John

Tiedemann
SJUS 2010
Midterm Exam
The exam

I. Write an argument of at least 750 words in response to ONE of the questions below.

1. Flesh out the definition of systemic racism that weve developed in class and apply it to an
incident that has occurred in the last five weeks. How does using the lens of systemic racism
help us to understand the meaning of that incident differently than we would if we were to
treat it merely as an isolated, individual injustice? The incident you choose may come from
the news or from personal experience or witness.

2. Weve noted that social justice activism has two dimensions, a practical, concrete one and
an artistic, visionary one. Define those two dimensions fully and then evaluate a specific
action by a contemporary or historical social justice activist or activist group. In your view,
what makes this action a particularly illuminating instance of the effective integration of
concrete pragmatism and imaginative vision? (You may refer here to an activist group we
have already discussed in class, provided that the specific action you analyze is not one that
youve already written about in your journal.)

II. Write an argument of at least 750 words in response to the question that you revised for class
today. Your argument should draw upon terms and concepts that weve developed in class, e.g.,
systemic racism, the philosophy of nonviolence, the beloved community, etc. Those terms/concepts
should be clearly and carefully defined, and they should carry through the whole of the essay, rather
than merely being dropped in here and there.

Audience

Imagine that youre writing to a group of high school seniors who are interested in joining the LLC
next year and want to learn more about core concepts of social justice. Some of those students are
already pretty well versed in the philosophy and history of social justice; others are much newer to
social justice. As a writer, then, your job is to be clear enough and thorough enough to insure that
the newbies can learn from you, while also being insightful and thoughtful enough to engage the
attention of the veterans.

Format, etc.

Post your exam in your Learning Journal by the start of next class.

Your essays should thoughtfully argued, clearly composed, and carefully proofread.

They should also be double-spaced and in Times New Roman 12, with an indent at the start of each
new paragraph.

Your responses may be longer than 750 words each, but, if theyre shorter than that, you can be
sure that youre not arguing in enough depth and detail. On the other hand, however, keep in mind
that youre turning in your exam to a writing teacher, and writing teachers are militantly opposed
to fluff and padding. So aim to be both thorough and concise.