Complete the following requirements

Reflection Essay:  Race & Privilege

Assignment:  After reading James Baldwin’s essay, “Notes of a Native Son,” and Vincent Ruggiero’s Beyond Feelings chapter, “Who Are You?” please write no less than 1,000 words examining, analyzing, and evaluating your understanding of race, privilege, and how you see and/or don’t see the various ways in which these two things work together.  Please also include a personal example from your life that formed your understanding of these two concepts (race & privilege).  How does that memory relate to the larger issues of race and privilege?

Requirements:

1. 1,000 – 1,500 words, plus a Cover page, Abstract page, and References page.

2. You MUST include a personal example from your own experience to help illustrate these concepts.

3. You MUST incorporate evidence from the two texts (Ruggiero & Baldwin).

4. NO other sources for this essay please.

5. No Block Quotes.

6. Strict adherence to APA formatting (12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins all around, double-spaced, etc.).

Assumptions Made by this Assignment:  This assignment makes the assumption that race and privilege are inextricably related.  In your essay, you are welcome to argue that this assumption is wrong, but you will be required to provide academic (evidence from a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal) proof of this.  If you choose to go this route, then clearly you can incorporate outside sources.

The successful paper will do the following:

· Focus on the topics provided with adequate examples/examination of these topics

· Provide evidence (quotes) that demonstrate the theme/topic you’re analyzing

· Demonstrate critical thinking, reading, and writing skills by making sound claims and supporting them with evidence in an organized and logical manner

· Present a clear, arguable thesis statement in the introduction that identifies one’s general understanding of the ways race and privilege are connected

· Have well organized paragraphs with clear topic sentences

· Effectively use transitions between paragraphs and ideas

· Support the thesis statement and other claims with textual evidence and examples

· Come to a conclusion that moves beyond summary

· Effectively synthesize textual material via quotations

Please Do NOT:

· Use quotes that are longer than 3 lines – No Block Quotes Please.

· Devote one or more paragraphs to personal background information. Your first body paragraph must jump immediately into your argument and support your thesis.  Any background information you include must be integrated into the introduction and precede the thesis OR be integrated into a body paragraph to help provide context for a point you are trying to make.

· Make any judgments – This paper should contain no “should” or “should not” claims.