MLK Synthesis Essay

Due Monday, November 17^th

Task: Considering several of the pieces we have read in this unit, evaluate the progress Americans have made towards realizing the dream expressed in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech. Consider not only the lives of African Americans before and after the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, but also the scope of King’s dream: is his dream big enough? Is his dream even worth pursuing? Support your thesis with direct quotations from multiple texts (a minimum of three sources from class, plus one additional source from independent research), properly formatted in MLA style.

Typed. Double Spaced. Twelve point. No blank lines between paragraphs, except to indicate a major shift in tone or setting. Include the appropriate header on every page. Four – seven pages. Don’t forget a title.

Required:

·      Include at least one sentence that employs a colon, used to create a specific effect. Underline your sentence with a colon  .

·      A minimum of two synthesis paragraphs

·      A minimum of three classroom sources

·      A minimum of one additional source from independent research

·      Properly formatted Works Cited Page

Suggested: End with a plan of action for the future. Employ anaphora in your conclusion.

Audience: 1) The editor of a nationally published magazine. 2) The well-educated readers of that magazine. 3) Yourself.

Purpose: 1) To explore contemporary issues of race and gender through the lens of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “Dream.” 2) To evaluate the current state of race and gender relations in America or the world at large. 3) To suggest a plan of action for the future.

How to approach this paper:

·      Develop an opinion on this subject.

·      Gather evidence (from our texts and from research) to support your opinion. This is an argument; therefore, personal experience is valid evidence and first person is an acceptable POV.

·      Create clear, defensible topic sentences.

·      Draft paragraphs with two quotations or examples to support your topic sentences.

·      Draft paragraphs with an eye towards ethos, pathos, and logos.

·      Proofread to ensure your quotations are properly formatted and cited.

·      Create your Works Cited page.