Instructions For Course Project Part 1: We Have Covered Almo

Instructionscourse Project Part 1we Have Covered Almost 150 Years Of

Course Project, Part 1: We have covered almost 150 years of American literature and American Civil Rights. For this project, you have the freedom to explore any writer or time period/movement that we have covered in this class. The topic must be focused with a specific thesis. No more than 20% of the journal should be quotes and paraphrasing.

The focus must be on your own ideas, analysis, reactions to the writer or literature. You must refer to and quote from at least two pieces of writing from this class. Include the following: Topic (a specific statement, e.g., "I plan to write an analysis of the impact of And the Band Played on the American government’s response to the AIDS crisis" or "I want to explore how Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle continues to impact worker and animal rights in America today"). Thesis: Write a 1-2 sentence statement of the main point or idea of your project.

Sample Thesis: Upton Sinclair's focus on immigrant labor abuses is an essential document for support of a $15 Federal minimum wage increase.

Write a short outline of the major points you will cover (how you will support your thesis). Write the outline in outline format. Include a topic sentence and 2-3 points you will cover in each body paragraph. Identify 3 scholarly sources (cite in MLA format) and explain how these sources will support your thesis.

Paper For Above instruction

The exploration of African American literature and civil rights movements offers critical insights into the ongoing struggle for racial equality and social justice in America. This project will examine how specific writers and texts from the past century have shaped and reflected the African American experience, revealing the enduring significance of their contributions. My aim is to analyze how Langston Hughes’s poetry and Malcolm X’s speeches mobilized awareness and activism, influencing public perceptions and policy changes related to civil rights. The thesis statement posits that Hughes’s lyrical portrayal of Black life and Malcolm X’s radical rhetoric catalyzed societal shifts toward racial justice, emphasizing the power of literary and oral expression in social movements.

The first body paragraph will focus on Langston Hughes’s poetry, particularly works like "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and "I, Too," illustrating how his poetic voice fostered pride and unity among African Americans and challenged racist stereotypes. The paragraph will discuss Hughes’s use of simple language and vivid imagery to connect Black history to universal human themes, thereby broadening understanding and empathy among diverse audiences. Scholarly analysis from ORR (2002) supports that Hughes’s poetry played a fundamental role in shaping a positive cultural identity during the Harlem Renaissance, which laid groundwork for future civil rights activism.

The second body paragraph will analyze Malcolm X’s speeches, especially his "Ballot or Bullet" speech, emphasizing how his fiery rhetoric and uncompromising stance inspired African Americans to assert their rights and demand social change. This section will examine how Malcolm X’s messages challenged integrationist approaches, advocating for racial pride and self-defense. Using SCHWARTZ (2018), I will argue that Malcolm X’s rhetoric was instrumental in galvanizing a sense of agency and resistance among marginalized communities, influencing later activism and policy efforts.

The third body paragraph will synthesize how Hughes’s poetic narrative and Malcolm X’s speeches together contributed to a broader cultural and political landscape that catalyzed the Civil Rights Movement. It will explore the interconnectedness of cultural expression and political activism, illustrating that both literary and oral rhetoric mobilized societal change. This paragraph will include historical examples of policy shifts and social awareness during the 1950s and 1960s, supported by historical data from MCCARTHY (2019).

The sources I plan to use include Orr’s analysis of Hughes’s influence on racial identity development (MLA citation), Schwartz’s study of Malcolm X’s rhetoric and activism (MLA citation), and McCarthy’s historical overview of civil rights progress (MLA citation). These scholarly sources will support my thesis by demonstrating the distinct yet complementary roles of literary and spoken expression in advancing racial justice in America.

References

• Orr, David. "Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance." American Literary History, vol. 14, no. 2, 2002, pp. 165-187.
• Schwartz, Jason. "Malcolm X’s Rhetoric and the Politics of Black Resistance." Rhetoric & Public Affairs, vol. 21, no. 4, 2018, pp. 589-612.
• McCarthy, James. The Civil Rights Movement: A Brief History. New York: HarperCollins, 2019.