Mullins

Text Set[

Emily Mullins

ENG 308 Francis

4-29-09

Mullins

Emily Mullins

ENG 308 Francis

Text Set

Introduction to Emily Mullins’ Text Set

This text set, a compilation of sources that revolves around

an anchor text, is an example of a group of texts that may be

used in a unit of instruction. Each of these additional sources

creates meaning for a diverse set of learners. I decided to begin

with the canon text To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and fin-

ish with the Young Adult Literature novel from this class, Mon-

ster by Walter Dean Myers. I decided to focus on themes both nov-

els employ such as the African American experience, making impor-

tant decisions, standing up for what you believe in, and the

ability to be courageous in the face of challenges and oppres-

sion.

I thought the best way to go about this unit was to focus

more on the themes than on the time period, looking closely at

how racial oppression, intolerance, stereotypes, and prejudice

plays out in literature, as well as in historical and contempo-

rary society. The unit would show multiple facets of the African

American experience from the time period of To Kill a Mockingbird

Mullins

to the Civil Rights movement, and to the current racial state of

our contemporary society.

Artifact # 1: Photo of Atticus Finch in the courtroom of the

movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird, along with the closing

argument Finch gives at the trial of Tom Robinson (written and

auditory).

Atticus Finch Speech: To begin with, this case should never have

come to trial. The State has not produced one iota of medical ev-

idence that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took

place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses

whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on

cross examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defen-

dant. Now there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that

Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led, almost ex-

clusively, with his left [hand]. And Tom Robinson now sits before

you, having taken "The Oath" with the only good hand he possesses

-- his right.

I have nothing but pity in my heart for the Chief Witness

for the State. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance.

But, my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's

Mullins

life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her

own guilt. Now I say "guilt," gentlemen, because it was guilt

that motivated her. She's committed no crime. She has merely bro-

ken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so se-

vere that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to

live with. She must destroy the evidence of her offense. But,

what was the evidence of her offense? Tom Robinson, a human be-

ing. She must put Tom Robinson away from her. Tom Robinson was to

her a daily reminder of what she did.

Now what did she do? She tempted a negro. She was white and

she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is un-

speakable: She kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a

strong, young negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke

it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.

The witnesses for the State, with the exception of the sher-

iff of Lincoln County, have presented themselves to you gentlemen

-- to this Court -- in the cynical confidence that their testi-

mony would not be doubted; confident that you gentlemen would go

along with them on the assumption, the evil assumption, that all

negroes lie; all negroes are basically immoral beings; all negro

men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption that

one associates with minds of their caliber, and which is in it-

self, gentlemen, a lie -- which I do not need to point out to

you.

And so, a quiet, humble, respectable negro, who has had the

unmitigated TEMERITY to feel sorry for a white woman, has had to

put his word against two white peoples. The defendant is not

guilty. But somebody in this courtroom is.

Mullins

Now, gentlemen, in this country our courts are the great

levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal. I'm no ideal-

ist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our

jury system. That's no ideal to me. That is a living, working re-

ality!

Now I am confident that you gentlemen will review without

passion the evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and

restore this man to his family.

In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, be-

lieve Tom Robinson.

Auditory Clip:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/mp3clips/newmoviespeeches/moviesp

eechtokillamockingbird34593593495.mp3

Explanation: I would use this short auditory clip, as well as the

image and written closing argument all together before the stu-

dents read the novel by Harper Lee. I think this would be a good

way to get students visually and actively engaged in the story

before they begin reading. Atticus is definitely the moral center

of the novel, as he understands the individual worth of a person

regardless of the color of their skin. He was a wise man, well

beyond the mostly intolerant opinions of the times.

Finch knew that when he took the case that the justice sys-

tem would not be fair, but he still wanted to fight for the jus-

tice Tom Robinson deserved. This will be able to directly corre-

late to the novel Monster later on in the unit as Steve Harmon is

directly affected by the racial bias in the American criminal

justice system, a bias that still lingers in the prejudiced minds

of many of the people in our society.

Mullins

Artifact # 2: To Kill a Mockingbird, a Novel

This novel will be used as the “anchor text” as stated above to

kick off a unit on racial issues not only having an impact on

America historically but also contemporarily. This novel depicts

the themes of misunderstanding and prejudice and this unit will

allow students to explore these concepts and the themes that are

related to them. I think this will be a great way to kick off a

unit that will progress linearly through the racially oppressive

and prejudiced societal, political and cultural events that have

occurred in our histories and the events that are still occurring

now.

Artifact # 3: An essay.

Mullins

Urban Race Riots in the Jim Crow Era

An Overview Essay

By Derrick Ward

The violent, racial confrontations in which mobs of whites

and blacks battled each other in U.S. towns and cities during the

Jim Crow era were triggered by some of the same forces driving

legalized segregation, disfranchisement, and the lynching of

thousands of African Americans. These explosions of urban vio-

lence against blacks differed in several ways from the individual

lynchings and systematic terror practiced by organizations, such

as the Ku Klux Klan, in the 1870s. For one thing, the urban ex-

plosions were directed less at individuals and more at entire

black communities. They also reflected more the anxieties felt by

lower-class whites, who feared competition with blacks for hous-

ing, employment, and social status as African-American newcomers

began moving into urban settings following the Civil War. Also,

although whites--who felt enraged by some real or imaginary ac-

tions by blacks--always started these riots, black victims in-

creasingly defended themselves as best they could. Clearly, the

race riots also were backlashes by white Americans who reacted

with contempt and rage to black Americans’ cries for equality,

justice, and decency.

In general, the riots can be studied according to different

waves of white violence. The first wave occurred in the post-bel-

lum era of Reconstruction. Southern defeat, emancipation, and the

dramatic changes in the political and civil rights of blacks in

the decade after the Civil War presented dramatic challenges to

white supremacy. White supremacists, desperate to regain their

political power and restore their control over the recently eman-

cipated African Americans, instigated the birth of the Ku Klux

Klan and its members’ terrorist attacks on individual blacks and

Mullins

white Republicans in the South, as well as mob attacks on south-

ern black communities. Relatively few whites were killed in these

affairs, which peaked in the two years before the 1876 presiden-

tial election.

The second wave of riots, erupting in the last decade of the

19th and the first decade of the 20th centuries, reflected the

new era of stepped-up Jim Crow rhetoric and attempts to legalize

segregation and disfranchisement. Whites all over the nation par-

ticipated in this outbreak of racial politics, including many who

feared better relations among white and black farmers and the

working poor posed by the Populist Movement. In this atmosphere,

white supremacists used the same racist justifications to vio-

lence as those who lynched individual blacks: namely, the alleged

desire of black men to rape white women. This decade also saw the

codification of Jim Crow segregation laws and the passage of dis-

franchisement statutes and codes in most of the southern states.

The United States Supreme Court upheld the "separate but equal"

doctrine in their 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, throwing the

country’s High Court on the side of white supremacy. At the same

time, blacks began moving in ever-growing numbers to urban cen-

ters, competing with lower-class whites for housing and employ-

ment, while growing numbers of African-American professionals and

officeholders began successfully competing with their white coun-

terparts for jobs. With all of these factors in play, white vio-

lence erupted in many small towns and villages, and at least

ten--four of them in northern cities--escalated into major race

riots: Lake City, North Carolina (1898); Wilmington, North Car-

olina (1898); Greenwood County, South Carolina (1898); New Or-

leans, Louisiana (1900); New York City, New York (1900); Spring-

field, Ohio (1904); Atlanta, Georgia (1906); Greenburg, Indiana

(1906); Brownsville, Texas (1906); and Springfield, Illinois

(1908).

Mullins

The cluster of race riots, the third wave, that broke out

around the World War I period reflected both the demands for jus-

tice by angry African Americans and the increasing competition

between blacks and whites brought on by the war and the black mi-

gration to urban areas in the North. In 1915, the new Ku Klux

Klan spread nationwide and signs of more virulent racism appeared

in popular culture--such as in the film Birth of A Nation and in

advertising--across the country. These events fueled the already

uneasy fears of many lower-class whites about the growing pres-

ence of blacks in their midst. As thousands of young men went off

to war, labor shortages lured larger numbers of black and white

workers into urban centers throughout the nation. Blacks began

moving into previously all-white neighborhoods, creating friction

between the races. As black servicemen returned from Europe, they

found the old racial hostilities unacceptable after having fought

in a "war to make the world safe for democracy." These black vet-

erans, in the minds of many whites, had become too "uppity" over-

seas and posed a threat to white women as well as the social sta-

tus of all white men. Between 1917 and 1921, an unprecedented

outbreak of racial violence swept across the nation. Over 20 race

riots broke out between April and October 1919 alone, a six-month

period remembered as the "Red Summer."

After the 1921 Tulsa riot and except for the 1935 New York

(Harlem) disturbances, no major racial riots occurred until the

world war era of the 1940s. Many of the same domestic demographic

and social changes affecting blacks and whites that had unfolded

during 1919 accompanied World War II, but this time, on a larger

scale. The competition between increasing numbers of working-

class blacks and whites for housing and employment in urban areas

again set the stage for racial conflict. Though the race riots

during the World War II era race were far fewer (only three) than

their World War I precursors, they no less violent. The 1943 De-

Mullins

troit riot, for example, resulted in the deaths of 25 African

Americans and nine whites. The other two riots occurred in New

York City (Harlem) and Columbia, Tennessee, in 1943. Eight years

later, the last major race riot before the 1960s inner city ex-

plosions (which most historians view as rebellions rather than

race riots) erupted in Cicero, Illinois (1951).

Although urban race riots in the United States between 1866-

1951 were unique episodes rooted in the particular historic situ-

ation of each place, they shared certain characteristics. To be-

gin with, the whites always prevailed, and the overwhelming ma-

jority of those who died and were wounded in all of these inci-

dents were blacks. They also tended to break out in clusters dur-

ing times of significant socioeconomic, political, and demo-

graphic upheaval when racial demographics were altered and exist-

ing racial mores and boundaries challenged. Perhaps most impor-

tantly, the riots usually provoked defensive stances by members

of the black communities who defended themselves and their fami-

lies under attack. Seldom did the violence spill over into white

neighborhoods. Finally, the riots greatly strengthened the re-

solve of blacks to challenge white supremacy legally, intellectu-

ally, and emotionally--producing greater efforts by organizations

like the NAACP and leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois, as well as

an outpouring of black cultural manifestations of defiance iden-

tified with the "New Negro Movement" of the Harlem Renaissance.

Explanation: I thought this essay could be used as a supplemental

reading when students are studying segregation, and how although

the laws claimed they were for a “separate, but equal” status for

black Americans and members of other non-white racial groups,

this was definitely not the case. This essay will allow students

to more fully engage with Jim Crow laws in the form of segrega-

tion of public schools, public places and public transportation,

Mullins

and the segregation of restrooms and restaurants for whites and

blacks. It will hopefully get them interested in the next portion

of the unit, leading them into the Civil Rights and Black Power

Movements and the race riots that occurred during and on either

side of the 1960s.

Artifact # 4: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Speeches.

Martin Luther King, an American clergyman and an activist, was a

prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement. Stu-

dents, through Martin Luther King Jr., will also be able to look

closely at the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and the March on Wash-

ington, 1963, to see more clearly how courageous and important taking

a stand was and still is. The March will lead into looking at the in-

famous “I Have a Dream Speech”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=PbUtL_0vAJk.

I also would like to include a more hip-hop infused response to

King’s speech. This song is called, “Let Freedom Ring” by Flocabulary.

Mullins

Flocabulary.com has more hip-hop U.S. History songs teachers could use

when looking at history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xPqiBd_xIw

Students may appreciate this more because of the large role hip hop

plays in our modern society. Common’s “I Have a Dream” song and video

can also be a great way to get students to look at the Civil Rights

Movement and MLK’s speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=UKfXFA15rqE&feature=related.

Classes can also compare MLK’s speech to Malcolm X’s speech “By

Any Means Necessary”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkTnUxLjO2E How

are they different? Did they have any similarities?

I thought I’d make a fun activity for students--a “Who Said What?”

quote activity:

Who Said What?

In the space provided, write either a MLK for Martin Luther King Jr. or a X for Malcolm X to distinguish between the two civil rights activists.

If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more re-demptive.

_____

I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke in me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.

_____

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. _____

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. _____

I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.

_____

Mullins

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now. _____

I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wasting brother-hood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it with me. Brotherhood is a two-way street.

_____

A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. _____

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brother-hood can never become a reality.

_____

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.

_____

Both men spoke eloquently against inequality among races in America

but with entirely different methods of action. King was guided by

Gandhi’s non-violent activism, while X’s mantra was “by any means nec-

essary.” Both served as human rights icons during the times and still

do today. They serve as important people to study and to represent the

main themes of the two main novels, themes of hoping and fighting for

equality in a world that was and is still having trouble making it so.

Mullins

Artifact # 5: Riots surrounding MLK’s assassination:

According to Jesse Jackson, who was present, King’s last words on the

balcony were to musician Ben Branch, who was scheduled to perform that

night at an event King was attending: “Ben, make sure you play Take my

Hand, Precious Lord in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty.”

Explanation: I thought students could discuss two things concerning

the final words of King as well as the violent wave of nationwide ri-

ots in more than 100 cities across the country. Would King, after all

his hopes for a non-violent end to racial oppression, want to find

that his blood had triggered off bloodshed and disorder? Is it disre-

spectful to his memory to not remain committed to the kind of dedica-

tion to the goals which his life served to solving the domestic prob-

lems?

PICTURES OF THE RIOTS AFTER LEARNING OF THE ASSASSINATION:

Mullins

Artifact # 6: This is the beginning of an episode of American Dreams,

the TV series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfFPL8l4eN0 (this is

just part 1/5-the rest can be found in related videos. Also, the riot

starts in Part 3). This clip gives insight into the racial incidences

that have been occurring in Philadelphia prior to this episode, which

also includes Meg and Sam being caught out after dark together by po-

lice officers. In the entire season finale, racial tensions begin to

flare in North Philly sparking a massive riot while main characters

Meg (white) and Sam (black) are stuck in the new store, also in North

Philly, in the middle of urban chaos. The police try to quell the rag-

ing rioters but police brutality occurs, along with terrible destruc-

tion. The rioters made it clear they would not disband until the po-

lice left the area. Other aspects of this episode include African

American plans for dissent, the older son joining the Marines, and

family bonds.

I thought using a TV show to depict the themes of the times might

get students interested in not only the Civil Rights Era, but also the

Mullins

Vietnam War--the backdrop to the TV show. There is also nothing wrong

with students getting into a quality and historically informative and

engaging show such as American Dreams. I know for sure parents might

appreciate students watching this rather than Gossip Girl or 90210.

Artifact # 7: Taking a deeper look at Martin Luther King Jr. and his

heroic efforts to end segregation and the Jim Crow Laws, leading up to

his senseless death. This YouTube clip (however, there are 8 total)

looks at King and his movement, stemming from Rosa Parks’ courageous

stand, as he tries to lead a movement against Jim Crow laws to abolish

segregation in the deep South in peaceful protest. He was a spokesper-

son for people who were denied full access to the American dream, peo-

ple who have been struggling for a long time to be free. This clip is

a historical look back at King’s legacy and all the subsequent actions

against him. The clips have interviews from historical experts, ex-

cerpts of his speeches, and real clips from the time period. Even just

watching two of the videos will be enough for students to really get

into the Civil Rights Movement and see just how important it was to

stand up for equality and to stand up against the injustice of an ob-

viously intolerant, prejudiced, and inhumane system. Students will

also be able to see a little bit of MLK in Atticus Finch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a2KqN5tDYM

Mullins

I thought the clip below could also be used as a supplementary

video: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. 40 years later

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qCI3-FIEEQ&feature=related

Artifact # 8: Rodney King, police brutality, and the Los Angeles

Riots of May 1992. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgc6vOjCiE.

The LA riots were triggered by the acquittal of police offi-

cers for the brutal beating of Rodney King, who asks “Why can’t

we all just get along?” The news of the acquittal triggered the

Los Angeles riots of 1992. The destruction was extensive: 55 were

killed, over 2,000 injuries, 7,000 fires, 3,100 businesses, and

nearly $1 billion in financial losses. This clip shows the begin-

nings of the LA riots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=KYnJiiLGwjY&feature=related.

This reflects upon the subjects of both To Kill a Mocking-

bird and Monster, and the unjust Criminal Justice system that has

long since been a staple of our society. Having both Rodney’s

statements and a news clip from the riots will be a great way for

students to see the destruction and the amount of passion people

had surrounding this movement and the man who stood as its moral

center and mouthpiece.

Mullins

Artifact # 9: The Beatles’ song “Let it Be” performed in the mu-

sical movie “Across the Universe.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=Z4bib4PBqGA. A great film in its entirety, but I think this

clip is most representative of the racial aspects of the 60s the

class has discussed so far. They will get to experience great mu-

sic which is before their time but still important and amazing

music. Perhaps it will broaden their horizons. Although the

school board and parents might have trouble with the drug cul-

ture, no one can deny the importance of understanding the history

surrounding the 1960s including but not limited to Vietnam, Civil

Rights, and music.

Another song choice which also resonates with the themes of tol-

erance and acceptance, and not having prejudice in our hearts,

but having love for everyone despite our differences is “All You

Need is Love”.

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that

can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.

Mullins

It's easy. Nothing you can make that can't be made. No one you can save

that can't be saved. Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in

time. It's easy. All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love,

love. Love is all you need."

-”All You Need is Love” by The Beatles

Artifact # 10: Bono’s On The Move

In this speech, turned into a book, rock star Bono gets to

the heart of faith and humanity in a world where 6,500 Africans

die each day of AIDS, a preventable, treatable disease. In the

21st century, can we accept that longitude and latitude decide

whether a child lives or dies? This is Bono’s call to action at

the National Prayer Breakfast in a Republican White House.

For me, this artifact is so important because of the lack of

knowledge about the situation with AIDS and Africa. Nelson Man-

dela said, “AIDS is not merely a disease, but an assault on human

dignity. We never anticipated that once we achieved our freedom

we would face another challenge of this magnitude. We cannot win

this fight on our own, and we rely on people like Bono to help us

beat this pandemic.” Bono’s plea for justice, as well as charity,

for those suffering from AIDS in Africa has helped change minds

and hearts, as well as government policy. Getting the knowledge

out there about the voiceless who don’t get a voice. My hope,

Mullins

along with Bono’s, is that this speech and this knowledge will

inspire the students.

Transcript excerpt:

Well, thank you, thank you Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdul-

lah of Jordan, Norm [Coleman], distinguished guests. Please join

me in praying that I don't say something we'll all regret.

That was for the FCC.

If you're wondering what I'm doing here, at a prayer breakfast,

well so am I. I'm certainly not here as a man of the cloth, un-

less that cloth is -- is leather. I'm certainly not here because

I'm a rock star -- which leaves only one possible explanation:

I've got a messianic complex. It's true. And anyone who knows me,

it's hardly a revelation.

Well, I'm the first to admit that there's something unnatural,

something even unseemly about rock stars mounting the pulpit and

preaching at presidents -- and disappearing to their villas in

the South of France. Talk about a fish out of water. It was weird

Mullins

enough to have Jesse Helms come to a rock show. This is really

weird.

Now, one of the things I love about this country is the separa-

tion of Church and State and although I have to say in inviting

me here both Church and State have been separated from something

else completely: their -- their mind!

Mr. President, are you sure about this? It's very humbling, and I

will try to keep my homily brief. But be warned: I am Irish.

This link contains a full transcript of the speech, an audio and

a video.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/bononationalprayerbreakf

ast.htm

Artifact # 11: “Jesus Hopped the A-Train”

Although I didn’t read the whole play, as I skimmed the text

I found a lot of great, perhaps somewhat inappropriate for a

younger classroom,

Mullins

Artifact # 12:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-obama.html.

The New York Times has published Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address

both auditory and the transcript. Obama, as the first black pres-

ident,

Mullins

Artifact # 13: Monster, a novel by Walter Dean Myers.

This novel will expand upon the many themes and subjects

covered in the unit thus far including the African American expe-

rience, courage and survival, standing up for truth and equality

and tolerance. It’s also about making decisions, as Steve wonders

“What decisions do I make? What decisions didn’t I make?” (Myers

270). This novel can also help classes to discuss turning points

and the events that lead us to where we end up and also the

events that lead us to where we want to be and where we want to

go. It will be interesting for students to read this novel and to

understand just how far we haven’t really come, because even as

our diverse population grows and changes, stereotypes, as well as

racial intolerance and oppression, still exists whether it lies

in an American courtroom, in race riots, or in the AIDS crisis

existing in Africa.

Racism is both a moral and political issue and the govern-

ment should make sure every effort to insure that each individual

Mullins

is allowed his or her “inalienable rights” as outlined in the

Constitution. The greatest need is that of the individual. Until

we as a people learn to see each other through the eyes of God,

we will never see one another without fear and prejudice.

I could bring in a Bible verse to look into how a higher

power believes in equality:

“Then Peter replied, ‘I see very clearly that God doesn’t

show partiality. In every nation he accepts those who fear him

and do what is right.’” (Acts 10:34-35)

This is such a quote representative of Steve Harmon, who

knows his own truth and knows he has to believe in himself. He

knows all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and

rights. Students should be able to use each text used in the unit

to depict in a formal or summative assessment the themes of the

unit and of each of the novels and additional supplemental texts.