Essay Prompts for Black Lives Matter

2 pages essay about black lives matter . iam pro black lives matter

Write a 2.5+ page essay (12 times new roman, double spaced) that contains a 5 paragraph argument in response to one of the following:

• Does the Black Lives Matter movement indicate that ideas about a post-racial or colorblind society constitute a “false narrative” about the present state of race relations in America?
• Is David French correct in claiming that the “thesis” of the Black Lives Matter movement is based upon faulty evidence? If so, does he help to support the conservative argument that the racial divisions of the past are mostly removed from American society?
• Does the Black Live Matter campaign unnecessarily cause divisions based on race, or does it expose the deep-lying nature of existing divisions that need to be challenged and resolved?
• Is Black Lives Matter biased, or is it a campaign that seeks to challenge the bias of prejudice?

The paragraphs should contain the following:

• a summary of one or both of the authors’ arguments. If summarizing both, keep it tight. The summary, overall, should be a 6-8 sentence piece of writing. Finish your introduction paragraph with your thesis (overall claim + general reason). Try to use a transition word/phrase that shows that you are continuing on the discussion from what someone else or others are saying. Remember that you are addressing the prompt while bearing the ideas of others in mind.
• Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 should be guided by a supporting idea for your argument that you can back up with reasoning, evidence, examples. Use a topic statement to expressing this controlling idea. Remember that you can argue in the negative. For instance, if you can prove that something that French says is flawed and illogical, then you may be do so to support BLM, in general, or a point made by McFadden in particular.
• A conclusion: the handout on conclusions will help to highlight some strategies.

For please provide:

• a thesis statement that sets out your general stance and some overall reason for taking that position
• 3 x topic sentences that each show a solid supporting idea for your thesis

Thinking about topics to address in your argument

In order to make a strong argument in response to one of the prompts, you need to consider what you think about some of the topics and ideas that relate to BLM. These issues may be ones addressed by an author, or additional ones that you are bringing to the debate.

Whatever topic you wish to address, make sure that you have a reasoned claim about it that is your own. If disagreeing with someone, then explain or offer evidence for why. If agreeing, then do the same. Make sure that you add to what the author says by saying something else that has not yet been said by the author.

You may use one idea by McFadden to show why French is wrong, or vice-versa. But when doing so, make sure that your logical thinking is on show.

It is possible to spend the entire essay disproving the argument of someone else. For example, if you show that French’s argument has flaws in different areas, then you are proving that BLM has a strong case and that policing, specifically (and America, in general), is not colorblind.

You could also spend two paragraphs going against French or McFadden, and then a third supporting the author that you agree with (or, a third on something else you have to say about why BLM is on the right or wrong path).

OVERALL: there are a number of combinations of arguing against one or more authors, in addition to developing separate ideas, that you can make.

You may also just stick to talking about topics and ideas relating to them, without mentioning authors specifically. Here’s some topics to consider:

• Structural problems relating to race
• Anecdotal evidence
• Statistics
• Emotions and reasoning; subjective reactions and objective perspectives
• the idea of a colorblind or post-racial society
• the “phantom effects” of history
• the question of “unquestioned personhood”
• “racialized income inequality”
• Voting, schooling, and housing
• A society in which inter-personal relationships between the races involve tensions or divisions
• White privilege