Racial and Gender Equality

Jefferson wrote that "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence. Students often struggle to understand how we are equal. What Jefferson did not mean was that we are all equal in kind. For example, we are not promised economic equality, or athletic equality, or academic equality. What Jefferson meant is that ideally, we are each equal before the law. This is why the statue of Lady Justice is often blindfolded.

This leads us to ask, how do we define freedom? One definition is, 'We each have the right, as protected by government, to compete for the opportunities which we are qualified to pursue.'

For example, I may desperately want to run the final leg of the Women's Olympic relay dash. However, I am not qualified to compete for numerous reasons including the fact that I am not a woman, I am a slow runner, I am not in adequate shape and I am middle-aged. In other words, I am not qualified for this opportunity. My rights have not been violated if I am denied this opportunity.

Please note the highlight of the term, 'compete.' There is no promise of an outcome. For example, no one promises happiness; however, the right to the pursuit of happiness is found in the Declaration of Independence.

An inevitable by-product of competition is a failure. Failure is unbiased feedback that we need to work harder. When you fail at something and then decide to work harder in order to achieve a goal - that is your personal achievement. It is a victory which no one can ever take away from you.

During this phase, you will:

Define societal problems and analyze potential political and economic solutions to judge those that provide the greatest good for the greatest number.

Communicate with integrity, civility, and respect in visual, oral, and written communications.

Articulate clear and concise messages to facilitate consensus on political issues.

Video & Commentary: Racial and Gender Equality

https://youtu.be/qCXUbQ4JjXI
The Civil War: The Gettysburg Address, K en Burns, 2012

Read the following commentary:
http://content.bellevue.edu/cas/la/400-410-420/id/kss/c2p3-video-conversation.pdf

The American ideal of equality rests upon Jefferson''s phrase, "All men are create equal." As a nation we know we have often struggled to live up to this lofty ideal. Flash points in history include the Civil War and Lincoln''s transformation of the war into a holy crusade against slavery in the early 1860''s and, one hundred years later, Dr. King''s similarly theological crusade of non-violent protest against racial inequality.

Readings & Research: Racial and Gender Equality.

Review the following Required Reading Articles:

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, then Malcolm Little became Malcolm X after a conversion to an American form is the Islamic faith. In this speech as a "black nationalist" and a segregationist, Mr. X was the antithesis to Martin Luther King's integrationist, non-violent approach to Civil Rights. Mr. X echoes Frederick Douglas' 'What is the Fourth of July' speech.

Watch It or Read It: http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html
Malcolm X, 1964

https://youtu.be/Sc4BPYIqm6k
Malcolm X - "The Ballot or the Bullet", Mind-Forged Manacles, 2015

Watch It or Read It:http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/184/a-lincoln-anthology/4822/the-gettysburg-address/
A Lincoln, 1863

http://search.proquest.com/docview/846750129?accountid=28125

http://www.justiceharvard.org/resources/hopwood-v-state-1996/

http://isreview.org/sites/default/files/pdf/14-Gandhiexpanded.pdf

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

Review the following Required Research Articles:

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/22/50-years-after-the-march-on-washington-many-racial-divides-remain/st_13-08-21_ss_raceinamerica_00/

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/22/race-demographics/

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/12/11/10-findings-about-women-in-the-workplace/

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/01/14/women-and-leadership/

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179270/gender-gap-jobs-outlook-widest-americas.aspx?utm_source=AMERICAS&utm_medium=topic&utm_campaign=tiles

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brookings-now/posts/2015/03/11-what-a-single-womans-income-suggests-about-sex-contraception

http://www.gallup.com/poll/178427/respect-dignity-women-lacking-latin-america.aspx?version=print

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/12/11/on-pay-gap-millennial-women-near-parity-for-now/

Videos: Racial and Gender Equality

Review the following videos:

So many times we hear politicians and sports figures invoke the God to their side. Is there a "contract" between God and the United States? How did the death of President Lincoln's son spur on the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment's end of slavery? How did Lincoln's discovery of faith influence one of our nation's finest moments? This includes reenactments of Frederick Douglas.

http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/view/

Part Three-A Nation Reborn, PBS

View from 27:25 to 38:25

In 1961 brave African-Americans and White Americans rode buses through the American South to protest in favor of civil rights. These 'Freedom Riders' left an indelible impression upon America's psyche. This clip shows the horrors that these men and women faced in their effort to assure that Americans today, you and I, would have our right to vote

http://www.pbs.org/video/1925571160/

Freedom Riders, PBS

View from 25:15 to 36:42

Twenty years since the United Nations announced a major effort to reduce global gender inequality, women and girls are far from getting equal treatment and participation in society, while violence against females is commonplace. Lakshmi Puri of UN Women joins PBS Anchor Judy Woodfuff to discuss the findings of a pair of reports looking at the status of women and girls, plus opportunity for further progress.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/can-achieve-global-gender-equality-2030/

Can We Achieve Gender Equality by 2030?, PBS Newshour, 2015

Watch It or Read It: In this video Michael Sandel discusses the complicated reverse discrimination case of 'Hopwood versus the University of Texas Law School.' In our complicated world, how does the desire for equality and diversity come into conflict with individual effort, equality of opportunity and the modern sense of fairness? What is the effect of history upon equality of opportunity today? Importantly, how do we engage in complicated questions while striving for fairness.

https://youtu.be/-B17OINF_SI
Affirmative Action Debate - ABRIDGED - Harvard''s Michael Sandel JUSTICE - What''s the right thing, Critical Thinks - BACK STAGE, 2016

The Black National Anthem: Written in 1899, this hymn was first performed in 1900 to commemorate the birth of President Lincoln. In 1919 it was adopted by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) as the 'Black National Anthem' due to its celebration and affirmation of African-Americans. The original poem was recited at the first inauguration of President Obama.

https://youtu.be/MyS3HPInHtI
Lift Every Voice and Sing, The Balm In Gilead Inc., 2009

Since its earliest days, the United States has aspired to be a society in which all men and women are equal. Throughout our history, we have struggled to achieve this ideal. But throughout our history, we have chosen to continue the struggle. Our political institutions have created a vast number of laws and institutions to help us achieve the goal of equality. (At least nine of the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution address equality issues and the desire of the American people to achieve a more equal and just society.)

The conundrum of arguing for an equal society is defining what such a society would look like. How do we know when we have achieved the goal of a society where all men and women are equal? Using the course materials, with a focus on this phase's content, examine either gender or racial equality (or both). [If you would like to examine another category of equality, consult with your Instructor.]

Compose a 'Letter to the Editor' (650 words) and an outline for your letter in which you describe the specific aspects and attributes of an equal society. Be certain to construct an argument that establishes credibility by founding it upon objective facts and credible sources. Remember, your job is to demonstrate learning based upon the assigned course materials. Reference at least three of the assigned articles from the course including one from a previous phase of the course.