pictures of what you think classifies each subsection as racialized. Consider the condition of the streets, size of homes, access to public parks, schools, and retail, types of retail, and even the types of billboards and signs used in each neighborhood.
        • Take a least 10 pictures of what you think is two racialized areas of your community.
        • In the paper, do the following:
          • Discuss how these communities are racialized referencing your pictures?
          • Discuss how these neighborhoods represent a racial project of segregation.
          • Consider what social factors (and policies) have led to this these community spaces continuing to be segregated.
          • Finally, which subsection seems to be “better-off” and more likely where you would want to live and why?

c. ‘Separate but Equal’: Racial Projects in Public Education: With the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, the legal segregation of public institutions and particularly public schools, ended. However, despite this important challenge, school segregation continues.  Indeed in Savage Inequalities (2012 [1991]) Jonathan Kozol suggests that “hyper-segregation” still shapes America’s public schools. For this assignment, you will examine what racial projects continue to segregate a local school district of your choice.

      • This assignment requires the following:
        • You can examine current school board policies about redistricting and busing to discuss how they have served as racial projects. OR
        • You can investigate two schools in a district that are supposed to be integrated and compare and contrast the racial projects that continue to segregate and disenfranchise certain racial groups within the schools. OR
        • Compare and contrast the racial and ethnic make-up of schools within in the district and compare academic achievement measures, funding, and resources (credentials of teachers, honors and AP courses, extra-curricular clubs/events, computer access, etc.) to discuss if these schools are racialized and how this will impact the prospective student’s academic success.
    • ‘The New Jim Crow’: Mass Incarceration: Research on imprisonment in the U.S. shows that blacks and Latinos are overwhelmingly arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than whites. With this choice, you will need to do the following:
      • Identify and use up to 10 recent research articles (since 2001) on the incarceration rates in the U.S. and what they argue is the reason behind these disproportionate rates?
      • Develop a table showing the incarceration rates for the U.S. by race, as well as two states of your choice. (This information can be located through the Bureau of Justice Statistics - http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=11 and state justice system websites).
      • Find and discuss at least 3 cases in the last 5 years in which non-white were exonerated. Describe each case in detail.
      • Discuss how these research, statistics, and case studies explain the notions of mass incarceration as a racial project. Consider also whether this is structurally racist or not.
          • Current Events Analysis: Choose a recent event in the United States such as the Trayvon Martin shooting, Donald Sterling vs. NBA issue, or Paula Deen gaffs to decide if they represent racial projects in American society.
      • Collect at least five news articles to provide a summary of the events.
      • Collect at least five op-ed articles that express people’s opinions on the event.
      • Locate and discuss any political actions that occurred as a result of these events.
      • Finally, describe how these events represent a racial project that impacts individual, everyday interactions, as well as institutional decisions and policies.

Section III: Supplemental Teaching Materials and Web Links

Instructor Supplemental Materials: ‘Racism is Dead’: Post-Racial Politics.

Pedagogical Objective: To provide online resources to enhance lectures, discussions, and assignments to explain racial reactions and re-articulations of racial politics since the 1960s.This information is important to show the various arguments supporting that race and racism do not matter in the U.S. since the civil rights era. These items particularly relate to Chapters 7 and 8.

Materials to Consider (websites):

The documentary recounts how in the years following the Civil War, insidious new forms of forced labor emerged in the American South, keeping hundreds of thousands of African Americans in bondage, trapping them in a brutal system that would persist until the onset of World War II.

In-Class Exercise: Obama and Colorblindness

Pedagogical Objective: To have students discuss Omi and Winant’s positions about the impact of Barack Obama on race relations and whether he is encouraging or discouraging colorblind ideology and neoliberalism.

Exercise Rationale: This exercise is an open forum discussion in which students watch a documentary and several small clips about President Barack Obama to prepare for a class discussion. This discussion should help students realize that while Obama is the first African American president, he is not the sign of complete racial reform in America and the idea that race does not matter. More important, Obama himself participates in the racial hegemony by avoiding racialized topics and incidents, often calling on equality for all and not advancing original civil rights ideals of racial equality and justice.

Preparation:

  • Students should read Chapters 6, 7, and 8 from Omi and Winant. Instructors can also provide some selected chapters from Adia Harvey Wingfield and Joe Feagin’s  2010 book, Yes We Can?: White Racial Framing and the 2008 Presidential Campaign.
  • Instructors can also show the full length documentary by PBS, Race 2012, that focuses on race and politics in America in reaction to the election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States. It gives several insights into what this election meant for Americans and what it did not change about race and racism in America. http://video.pbs.org/video/2289501021/   
  • Instructors should also have students watch the following video clips and discussions in which Obama talks about race and racism in America. It also gives some responses to his comments via white conservative male pundit Tweeter posts. Here is the website for this compilation: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/white-men-racism-over_n_3624866.html
  • All of the above should be provided to students prior to this open forum discussion.

Exercise Instructions:

  • Start off this discussion by priming the students with a selected clip from the above on Obama’s reactions to events that race was involved.
  • After viewing the clip, review several of the questions below to get students discussing Obama and colorblindness:
    • Poll the students: How many of you voted for Obama in the last election?
      • Would you have if you were old enough to vote?
      • [Note: Poll is optional.  There's a reason why we have secret ballots in the U.S.]
    • Why did you vote for him? If not, why not?
    • What did the Race 2012 documentary suggest as the key to why Obama was elected?
      • Can you relate this to the arguments suggested in Wingfield and Feagin’s readings?
      • Why did whites vote for him while some blacks did not?
    • How is race and racism important in the discussion of the election of Obama?
    • In 2008, the KKK saw their membership double with the election of Obama. Why do you think this happened?
    • As Omi and Winant suggest, the Tea Party was principally organized because of the possible election of Obama. What do think about this new party and its agenda?
      • Is it a racial project as well?
    • What do you think about Obama’s approach to race and racism in America?
      • What has he done to address these issues?
      • What do you think he will do?
    • Has the discussions of race and the prevalence of racism changed due to the election of Obama?
  • To debrief, consider asking students to reflect on their participation and to write a paragraph about their views of Obama and whether: (1) they see him as a person leading a challenge to race and racism in America, OR (2) as a passive participant in the racial hegemony of colorblindness.

 

Writing Assignment: Colorblind Rhetoric in Everyday Conversations

Pedagogical Objective: To evaluate student abilities to identify and comprehend colorblind ideology.

Assignment Rationale: Omi and Winant argue that racial politics in the United States has become a discourse cloaked in colorblind ideology. This assignment assists students in identifying colorblind rhetoric and comprehending how it works in everyday conversations. While the assignment relies on Omi and Winant’s arguments about colorblind ideology, it also requires students to use sociologist, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s, explanations of colorblind rhetoric.

Preparation:

  • Students completing this writing assignment should read Chapters 7 and 8 from Omi and Winant to learn about code words, "reverse racism," and colorblind ideology.
  • Students should read over at least one of the following works by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva:
    • Chapter 2 of Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s (2015) Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Perspective of Racial Inequality in America. 4th edition.
    • Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2002. “The Linguistics of Color Blind Racism: How to Talk Nasty about Blacks without Sounding “Racist.”
  • Instructors should provide a lecture pointing on the major rhetorical tools individuals can use to infer colorblindness based on the above works.
  • This writing assignment could be used as a 4-to-6 page “application” paper and sufficient time should be given for students to complete it (two to three weeks).

Assignment Instructions:

  1. For this assignment, students will complete 6 (or up to 10) in-depth interviews with other students discussing race and racism on their campus, as well as social activism.
  2. For comparative purposes, students should select a diverse set of participants, with at least half being non-. Of course, this can be adjusted based on student demographics at your college or university.
  3. For each interview, the student should:
    1. Ask participants for at least verbal consent to participate, unless this data will be used for out-of–class purposes, in which IRB approval will be needed.
    2. Assure participants that their identities will remain confidential.  And stick to that principle!
    3. They should give each participant a pseudonym to use in their interviews and write-up.
    4. Digitally record for transcription and evidence for the instructor.
    5. Collect demographic information on the student (race/ethnicity, gender, age, class rank, major).
    6. Use questions provided below to have at least a 30 to 45 minute conversation.

[IMPORTANT NOTE: This assignment is an advanced research project because it requires doing qualitative data analysis and examining several documents.

  • Instructors should be aware that carrying out interviews is human subjects research and may require the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or obtaining an exception from IRB requirements.  In many cases course-based research assignments are considered research training exercises and can be excepted from regular IRB review.  Instructors should check with their campus IRB.]
  1. After collecting the interviews (data), students will need to go through each interview and code for themes (common explanations) across questions. They should also consider how “code words” or colorblind rhetoric pointed out by Omi and Winant and Bonilla-Silva to develop some overall explanations of what they find when participants discuss race and racism.  
  2. For the writing assignment, students should include the following:
    1. Section 1: Please provide descriptions of the people (demographic description) you interviewed. Describe the process of your interviewing and the environment you chose to interview in. You may also discuss any interesting issues that occur as you are interviewing the person. You should use the information you collected in the survey to write this section.
    2. Section 2: Discuss the major themes you found in your interviews. Use selected quotes from the interviews to support your themes. Also, consider whether there are comparisons or contrasts between the two groups of interviews. For instance, do both groups view race or racism as a problem on campus or in the world? You should also use the survey question answers to help write this section and give some percentages or graphs that show their overall views.
    3. Section 3: Finally, please provide a summary of your findings.  What were the major themes and how do they reflect on race relations at [insert your university/college name here]?  Relate your findings to Omi and Winant’s discussion of “code words” and colorblind ideology. Also, consider how participants used the colorblind or rhetorical shields suggested by Bonilla-Silva. Provide two specific examples from your findings that relate to Omi and Winant and two more that relate to Bonilla-Silva’s arguments. If none of your findings related to the above arguments, then provide three examples of how they do not.
    4. Include an appendix with the transcripts or turn in the digital recordings for the interviews for “proof” of completing all of the interviews.
  • In-depth interview questions.

[NOTE: Questions should be altered to fit the university climate.

***

INTERVIEW GUIDE

RACE RELATIONS AND RACE-RELATED ACTIVISM ON CAMPUS

Racial Interactions on Campus

How would you describe race relations at [insert your university/college name here]?

  • Why would you describe it that way?

What have your interactions been like with students of other races at [insert your university/college name here]?

  • Can you give me some examples?

Do you feel that you have ever been discriminated against based on your race at [insert your university/college name here]?

  • If yes, please tell me about it.

What do you think could be done to improve race relations at [insert your university/college name here]?

How do you think race relations at [insert your university/college name here] compares to other universities?

  • How do you think it compares to your high school?
  • Your community?
  • Society as a whole?

Racial Attitudes

What do you think about other racial groups on campus?

  • Whites?, Blacks?, Latinos?, Asians?

Many times, students say that they have minority/majority friends or even would date a minority/majority. What kinds of social interactions are you willing to do with minorities/the majority?

  • What’s some things you wouldn’t do with other racial groups?
  • Do you participate in these kinds of relationships? Why or why not?

What would you say is the cause of racial tension or racism in the U.S. today?

Do you view racism as a “dead” issue?

  • [if yes] why?
  • [if not] how would you explain the economic and social disparities minorities face in comparison to whites in America?

Some would argue that whites are losing ground in several situations. Do think this is true? Why or why not?

What do you think about affirmative action in the 21st century?

  • Should it be applied to college? Why or why not?
  • Should it be applied to the workplace? Why or why not?

One of the factors that shape our views of race in America is immigration. What is your opinion on immigration?

  • What about language requirements, do you think that everyone should speak English or learn American cultural norms?
  • How do you feel about undocumented or illegal immigration?

Social Activism

What do you think could be done to improve race relations in society as a whole?

Do you feel there has been a lull in the Civil Rights movement since the 1960s?

Are you involved in any activities or organizations related to improving the status of racial minorities?

  • [if yes] please tell me about your participation
  • Why [do you/don’t you] participate in these activities/organizations?

It seems that there is less participation among your generation than previous generations in the Civil Rights Movement and organizations like the NAACP.  Why do you think that is the case?

Some people argue that young African Americans or minority groups are less involved in social activism these days because they feel that social activism doesn’t really make a difference in society.  Others argue that young African Americans today feel less of a sense of urgency than they did in the past to create social change.  What do you think about this?

Writing Assignment: Code Words among Legal Decisions: An Analysis of Supreme Court Amicus Briefs concerning Arizona v. U.S.

Pedagogical Objective: To evaluate student abilities to identify code words and neoconservative/neoliberal ideologies explaining and dismissing race and racism in the United States.

Assignment Rationale: As discussed in Chapters 7 and 8, as well as throughout the book, there are a number of racial projects that work to make race and racism still matter even though there are clear attempts to hide racist and in this case, racist nativist intent. This assignment has students look at amicus briefs concerning the recent U.S. Supreme Court case against the state of Arizona concerning whether their newly enacted state immigration laws (S.B. 1070) were unconstitutional and infringed upon American civil rights. These briefs present to the Supreme Court opinions on whether they support the U.S. decisions against Arizona’s law or support Arizona’s rights to create immigration laws. A number of political figures, organizations, and concerned citizens send in these letters to express their views and some research suggests that they can sway Supreme Court decisions. While these letters are not prolific, they do present a racial project of shaping court decisions in favor or in opposition to immigration laws, which have historically been racialized. More important, they provide qualitative data that can be analyzed to see if writers use code words or colorblind language to make their points about whether Arizona should or should not have the right to create their own immigration laws that encourage racial profiling to find undocumented immigrants within their borders.

Instructor Preparation:

  • Instructors should use the following readings to help prepare students in doing this work as either assigning them as reading or creating a detailed explanation or lecture on the topic:
    • Selected Chapters from Chavez, Leo. 2008. The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
    • Collins, Paul M., Jr.. 2004. “Friends of the Court: Examining the Influence of Amicus Curiae Participation in U.S. Supreme Court Litigation.” Law and Society Review 32: 807-832.
    • Collins, Paul M., Jr. 2007. “Lobbyists before the U.S. Supreme Court: Investigating the          Influence of Amicus Curiae Briefs.” Political Research Quarterly 60: 55-70.
    • Lippard, Cameron D. 2011. “Racist Nativism in the 21st Century.” Sociology Compass, 5 (7): 591-606.
  • Instructors can also make use of the following website link to the U.S. Supreme Court blog that provides access to all the amicus briefs written for the case in question. This includes briefs that were in support for the U.S. Supreme Court decision or in support of the petitioner, the state of Arizona. http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/arizona-v-united-states/
  • This assignment should either be completed as large project for the semester or as a group research project. Instructors can adjust this assignment by only analyzing the amicus briefs written to support the petitioner or the Supreme Court, leading to around 20 or so documents to analyze versus all 49 submitted.

Assignment Instructions:

  • Before beginning the assignment, students should read over Omi and Winant’s discussion of code words, "reverse racism," colorblindness, and neoliberalism in Chapters 7 and 8. 
  • Students should do the following for data analysis:
    • Based on the instructor prefaces of how many briefs to analyze, students should go to the provided website link to the briefs and download selected briefs.
    • With the briefs, students should read the entire document and begin to note or code interesting phrases of how the writers describe immigrants and U.S. and Arizona citizens, considering how they compare and contrast these two groups.
    • Students should also consider what are the main arguments or points of the brief to either support Arizona’s law or the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision against Arizona.
    • Students should create a table to record words and phrases, noting what they see it as representing in their arguments.
    • Particularly, students should consider whether these briefs are using code words, neoconservative or neoliberal views to make their arguments.
  • The writing assignment should include the following:
    • Section 1: Provide descriptions of the amicus briefs used, noting the authors and whether they were in support of Arizona or the Supreme Court.
    • Section 2: Discuss the major themes you found in your analysis. Use selected quotes from the briefs to support your themes. Also, consider if there are comparisons or contrasts between the briefs (particularly if you examined both sets of briefs).
    • Section 3: Finally, please provide a summary of your findings.  What were the major themes and how do they reflect on the racial politics of immigration in the U.S.?  Relate your findings to Omi and Winant’s discussion of “code words” and neoconservative or neoliberal views. Provide at least three examples of how the analyzed briefs use these views to support their arguments for or against Arizona’s immigration laws.
    • Include an appendix showing your table you created during your analysis and a list of the amicus briefs you analyzed.