Steven Jenkins Jr.
English Composition II
July 30, 2021
Touchstone 1.2: Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline
Research Question: How important is the “Black Lives Matter” movement?
Working Thesis Statement: The Black Lives Matter movement is more profound than just police brutality. It stems from a lack of reparations, systemic racism, and a continuous cycle of economic disadvantages for the black and brown community.
Detailed Outline:
I. Working thesis introduction
A. Hook with a history of slavery and some injustices that have accord against the black community.
B. Introduce the “BLM” movement and its importance to the black and brown community.
II. Lack of reparations
A. Define reparations
B. Give examples of when Holocaust survivors, Native Americans, even Japanese- Americans were given reparations.
Resources:
“‘Black communities have been robbed’: Will reparations for black Americans finally get real consideration?” by Meera Jagannathan
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/black-communities-have-been-robbed-will-reparations-for-black-americans-finally-get-real-consideration-2020-06-08
III. Systemic Racism
A. Define Systemic Racism
B. Racism in the Criminal Justice System- racial profiling in NYC
a. “Blackness is a proxy/substitute for criminality” Megan Ming Francis
C. Racism in the workspace – leads to economic disadvantages
Resources:
1. Let’s get to the root of racial injustice by Megan Ming Francis
2. “Studies show extensive racial profiling by the New York City Police” by the HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS
Study Shows Extensive Racial Profiling by New York City Police
3. “Workplace discrimination is illegal. But our data shows it’s still a huge problem.” By Maryam Jameel and Joe Yerardi
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/28/18241973/workplace-discrimination-cpi-investigation-eeoc
IV. Continuous cycle of economic disadvantages
A. Government assistance programs
B. Having less education leads to economic disadvantage
Resources:
1. “Racial Inequities Will Grow Unless We Consciously Work to Eliminate Them” by Kilolo Kijakazi, Jonathan Schwabish, and Margaret Simms.
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/racial-inequities-will-grow-unless-we-consciously-work-eliminate-them
2. “Disadvantage for Black Families Compounded by Economic Circumstances of Kin” by Beth Jarosz, Sung S. Park, Fabian T. Pfeffer
https://www.prb.org/disadvantage-for-black-families-compounded-by-economic-circumstances-of-kin/
3. “Why we must be bold on welfare reform” by Kay C. James
https://www.heritage.org/welfare/commentary/why-we-must-be-bold-welfare-reform
V. Police Brutality
A. Introduce the rise in police brutality over the years.
B. Causes of the rise- corrupt police officers and racism.
Resources:
1. “What the data say about police brutality and racial bias — and which reforms might work”
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01846-z
2. “‘ I Got Tired of Hunting Black and Hispanic People'”
VI. Counterargument
A. “All Lives Matter”- a response to “BLM.”
B. NFL player Richard Sherman’s view on all lives matter.
Resources:
1. “Why saying “all lives matter” communicates to Black people that their lives don’t” by Christina Capatides
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/all-lives-matter-black-lives-matter/
2. “Richard Sherman: As human beings, all lives matter.”
https://theundefeated.com/features/richard-sherman-as-human-beings-all-lives-matter/
VII. Conclusion
A. “BLM isn’t saying no one’s life matters, it is saying all lives can’t matter until black lives matter” – Ayana Lage
B. Emphasize the importance of the BLM movement and why it’s so crucial to the black and brown community.
Resources:
1. “Why saying “all lives matter” communicates to Black people that their lives don’t” by Christina Capatides
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/all-lives-matter-black-lives-matter/
Reflection Questions:
1. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you?
The most challenging part was finding research that exactly supported my topics and my claims. I found myself revising my topics a couple of times to use some of the resources I found.
2. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement.
My research question is asking how important is the “Black Lives Matter” movement. My working thesis shows the systemic racism against blacks, the economic resources afforded to black people or lack thereof, and the failure to provide reparations to black people are the actual issues at hand, not just police brutality. My working thesis lays a transparent foundation to answer my research question.
3. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented.
My argument is that black people have been at a disadvantage from the beginning of time. So many people say they have done everything they could to “help” us and created programs and reforms for us, but that’s a lie. A counterargument would be the response to BLM, which is All Lives Matter. Saying BLM can imply that all other lives don’t matter. However, the movement isn’t saying ONLY black lives matter; it’s saying because black lives don’t matter, all lives don’t matter.
4. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process?
Good feedback might be what other topics to include that could further defend my claim. A question I would have is what order I should write my paragraphs in to make it flow correctly.