Frederick Douglass Project (50 points)

In groups, you will create ONE presentation about one of the following subjects:

1. Songs: Find some slave spirituals (see Ch. 2). Discuss the meaning of these songs and examine why they were likely to
be sung, especially considering what Douglass says and what slave owners say. You should present the lyrics to the class
in addition to listening to a portion of the song(s), and your group should offer interpretations of them. Additionally,
find parallel examples in present-day music, and demonstrate how and why the two examples are connected.

2. Argument: Present an overview of the arguments Americans used both for and against slavery in the years before the
Civil War. Analyze and discuss the arguments, including how Douglass attempts to debunk them. Your presentation
should address the religious arguments, economic arguments, and any others you may find. What arguments from our
current historical moment seem to mirror these arguments? Choose an example, and make the connections between the
arguments clear (how are they alike? What kinds of assumptions do they share? What argumentative and rhetorical
strategies?)

3. Poetry: Choose one nineteenth-century poem written by a black American about slavery, and one poem, either from
the Civil Rights/Freedom Movement Era, or from our contemporary moment. Share each poem with the class,
providing a handout with the poems on them (I will do the copying). Then, in your presentation, be sure you
- Give us basic biographical information about the poet
- read the poems to the class
- compare and contrast the poems diction (word choice) and themes (any anything else you find significant)
- lead a brief discussion of the poems with your classmates

4. Language: Do some research to find out what makes Douglasss narrative special in terms of language. Present this
information, offering examples from the text to illustrate any key definitions you find. What makes his language different
from other slave narratives? What makes his language worth studying? As weve learned from our outside reading,
personal narratives are often used to political ends. Try to find a recent example (it doesnt have to be a book, it can be a
film, although it does need to be nonfiction, or based on a true story) where a personal narrative (think: Some
Thoughts on Mercy) makes a political point.

Reading for Context

For each of these subjects, I will expect you to make connections between the historical era (nineteenth century) and the
present day. Below youll find several articles that will help you to bridge the historical with the contemporary. You will
likely need to do additional outside research for this project; make sure that you are using reputable, scholarly
and substantive sources.

Journalism and Historical Background

Ta-Nehisi Coates: Fear of a Black President and My President Was Black

Short Documentary: Rhythm of Society: The Connection Between Hip Hop and Negro Spirituals
TedX: How Banning the Drum Gave Birth to American Music
Thomas Wentworth Higgins Negro Spirituals
Library of Congress: African American Song
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Frederick Douglass
History 120: The Debate Over Slavery
Carol Anderson White Rage [Packet #2]

( in Packet #1)
Shakespeares Darker Sister Rafia Zafar
White Supremacy and Black Solidarity Tommie Shelby
Rogue Blackness W. T. Lhamon, Jr.
The Slave Narrative Caille Miller
What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July Liam Kennedy

19th Century African-American Poetry

The Tears of a Slave, Ebon Venus and Address to Slavery from various black-owned newspapers
William Slade The Slave to his Star
Phillis Wheatley: On Being Brought from Africa to America; A Farewell to America
James Monroe Whitefield: The Misanthropist, Ode for the Fourth of July, How Long
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: Bible Defense of Slavery, The Slave Auction, Learning to Read
George Moses Horton: On Liberty and Slavery, The Southern Refugee, George Moses Horton, Myself, The Slaves
Complaint, and A Slaves Reflection the Eve Before His Sale

Poets and Poems of the Civil Rights / Freedom Movement Era

http://www.crmvet.org/poetry/poemhome.htm

Some Contemporary Poets / Poems

Danez Smith: alternate names for black boys, Dinosaurs in the Hood
Marcus Wicker: Animal Farm
francine j harris: first, take a fistful of hair
Phillip B Williams: Vision in which the Final Blackbird Disappears
Mahogany L. Browne: Black Girl Magic (video)
Khadijah Queen: _________ my loved blackness & some blackness I knew
Carl Phillips: Blue
Toi Derricotte: Blackbottom
Parneshia Jones: What Would Gwendolyn Brooks Do

Personal Essays [Packet #2]

Blacker Than Thou Kevin Young

Message to My Daughters Edwidge Danticat
Homegoing, AD Kima Jones
Da Art of Storytellin (a prequel) Kiese Laymon
Cracking the Code Jesmyn Ward
The Dear Pledges of Our Love: A Defense of Phillis Wheatley's Husband Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

Presentation requirements
1. No less than 5 minutes, no more than 7 minutes.
2. All group members must speak and carry themselves professionally.
3. An interesting and attractive visual aid is required (PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides).
4. A MLA-formatted Works Cited page must be turned in.
5. Presentations should have a beginning, middle, and end.
6. Content should be well-researched and accurate.
7. Students will take notes over the content.

Presentation Dates:
October 12th , possibly 16th

Group Presentation Criteria Points

Content is well-researched and accurate (10 pts)

All group members speak loudly, clearly, and with an appropriate vocabulary (10
pts)
All group members carry themselves with professional conduct (5 pts)

Visual aid is easy-to-read, informative, and attractive (5 pts)

Presentation has a beginning, middle, and end (5 pts)

The Works Cited page follows MLA format and uses reliable sources (15 points)

Project is outside of 7-10 minutes (-5)

TOTAL SCORE out of 50