You Decide Exercise

The goal of this exercise is to get students to understand the past and current racial issues, so that they may better understand the reason why affirmative action policies were developed. In the first part of the exercise, you will listen to short segments of "Remembering Jim Crow" on the American Radio Networks to gain a better understanding of how Black Americans were treated during the Jim Crow era. These recollections may help you to understand the racial divide that still exists among many Americans. The final part of the exercise will explore how those different viewpoints affect the current debate on legacy and affirmative action students.

Listen to the following short segments of "Remembering Jim Crow" on the American Radio Networks website:  http://www.americanradioworks.org/features/remembering/index.html

• Our Negroes were Happy --Mary Levaux (on the "Whites Remember Jim Crow" page)
• Missing Out on Slavery Leonard Barrow (on the "Whites Remember Jim Crow" page)
• Sharecropping --Amelia Robinson & Thomas Chatmon (on the "Bitter Times" page)
• Master had his Way Jessie Chassion (on the "Keeping the Past" page)
• Let's Move On Deanne and Smitty Landry (on the "Whites Remember Jim Crow" page)

1. Why do you think Mary Levaux believes what she does?

2. Based on the other clips, how would you dispute her argument?

3. Given the history of discrimination, what are the benefits of affirmative action?

4. What are the drawbacks of affirmative action?

5. Read this Wall Street Journal article: http://www.collegejournal.com/aidadmissions/newstrends/20030120-golden.html

According to a Department of Education report, the average Harvard legacy student is "significantly less qualified" than the average non- legacy student (Economist, 1/10/2004). Why do schools gives legacy children such an unfair advantage even though the benefactors are generally wealthy and white?

6. Should schools and/or employers base admissions/hiring solely on merit or are affirmative action and legacy programs worthwhile?

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