THEY SAY/I SAY

On Monday, you must present an "outline" of the paper you will write about the class-chosen topic of RACISM. This outline may be as simple as the example I have posted at the bottom of the page, or as detailed as a formal outline. Please understand that many writers find outlining saves them time and ensures their papers are well organized. 

In order to complete the "outline", you would be wise to first actually read the course packet materials about this assignment. Your They Say/I Say essay will end on page 4 and should have 7-8 paragraphs of similar length. 

You may incorporate additional research into any section. You should add at least four and up to eight additional sources. Research may help explain the issue you have chosen. They may support, counter, or expand on what your They Say anchors offer. They may help you to clarify and support your position in the I Say paragraph or paragraphs of your paper. 

How to get there from here:

What interests you about racism? This is not what you know the most about. It is not what you already have a strong opinion about. Instead consider: What do you want to understand better? This will lead you from topic to ISSUE.

Who or what are the primary stakeholders in this issue? What are the various positions and where do they come from? How are different groups or organizations impacted by this issue? You are looking for two entirely credible and worthy positions—neither STAKEHOLDER is identical to your own position. 

What essays or articles or historical documents best represent the two stakeholders? These will become your TWO ANCHORS. You will not be discrediting them, but finding a way to honor their concerns. You should read around the views—look for corroborating evidence to explain, support, and perhaps (only maybe) counter them. Write a formal précis for each anchor source.* 

Finally, what is your position? Your THESIS should develop last, but your best guess works for now. Expect your focus, opinion, and thesis to change in the process of researching and coming to understand your anchors and the broader issue you have chosen. 

*NOTE: If you find a better anchor than the ones listed in a previous post, or as you research you discover that another source provides a better anchoring position, you may change your anchor(s). 

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At the minimum, you must prepare five sentences for Monday. My example below has 6 sentences. What to hand in on Monday:

ISSUE: Choose a specific issue—we brainstormed this in class. Examples might be impact of racism on education, health, life expectancy, economic or social opportunity, or safety. The relationship of racism to military service or police response. 

ANCHOR: Choose two anchors. You have several sources in your possession, and some are more appropriate choices as anchors than others. A previous blog post lists some of those covered in class. However, you are not limited to the sources we covered in class. Write 1-2 sentences for each and add the title and author in square brackets.

I SAY: Add your I Say view in 2 sentences. This is the part of your paper likely to shift the most as you continue researching your issue and thinking about it. This section, in fact should change. The goal of research is to explore an issue, to learn and grow in understanding, and to enter a conversation about ideas and issues beyond your personal experience. 

PLUS: You must include a précis for each of your anchor sources.

Jan Priddy

Ms. Priddy

Writing 121

12 February 2018

Our Extraordinary Experiment

ISSUE: The ideals of the United States were revolutionary, insisting on liberty and justice for all people, regardless of station in life. 

ANCHOR #1: Our nation was founded on the egalitarian notion that all people have the same rights to justice and opportunity. [NOTE: I plan to use a historical document to define this idealistic vision: The Declaration of Independence.] 

ANCHOR #2: More than one hundred and fifty years after federal law moved to make slavery illegal, we have not achieved equality for people of color. Too many of our white citizens have demonstrated active hostility to achieving equity. [Coates’s essay in The Atlantic, “The First White President”]

I SAY: The United States has made enormous advances in social justice, edging closer and closer to the idealistic vision at its founding. 

In many ways, we have failed to achieve our vision.