Focus II: Black America
When dealing with blacks in America there are three things that must be kept in mind. First, not many were immigrants. The vast majority were abducted from their homes and forced to work under threat of death.
Second, as slaves they were stripped of their original identity and kept in ignorance for centuries.
Third, they were and are a minority no larger than slightly more than 12-13 percent of the total population. Their history is unique among Americans.
Read more in Access to English: Social Studies, pp. 356-369. Then work with the tasks in the textbook and here on the website.
How parents talk to their African-American sons about the police
As communities around the nation grapple with questions of race and police brutality, a New York Times short documentary asks parents of African-American boys what they say to their sons about how to respond if stopped by police.
Growing up black
In this short documentary, young black men explain the particular challenges they face growing up in America. (New York Times)
Extra Tasks
Links
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Black History Milestones (History.com)
(history.com) -
Black America’s Story, Told Like Never Before (National Geographic)
(nationalgeographic.com) -
Statistics on African Americans (Pew)
(pewresearch.org) -
Divided America: Diversity (AP)
(ap.org) -
Being Black in America Can Be Hazardous to Your Health (The Atlantic)
(theatlantic.com) -
A Letter From Black America (Politico)
(politico.com) -
Black Lives Matter (official site of the movement)
(blacklivesmatter.com) -
An open letter to the NFL's owners (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
(theguardian.com)
