MEMO

TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: KAREN THOMPSON CRYSTAL ZARATE ASSIGNMENT 4 PROSPECTUS OCTOBER 5, 2012

Today there are debates on whether society has changed since the founding fathers of the nation stated all men are equal. This memo revolves around the question: has society changed over the years regarding racism? The following memo will explain the topic of racism, the audience that may be attracted to the topic, and my research plan. The topic and question I plan to cover will probably fit in the category of culture, regarding class. Topic and Focus Questions For my topic racism is a general name given to the questions I want to cover. I am interested in examining society from all over the United States and researching on whether racism exists in a that region. Other questions I want to include are does racism exist everywhere? If racism does exist, what does it thrive on? Has society evolved from the past regarding racism? What evidence is there that racism does or does not exist? What do other people think? Is society slipping back into racism or are people more accepting? What influences racism? Is there something everyone can do to change or help reduce the idea of racism? Does racism exist on the University of Idaho campus? I am curious on this topic because I stumbled onto an article discussing the civil rights of blacks and immigrants. This got me thinking about past articles and trials, like the Trayvon vs. Zimmerman case. I also started to think of the University of Idaho and whether racism exists on campus or is it something different. With all of these subjects and readings coming to mind, I formulated questions about society today. Audience The topic of racism can attract a wide variety of people. With my topic being somewhat broad and controversial, I can attract anyone. I would think that more people in their 20s or 30s may read this. People probably of different education and have similar questions about this topic could be drawn into the article. Other potential readers, if I address the University of Idaho community, are people on campus or in Idaho in

general. The readers could generally be anyone, but the topic will probably draw in more controversy. When covering a topic like this, people can disagree and in a way attack the writer for their judgments or observations. Some people may become offensive and say that the article is entirely wrong. However, the article can also present people with a new aspect on the topic or maybe change how a person thinks. Research Plan and Sources For my research I am more or less going to be using news articles, and perhaps scholarly works regarding the topic at hand. I may also use observations on campus or things that I have observed in the past. I have already begun to use google news to find article revolving around the topic. Some sources that I have found are: E. Comas, Martin. "Nation Still Racially Divided, Panelists Agree In Sanford Forum." Orlando Sentinel [Orlando] 02 OCT 2012, Early ed. n. pag. Print. I am not entirely sure if I will use this; however, the article does give an idea on how some people think of racism today. With my topic I want to get different views and in the case of the article, this is provided. The article discusses how some people in the community believe that racism still exists and that it is a problem. The article continues to say that people should not blame the past for our actions today, but instead acknowledge the problem. Robertson, Campbell. "50 Years After Integration, Ole Miss Grapples With History.New York Times [New York City] 01 Oct 2012, Early ed. A16. Print. With the possibility of me covering perhaps a background or past look at racism, this article would be perfect. Plus I trust it because it is from the New York Times. The article discusses the James Meredith enrollment into the University of Mississippi. When Meredith enrolled into classes, Mississippi was racially integrated. The article goes on to talk about how Mississippi honors this integration and how they are addressing the problems today. Even though Mississippi has evolved there are still occasional problems; however, they choose to confront the universitys history and honor the progress that they have made over the years. Nowell, Angela. "Race and Racism." International Journal of Psychology. 47.Sup. 1 (2012): 657-661. Print. This journal covers quite a bit of information. The journal talks about a variety of situations in different parts of the country revolving around race and racism. The journal discuses experiences people have had, studies, the concept of diversity, impacts that

racism has made and a variety of other topics. This journal gives insight on people from all over the country and examines a variety of topics that would help in explanation. Considering this is a psychology journal, I do trust the work. Conclusion The topic of racism is a controversial item, but intriguing. I know from personal observation of people around me I feel there has been major differences, but there is still tension among people. Hopefully I can have a better understanding of why and in general the idea of the topic, and make readers think. Some personal concerns I have is if this topic is what you are looking for. I am debating on if I want to do this topic. I do find it interesting, but I personally try to stay away from somewhat controversial topics. Also I feel that the topic is broad. The questions above are, in a way, centralized. I have been doing research and trying to come up with a topic. This was maybe the first one I came up with, but I am unsure if I want to actually cover this topic. What if I stumble on another topic today or tomorrow, would I be able to change?