The blurb to The Tradition states that the collection "questions why and how we’ve become accustomed to terror: in the bedroom, the classroom, the workplace, and the movie theater. From mass shootings to rape to the murder of unarmed people by police, Brown interrupts complacency by locating each emergency in the garden of the body, where living things grow and wither--or survive." Increasingly, young black men in the United States are fearful, and, unfortunately, there have been cases where those fears have been justified. "Entertainment Industry" and "Bullet Points" by Jericho Brown examine some fears that young black Americans have about their lives in American society.
Write an essay of a minimum of 900 words on Jericho Brown's poems "Entertainment Industry" and "Bullet Points." How does these poems illustrate the fears and experiences of many black men in contemporary America. Use evidence from the two articles given as support and additional information about how young black men are seen and treated in America and how those perceptions affect them. Use the articles to explain and illustrate the significant meaning of the poems. Do not write the essay on the articles themselves. Instead, use relevant details and examples from the articles to support the argument about the meaning of the poems. The essay must be in MLA format.
Primary Sources
- "Bullet Points"
- "Entertainment Industry"
- Brown, Jerocho. The Tradition. Copper Canyon Press, 2019.
Secondary Sources
- Interview with Jericho Brown where he discusses his reasons for beginning The Tradition with "Ganymede"
- Educators and Race: A Conversation with Author Ijeoma Oluo on Tackling Systemic Racism in U.S. Education
- One black, one white: power, white privilege, & creating safe spaces
- My white friend asked me to explain white privilege, so I decided to be honest
- "Racism is a Serious Problem in the United States" (from Opposing Viewpoints)
- Essay map on how to organize an essay on two poems with a common theme.
- Example an essay on two poems with a common theme.
Requirements
- Length: Your essay must be a minimum of 900 words.
- Documentation Format: You must include an MLA formatted Works Cited page that includes correctly formatted internal citations for the poems and the additional resources.
- Sources: You are restricted to the poems "Entertainment Industry" and "Bullet Points" and the additional resources included here. You must use at least two of the additional resources as supporting evidence.
- Format: The essay must be in MSWord format (.doc or .docx)
- Keep the lead brief: Three or four sentences
- What are some examples of the "terrors" that people face in contemporary America? What are people afraid of? (not just black men, but all Americans)
- "Entertainment Industry" by Jericho Brown [examines, explores, reveals, . . . ] reactions to fears of mass shootings.
- "Bullet Points" by Jericho Brown [examines, explores, reveals, . . . ] what reactions to specific fears that young black men have?
- Include specific details from each poem that explain the fears young black men have and/or their reactions to those fears.
- Include specific details from "Racism is a Serious Problem in the United States" that justify the fears of young black men.
- Include specific details from "Racism is a Serious Problem in the United States" that explain the reactions of young black men to situations.
- Include specific details from "'Don't Ever Forget Now, You're a Black Man in America': Intersections of Race, Class and Gender In Encounters with the Police" that justify the fears of young black men.
- Include specific details from "'Don't Ever Forget Now, You're a Black Man in America': Intersections of Race, Class and Gender In Encounters with the Police" explain the reactions of young black men to situations.
- Be sure to connect the examples and explanations in the supporting articles to specific details in each poem.
- Call to Action: The need to make changes to society
- Empathy: Understanding and support for those who feel threatened
Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify the author and line number for the poems and author for the article. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.Students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 900 words.
The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the poems (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the poems); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.For this essay, students may use a dictionary to help with words with which they are not familiar but should not refer to the dictionary definitions in the essay. Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify the author and line number for the poems and author or authors for any articles or other resources. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.
Students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 900 words.The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the poems (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the poems); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.
Essay Map
Introduction
Lead
Thesis
The thesis statement should focus on the fears that young black American men face in contemporary society.
"Entertainment Industry" and "Bullet Points" by Jericho Brown [examine, explore, reveal, . . . . ) something about the fears young Black men face. What Significant, Important, Relevant, or Valuable experiences affect young Black men?
Body
Topic Sentences
Create a topic sentence specific to each poem. (You may do the poems in whatever order makes sense to you. Just be certain that they follow the same order in the thesis as in the body of the essay.)
Supporting Details
Remember: The essay is an explication of the poems. Use the information from the articles to illuminate and explain the situations described in each of the poems. Do not make the essay about the articles or about racism or the ways in which blacks are treated except as those relate to the poems.
Conclusion
There are two possibilities for concluding the essay (or you may include both options within your conclusion):
