Unit One

Syllabus - Unit One

The Civil Rights Movement: From Boycotts to Black Power

In this unit we will examine the civil rights movement, looking at specific instances like the clash between segregationists and integrationists in Little Rock and other places throughout the South, Freedom Summer, and the formation of militant organizations like the Black Panther Party later in the decade. For your first writing assignment, you will write a 4-5 page rhetorical analysis of some piece of rhetoric stemming from this movement. You will be provided with a packet of possible choices, though you may select your own argument to analyze if you first get my approval. This writing assignment will require you to assess a piece in its own rhetorical context, to some extent putting your own opinions aside.

This syllabus is subject to change. Please check it online.

Date	Agenda	Assignment
Wednesday January 18	Introduction to course. Historical background. Historical background Powerpoint.	Read Chapters 1 and 2, "Reasoning, Are You For It or Against it?" and "Invention: Places, Paths, and Structures of Reasoning" pp. 1-47, in C & E . Type up responses to reading questions. Read Statement on Scholastic Responsibility online. Be prepared to sign form indicating that you have read and understood it in class on Monday.
Monday January 23	What is rhetoric? What is an argument? Stasis theory Ethos, pathos, logos, and the rhetorical triangle. Rhetorical concepts Powerpoint.	Review pp. 26-32 in C & E. Read “’Past as Prologue,’” “In Lott’s Life, Long Shadows of Segregation,” and “Racism and the G.O.P.” in the CP. Read short excerpt from “A Taste of the World,” “Black Monday: Segregation or Amalgamation,” “The Long Shadow of Little Rock,” and “ Little Rock Warriors Thirty Years Later” in the CP. Register for the course forums here. You will need to do this to complete a short assignment by Monday. You user name should be your first and last name.
Wednesday January 25	Review rhetorical concepts. Rhetoric and the civil rights movement: conflict and controversy continue. Integrating Central High in Little Rock. The civil rights movement before 1960.	Read excerpt from“Nashville” and the “Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Statement of Purpose” in the CP. Read Ch. 9 in T, “How to Write a Critical Analysis” pp. 94-98. Read Ch. 8 in C & E, “Becoming a Citizen Critic” pp. 121-138.
Monday January 30	Rhetorical analyses and Essay1. Review ethos, pathos, logos, and stases. Rhetorical analysis example. The sit-ins. The formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).	Read “Last Supper,” “Mr. Greyhound,” and “Interview with Robert Zellner” in the CP. Read Ch. 1 in T, “Thinking Well” pp. 3-12.
Wednesday February 1	Freedom Rides. Young white students in the movement. Continue practicing rhetorical analysys.	Read Ch. 2 in T., “Getting Launched” pp. 13-24. Read “The March on Washington,” and “I Have a Dream” in the CP. Complete topic proposal.
Monday February 6	Discuss topic proposals. Topic proposals due. The March on Washington. Discuss controversy over John Lewis's speech.	Read excerpt from “Snick,” “Feel Angry With Me,” and “Letters from Mississippi” in the CP. Here are some tips for your rough draft. They will download as a word document.
Wednesday February 8	Topic proposals returned. Mississippi Summer project. Conflicts between young activists and established organizations. SNCC's changing politics.	Read “Selma Freedom Day,” excerpt from “Power for Black People,” and “Bloody Sunday” in the CP. Read “The Time has Come,” “Black Belt Election,” “LowndesCounty Freedom Organization,” and “How the Black Panther Party was Organized” in the CP. Do forum posting.
Monday February 13	SNCC in Selma, AL. Challenges to non-violence. Lowndes County, AL, and the beginnings of Black Power. SNCC's changing politics continued. Integrating quotations Powerpoint.	Complete Rough draft of Essay 1. Bring an electronic copy of your draft on Wednesday. Read chs. 3, 4, and 5 in T, “Openers,” “Middles,” and “Closers” pp. 25-52. Read “Revising” and “Proofreading” pp. 99-104 in T.
Wednesday February 15	Rough drafts of Essay 1 due. Paragraphing strategies--this will download as a word document. You will find it useful throughout the course. Revising with audiences in mind.	Read Ch. 7, “Readability,” pp. 64-81 in T. Read “Power!,” “From Black Consciousness to Black Power,” “The Basis of Black Power,” and “A Nation of Law?” in the CP.
Monday February 20	Civil rights in urban areas. Black Power and black identity. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.	Work on Final Draft of Essay 1. Read “The Black Panther Platform,” “Fred Speaks,” and “Seize the Time” in the CP.
Wednesday February 22	Response Paper 1 deadline. The Black Panther Party continued. Are civil rights the same as human rights? Rough drafts returned.	Complete final draft of Essay 1--due Monday.