What does Loewen say is the most pervasive theme
in American history?
How does the author’s version of American
settlement differ from the more commonly taught versions?
According to this, how were the Civil Rights Acts
(1866 and 1964) received by politicians?
What was the “Willie Horton incident” that George
Bush was linked with?
Loewen addresses the use of popular media to
influence conceptions of race. Consider
the examples he presented: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” “Birth of a Nation, ” “The Jazz Singer,” and “Gone with the Wind.” How did they present race? What examples in popular media of recent
years exist that deal with issues of race?
Were any of them popular or successful? Which ones “made it big”?
What was the “magnolia myth”?
Has time changed the way textbooks write about
race in American history?
What were Southern apologetics?
What role is Wall Street described as having in
northern slavery? Did such places exist
elsewhere?
What does the author describe as slavery’s twin
legacies to the present?
What are the social structure and the
superstructure of slavery? Which is more insidious?
Was
How did this appropriation of American history
affect us? What were the main ideas
instilled in us?
“Anything bad in American history happened
anonymously.” American history is full of heroes. Loewen points out that even our greatest
heroes committed acts of great cowardice and cruelty. How do you react to that? Is it news to you? How might these truths affect our world
standing today?
How did slavery affect our actions in terms of foreign
policy in the
Slavers had great political influence. What term might we apply to them today? Are there any organizations/institutions
today that we would term similarly? What
were some incidents that involved fighting for slavers’ interests?
What do you make about historians’ use of spin to
create heroes and to diminish controversy?
How were Democrats and
Republicans characterized and how does that compare to today?
What was Reconstruction? What did it stand for? How do Loewen’s
revelations affect its importance?
Consider the excerpt from Myrdal’s
history text: “the Negro problem is predominantly a white…problem.” How might
that have been interpreted in 1944 when it was written? Could the same reasoning be applied to
problems of race today?
What were some of the events that occurred during
“the nadir of American race relations”?
What do you think of the author’s sociological
definition of racism:
A
system of racial etiquette that keeps the oppressed group separate from the
oppressor, when both are doing equal tasks, like learning the multiplication
tables, but allows intimate closeness when the tasks are hierarchical, like
cooking and cleaning for white employers.
What purpose
does revealing these “truths” about American history now? How does this affect you and your future
educational endeavors?
Do you encounter institutionalized racism or
self-segregation at school or work? Is
this social choice or social programming?