Showing posts with label African American history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African American history. Show all posts

Monday, February 20, 2012

TRAX, No. 1

TRAX is a new feature I’m adding to my blog as a way to share ideas and resources that, for lack of time, I can’t develop into a longer, single-themed post (though sometimes I might pick them up later). Every week or so I’ll collect a few resources that have fired up my neurons. I hope that you will enjoy them and find them useful. This feature will also allow me to update previous posts with the occasional stray item.

Here’s what HistoryLynx has tracked down for this week:
  • In Memory of Anthony Shadid
  • Documents for Sale  [Black History Month topic]
  • History, Hockey, and the Holocaust
Sadly, this post begins with the passing of a talented journalist, whose dispatches from the Middle East I’ve listed many times in the RESOURCES and NOTES sections of previous posts.

In Memory of Anthony Shadid (1968-2012)

Thank you, Anthony, for all your great work.
My heartfelt sympathy to your family, especially to Nada and your children.
May all who mourn find peace and comfort.

Anthony Shadid was a hero, with a true calling. Intrepidly, to the very end, he reported from the frontlines of history--for the benefit of all of us. We could not ask for a more reliable witness. A hundred years from now historians will still probing the corners of the tragic conflicts, thwarted hopes, inspired awakenings, and amazing resilience of the people of our era. They will slip into the archives and find deeply moving stories of ordinary people, stories preserved only because Anthony Shadid listened to them. Then he shared their stories with us, planting seeds of empathy. His depth of knowledge about the peoples, cultures, and histories of the Middle East has enriched all who care about the heritage and the future of this region, where deep traditions converge and replenish each other.
  
"For the first time in a long time, we have the ability to imagine and, of course,
more importantly, to forge a new reality through that imagination."
 
Anthony Shadid, Address at the American University in Beirut (June 2011)


Eventually, I intend to write an extended essay about Shadid’s journalism–his storytelling, reporting, and analysis–and the debt future historians of the Middle East will owe to him. In the meantime, here are a few selected resources. Tributes abound on the Web–just Google "Anthony Shadid." Sample these and share excerpts with your students, or better yet, send your students to explore what Shadid’s friends and colleagues are saying about his work and its impact on their own endeavors.

　

RESOURCES: "Remembering Anthony Shadid." New York Times (Interactive): http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/17/world/middleeast/Anthony-Shadid-Remembrance.html?hp
  • Tributes from friends and colleagues
  • Links to Shadid’s articles in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Boston Globe

TIMES TOPICS: "Anthony Shadid (1968-2012). New York Times: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/anthony_shadid/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=shadid&st=cse

Gladstone, Rich. "At Work in Syria, Times Correspondent Dies." New York Times (16 February 2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/world/middleeast/anthony-shadid-a-new-york-times-reporter-dies-in-syria.html?ref=middleeast

"Anthony Shadid." Editorial. New York Times (17 February 2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/opinion/anthony-shadid.html?scp=2&sq=shadid&st=cse

Farhi, Paul and Mary Beth Sheridan. "Correspondent Anthony Shadid, 43, Dies in Syria." Washington Post (16 February 2012): http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/correspondent-anthony-shadid-43-dies-in-syria/2012/02/16/gIQAo2NyIR_story.html?sub=AR
  • Access to photo gallery (10 slides, links to discussion of Shadid’s work and to tributes from colleagues
Goodwin, Michele. "Goodbye, Anthony Shadid …" Chronicle of Education (17 February 2012): http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/goodbye-anthony-shadid%e2%80%a6/44130?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en


  • Heart-warming account by a close friend, who recalls t their undergrad days at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Johnson, Kayla. "Reporting Giant Anthony Shadid Dead at 43." Daily Cardinal (17 February 2012): http://host.madison.com/daily-cardinal/news/reporting-giant-anthony-shadid-dead-at/article_97a15b16-5941-11e1-9a0a-001871e3ce6c.html?tw_p=twt
  • For photo of Shadid at work at the Daily Cardinal in the 1980s

Balaghi, Shiva. "Our Friend Anthony Shadid’s Stories." Jadaliyya (17 February 2012): http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/4417/our-friend-anthony-shadids-stories
  • Nada Bakri (Shadid’s widow, also a New York Times reporter), responded to this piece: "Shiva, what you wrote is beautiful. I take so much solace in your words."
  • "Jadaliyya is an independent ezine produced by ASI (Arab Studies Institute), the umbrella organization that produces Arab Studies Journal (www.ArabStudiesJournal.org)" and "combines local knowledge, scholarship, and advocacy with an eye to audiences in the United States, the Arab world, and beyond."  Published in Arabic and English.

Anthony Shadid’s memoir, House of Stone (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), will be released early, on February 28th. You can read an excerpt on the New York Times web site (published in the Sunday Review section on 18 February 2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/opinion/sunday/house-of-stone.html

  • It begins with the immigration of the Shadid family to America as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing–so a valuable primary source to use at that point in a WORLD HISTORY course or to bring the story of Arab immigrants into a UNITED STATES HISTORY classroom.

Also of special interest is the transcript of the speech he gave when awarded an honorary doctorate by the American University in Beirut: "Honorary Doctorate Recipient Anthony Shadid’s Address" (June 2011):
http://www.aub.edu.lb/commencement/program/Documents/Anthony-Shadid.pdf


Documents for Sale  
Whenever I hear that priceless historical documents are being foisted onto the auction block, I get a chill. Where will they end up? Will the integrity of a set of related documents be preserved for future historians and curators? Or will they float off to many different homes, making the work of future historians more difficult? If they land in the hands of private collectors, will they be misplaced or perhaps even forgotten?

On March 1st Swann Auction Galleries will offer for sale a treasure trove of documents collected by civil rights activists Clarence Mitchell, Jr., his wife Juanita Jackson Mitchell, and her mother Lillie Jackson. One folder of 200 documents is focused on the "Red Summer of 1919." There are also news releases and other items relating to the Joint Committee to Secure Equal Justice for Colored Riot Defendants and the National Conference on Lynching.

What makes these documents so special is that they have the potential to shed new light on events that occurred nearly 100 years ago. For example, original press releases may have hand-written notes or the published versions may not have survived.

Also for sale is a special "poster" created by Clarence Mitchell. He had received a copy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 from Senator Claiborne Pell, one of its sponsors. Mitchell cut it into strips, then turned these into a collage for his office.   Art and politics and history–all hanging right on the wall.

Do your students think that the civil rights movement began in the 1950s? If they haven’t heard about the tumultuous events of 1919, send them to the Web to find out what transpired during the "Red Summer of 1919." Their research might focus on Chicago, Washington, DC, or Elaine, Arkansas (where the tenor to the times was explosive) or any of the nearly 40 cities where riots or outbreaks of violence occurred. Here is an opportunity to delve into local history so encourage research in local archives, copies of local newspapers, and documents residing in public libraries or historical societies. A project initiate now (after all, it is Black History month) can extend right to the end of the school year (research, drafting, revising, "publishing" the final product).

This is a topic for the WORLD HISTORY classroom, too, an excellent opportunity to link American history to a global context. Cameron McWhirter, in his recently published book Red Summer, argues that the awakening of 1919 was the birth of the civil rights movement. The global context is the dissatisfaction of black veterans after World War I and increasing tensions that had begun during the war years–when sharecroppers in the south had benefitted from higher cotton prices. Students can learn a great deal from listening to McWhirter talking about his book and from online book reviews. Teachers and advanced students may profit from listening to the longer Book TV program in its entirety.

RESOURCES:

"Papers Tell History of Civil Rights Era." New York Times (16 February 2012):
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/arts/design/documents-of-the-civil-rights-era-all-about-rich-dogs.html?scp=1&sq=papers%20tell%20history%20of%20civil%20rights%20era&st=cse

"Red Summer (1919)." Part of the PBS webpage, "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow." PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_red.html

  • Good place for students to start their research
  • Box on right reminds teachers that Claude McKay’s poem, "If We Must Die," was inspired by the fatalities of 1919–so this is a topic for LITERATURE as well as HISTORY teachers (an excellent example of the relationship between history and the fine arts)
  • Check out links to related pages (lower right-hand corner)
    　
  
"Red Summer of 1919." Wikipedia (last modified 31 January 2012): http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_Summer_of_1919&oldid=474245268
  • Scroll down to "Chronology" section for list of cities where riots/confrontations occurred (then students can select any of these for more intensive research).
  • "References" section includes links to large set of New York Times articles from 1919 (more convenient than searching the paper’s online archives–though such a exercise would sharpen students’ digital skills).
       
McWhirter, Cameron. Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America. New York: Henry Holt, 2011). Check out these reviews:

"How the 'Red Summer' of 1919 Sparked the Civil Rights Movement." John Hockenberry and Celeste Headlee interview with Cameron McWhirter. The Takeaway (19 July 2011): http://www.thetakeaway.org/2011/jul/19/how-red-summer-1919-sparked-civil-rights-movement/

  • AUDIO: Just a few seconds over 9 minutes, so easily inserted into a lesson plan (for students a welcome change of pace)

"Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America." Book TV (2011?; 1 hour, 4 mins.): 
http://www.booktv.org/Watch/12746/Red+Summer+The+Summer+of+1919+and+the+Awakening+of+Black+America.aspx

  • McWhirter, speaking in Atlanta at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
  • Too long for most typical classrooms but the first few minutes could introduce the topic (the author begins with Claude McKay’s poem and the experience that it encapsulates)–for example, in an American literature or history class
Especially for English/literature teachers: a new book of poems, Red Summer, by Amaud Jamaul Johnson (Tupelo Press, 2006): http://www.tupelopress.org/books/redsummer
  • Five are poems reproduced on this page–for students to discuss along with Claude McKay’s classic

History, Hockey, and the Holocaust
In the sports section of Sunday’s New York Times there's a fascinating article about Evan Kaufmann, a young hockey player on the German national team. If you teach in any of the hockey-crazy communities of the US and Canada, you’ll hit the puck right into the net when you ask students to discuss Evan’s story. With this article you can craft a lesson about hockey, the Holocaust, identity, and forgiveness. (I’m recommending it for young people’s classes in synagogues and churches, not just for social studies and history in ordinary schools.)
 
Born in Minnesota, Evan Kaufmann played hockey for the University of Minnesota. When he didn’t get a spot on a National Hockey League team, he pounced on the chance to go pro in Germany. For Kaufman this was a return to the land of his ancestors–his Jewish ancestors. A great-grandfather and a great-grandmother died in the Holocaust, but his grandfather and great-aunt survived and emigrated to America.
 
Yet Evan Kaufman is proud to wear the German jersey, a jersey with the German flag on it. The Germans placed him on a fast-track to citizenship so, even though he admits to feeling more American--having lived in Germany for only four years, he is also committed to his new identity. That doesn’t mean he wants to forget the past: "Obviously, you never want to forget." But he can forgive: "I’m not going to hold it against a whole country for what happened long ago. You’re never going to move forward if you keep doing that."
 
RESOURCE: Jeré Longman, "A Jewish Hockey Player at History’s Indelible Crossroad," New York Times (18 February 2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/sports/a-jewish-american-hockey-player-at-historys-indelible-crossroad.html?scp=1&sq=longman%20history's%20crossroad&st=cse
 
DISCUSS: What is life like for Evan and other Jews living in Germany? Is there a conflict between Evan’s Jewish identity and his German citizenship? What do other Jews think about his decision (play hockey in Germany, accept German citizenship)? What does Evan think his grandfather would approve or disapprove? What did his teammate Patrick Reimer mean when he said, "There is still a barrier in the head" ? Point out that Reimer doesn’t use the term Holocaust but refers to it as "what happened 70 years ago."
 
RESEARCH: The article mentions several Jewish athletes of the past and present (Germans or players on German teams): hockey player Rudi Ball, whose team won a bronze medal in 1932; soccer player Julius Hirsch, killed at Auschwitz; champion high jumper Margaret Bergmann Lambert, who was kept off the team in 1936 (now 97 and living in Queens, New York); swimmer Sarah Poewe (born in South Africa); soccer forward Itay Schechter, an Israeli. Send students to the web to find out about their stories and sports careers and then publish what they’ve learned on a class bulletin board (real or virtual). HINT: In additionto Googling, go directly to the New York Times site and search the archives (you’ll find several items about Margaret Bergmann Lambert).
   

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Update: Week II (2011)

First, a clarification about sources: names in bold are web sites (e.g. BBC News) while those in italics or underlined are in print (or I’m using the print version). Material from many print sources, however, is available online, including articles in major newspapers. For example, you can always search the New York Times web site (http://www.nytimes.com/), using the byline and key words from the headline (though NYT print and online headlines are not always identical).

Please look for an addition to the format: some posts now have notes, with citations and/or comments that do not fit easily into the main text. Look for these either BEFORE or AFTER the lists of resources. Find notes for this Update at the end. (In the future I’ll try to be more consistent about this.)

Black History Month

Two recent posts link current events to Black History Month themes. These exemplify the kind of links that the Lynx finds most intriguing–the unexpected ones. Check-out the following posts:
  • Martin Luther King and Cairo (Feb 13)
  • Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, and the ‘Italian Street’ (Feb 14)
For the influence of Martin Luther King on Egyptian protesters, another reference occurs in a recent NYT article (1). These reporters put more emphasis, however, on a direct link between Egyptian organizers and members of a Serbian movement that, in 2000, helped young Serbs get rid of their dictator, Slobodan Milosovec.

The Serbs drew inspiration from the ideas of an American, Gene Sharp, whose book From Dicatatorship to Democracy, is available online–in 25 languages, including English, Arabic, and Farsi--courtesy of the Albert Einstein Institution (2). This raises the question of whose ideas influenced Sharp. I intend to pursue this, but it is very likely that he consulted the works of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Intellectual history is just so convoluted!

More on Aretha Franklin’s legacy: Cairo disk jockey Mohammed Safi, who was protesting in Tahrir, has returned to work at Nile FM, an English-language radio station. He told a reporter that the first disk on his playlist would be the Egyptian national anthem. After that, a roster of tunes–and definitely "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (3).

Journalists

Yesterday’s news about the sexual assault and beating of Lara Logan, while reporting from Tahrir Square on Friday, serves as another reminder of the risks of "frontline reporting" (Feb 11 post). The attack occurred after Mubarak’s resignation had been conveyed to the crowd. On a previous trip to cover the uprising, Egyptian authorities had detained and interrogated her–but she came back (4). For more information go to the web site of the Committee to Protect Journalists (http://ww.cpj.org). Ms. Logan is a member of the CPJ board.

Egypt and the Mideast

Reporters David Kirkpatrick and David Sanger have written an excellent piece giving us detailed information about the strategies of Tunisian and Egyptian activists, their collaboration, and the role of social media (5). They begin with the founding of the April 6 Youth Movement in 2005. Moreover, these reporters write from a balanced point of view concerning the role of the military and the Muslim Brotherhood. Since the article follows the Egyptian uprising from its inception on January 25 to its moment of triumph in Tahrir Square on February 11, you can assign it as an overview. It is self-contained enough to serve as a stand-alone reading assignment–even for students who know little about what has happened. For students more engaged with events in Egypt and the Mideast, it will help to pull together what they have learned from other sources.

The Lynx is recommending two videos of special interest to students:
  • "Cairo’s Facebook Flat" (posted online on February 8): NYT videographer Ed Ou lets the savvy sons and daughters of the elite explain why they are taking part, what their parents think about their participation, and how they are networking. Of particular interest to historians are their efforts to collect the testimonies of fellow protesters. Also, note that these young people were quite cognizant of what might happen to them if they failed. (See note #6.)
  • "Egyptian Protester Back on the Airwaves" (mentioned above): Mohamed Safi reflects on his part in the protests but shows us that he’s happy to return to his radio job. This footage shows a very vocal six-year-old protester, perched on her father’s shoulder, that captivated him. (See note #7.)
Both videos are short and could be viewed in social studies or humanities classes. To begin a discussion focusing on several themes of interest to teens, show "Cairo’s Facebook Flat." It’s only three minutes long.

Another valuable resource, as we keep trying to understand Egypt’s revolution and transition (to what, exactly, is still uncertain) is Fouad Ajami’s "Egypt’s ‘Heroes’ With No Names’" (8). This insightful column suggests, poignantly, that "the Egyptians may give us a consoling tale of an Islamic people who rose to proclaim their fidelity to liberty, and who provide us with a reminder that tyranny is not fated for the Arabs." (Thanks to Mr. Moran of the APWH listserv for posting this item.)

Protests continue across the Arab world and in Iran, generating abundant, frequently updated sources. For a clear, concise place to start, check-out "Five Arab Countries That the "Jasmine Revolution" May Spread to Next" (9). It’s short enough to print and distribute as a hand-out. The author writes for Think Progress (http://thinkprogress.org). (Thanks to History Bobcat for this item.)

Also useful for its summaries of background information is a NYT interactive chart, "Reasons to Seethe" (10). The chart covers Tunisia, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. It can be downloaded as a PDF.

Berlusconi’s "Soap Opera"

An Italian judge in Milan, Cristina De Censo, decided yesterday on a trial date of April 6 for President Berlusconi. He has been charged with paying a minor for sex, and more generally with abuse of office. And he will face a panel of three judges, all of them women. See the Guardian article for a picture of the Karima el-Mahroug (an alleged victim), Berlusconi’s and el-mahroug’s denials, the response of Italian Bishops, and Italian legal procedures (11). Go to this article for links to articles (2003, 2006, 2009) about Berlusconi, his government, and prior allegations of corruption.

For more about Sunday’s demonstrations and the views of working to change the position of women in Italian society, see Sabina Zaccaro, "It’s a Lot Worse than Sex Parties" (12).

Notes

1) Kirkpatrick, David D., and David E. Sanger. "A Tunisian-Egyptian Link That Shook Arab History." New York Times (2-14-11); online (2-13-2011).

2) Sharp, Gene. From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation. Originally published in 1999–for Burmese activists in Thailand. http://aeinstein.org/organizations4caf.html

3) View the NYT video "Egyptian Protester Back on the Airwaves" and listen to Safi’s playlist near the end. ASK: why do you think he chose to play these selections?

4) "CBS’s Lara Logan Attacked by Egytian Mob in Cairo." BBC News (2-15-2011). Brian Stelter, "CBS Reporter Attacked in Cairo," NYT (2-16-2011).

5) See note #1.

6) Video: "Cairo’s Facebook Flat." Produced by Rob Harris and Ed Ou. New York Times (2-8-2011). 03:06 mins. http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/02/08/world/middleeast/1248069622796/cairo-s-facebook-flat.html?nl=multimedia&emc=focusema1

7) Video: "Egyptian Protester Back on the Airwaves." Produced by David Botti. Featuring Mohamed Safi. New York Times (2-13-2011). 04.16 minutes. http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/02/13/world/1248069634893/egyptian-protester-back-on-the-airwaves.html?nl=multimedia&emc=focusema1

8) Fouad Ajami, "Egypt’s ‘Heroes’ With No Names.’" Wall Street Journal (2-12-11). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704132204576136442019920256.html

9) Jilani, Zaid, "Five Arab Countries That the "Jasmine Revolution" May Spread to Next." Truthout (2-??-2011). http://www.truth-out.org/five-arab-countries-that-jasmine-revolution-may-spread-next67695

10) "Why the Arab World is Seething." New York Times (2-6-2011). Also In the print edition’s "Week in Review’ section as "Reasons to Seethe."
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/06/weekinreview/06marsh.html?ref=weekinreview

11) Hooper, John. "Sivio Berlusconi Sent for Trial Accused of Paying for Sex With Teenager," The Guardian (2-25-2011). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/15/silvio-berlusconi-trial-teenage-sex

12) Zaccaro, Sabina. "It’s a Lot Worse Than Sex Parties." Inter Press Service (Rome: 2-14-2011). http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54463
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Monday, February 14, 2011

Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, and the ‘Italian Street’

(Yesterday’s post featured a link between the peaceful tactics of Egypt’s revolution and the non-violent message of Martin Luther King. While reading today’s NYT, the Lynx found another Black History Month tie-in to current events. DISCLOSURE: Aretha’s "Chain of Fools" album was among the few LPs I took with me to Uganda in 1969).

Last night in Los Angeles the Grammy Awards show began with tributes to Aretha Franklin, one of the greatest-ever gospel and soul singers (1). For many of us growing up in the Sixties, Aretha defined what it meant to be a "natural woman" AND a woman deserving
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Now 68, she recently had surgery but intends to resume performing. I sure hope so because we all, but especially young women, need to draw inspiration from her strong voice.

Now let’s shift the scene from Los Angeles to the streets of Rome, where Italian women have said "Enough." Disgusted with the "unbecoming-a-president" lifestyle of President Silvio Berlusconi, Italian women and some men turned out on Sunday to express their frustration (2). In the words of Susanna Camusso, head of Confindustria (Italian General Confederation of Labor), Berlusconi has turned Italy into "an ugly television soap opera." Also speaking on the stage in Rome were a nun, Sister Eugenia Bonetti; and a center-right politician, Gianfranco Fini. Fini, who is the speaker of the lower house of Italy’s parliament, broke away from Berlusconi’s coalition last summer. The high-profile participation of Sister Bonetti and Mr. Fini means that this was not just a crowd of fanatical, radical feminists.

Berlusconi is just as clueless about what Italian women want as Mubarak was about what the Egyptian protesters wanted. In Egypt people sought to end a repressive, stagnating regime as a means of ending an era of national decline--in which Egypt’s regional power declined, the economy declined, and people's self-respect declined. In Italy too there is a sense that the government has been unresponsive–and not just to women’s issues. As Susanna Camusso puts it, a country failing to support its women’s "capacity for growth" is "a country that goes backward" (3).

Among the signs held by protesters, this one caught the NYT reporters’ eye: "We want a country that respects women." That’s where Aretha comes in. On Sunday, in the streets of Rome, protesters were dancing to her great anthem "Respect"–an anthem for all women, for all people everywhere (4). We need to keep dancing to that tune!

"Respect" was written and originally recorded by Otis Redding, but Aretha made it her own. According to Wikipedia, during the 1970s her version "came to exemplify the feminist movement" but an editor’s note tells us that this claim needs a citation. After Sunday, the song’s feminist (or womanist) legacy is not longer in doubt.

You can bring this legacy into the classroom in several subject areas. You might focus on Aretha Franklin and the larger context of the Civil Rights movement, the Sixties, Soul music, and African American and/or women’s history. In doing so, mentioning the protests in Italy to expand the topic beyond the US. This could be part of a social studies or sociology class or a reading-across-the curriculum activity in a language arts class. With more discussion of the song’s transatlantic/global influence, it would fit well in a world history or European history class.

LISTEN: Jump-start a lesson with an audio/video of "Respect" (see Resources).

VIEW: A great photo accompanies the WP article. Save it for a PowerPoint and project on screen to introduce the topic of the Italian women’s protests. Also, there are many excellent, current and vintage photos of Aretha Franklin online.

VIEW: The documentary "Aretha Franklin" at Biography.com is excellent. Its six segments follow her story from childhood to the present. Preview these and select according to themes and content suitable for your class. Since each segment is just over six minutes long, you could shown one per day, followed by a brief discussion, and still leave time for the day’s regularly scheduled work. One segment shows Martin Luther King with Aretha Franklin.

READING: Select the NYT, WP, or NPR (Reuters) article as a reading comprehension exercise–with students reading online or from print-outs. If time is a constraint, use the article to teach scanning skills by asking students to scan to find answers to specific questions (check questions against content of selected article):



Who is Aretha Franklin?
Why were women in Rome dancing to "Respect" (her 1967 hit song)?
Who is Susanna Camusso?
Why doesn’t Ms. Camusso like President Berlusconi?
Why did Sister Bonetti join the demonstration?
Why did Gianfranco Fini desert President Berlusconi?RESEARCH: Find out more about Aretha Franklin’s life and achievements from biographical sources. Read more about Italian politics, the scandals plaguing President Berlusconi, or women's issues in Italy. Use the World Economic Forum report to compare data about gender and women’s lives in Italy with another country (e.g. Egypt).

EXPAND/RESEARCH: In AP European History, learn more about African Americans musicians, writers, and intellectuals living in Europe in the 1920s/30s and after World War II (e.g. James Baldwin).  What drew them to Europe?  How did they influence European culture? 

EXPAND: The Arabic word for "Enough!" is "Kefaya!" It seems that people everywhere reach a point where they are just fed up. What are the equivalents in other languages? (This would be very appropriate in an ESL or foreign language class.)

SHARE: Info about the World Economic Forum report with any feminist (female or male) math  teachers. This PDF includes a wealth of statistical data to study and manipulate.  Also useful in sociology and global studies classes.

Notes

1) Widely reported in US media. See The Los Angeles Times: "Singing Aretha’s Praises: Jennifer Hudson" (2-14-2011). http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/02/aretha-franklin-jennifer-hudson

2) Based on Donadio/Povoledo article, NYT (2-13-2011).

3) As quoted in Donadio/Povoledo article.

4) Also reported by The Washington Post and The Associated Press (as posted on the NPR site).

　
Resources: The Protests

Donadio, Rachel and Elisabetta Povoledo. "Italians Protest Over Berlusconi Scandals." NYT (2-14-11). Article with link to TT: Aretha Franklin.

D’Emilio, Frances. "Women Denounce Berlusconi." Washington Post (2-13-11).
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/13/women-denounce-berlusconi [if this doen’t work, search WP’s "World" section]

"Italian Women Protest Against Silvio Berlusconi." Associated Press (2-13-1011). NPR
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/13/133732293/italian-women-protest-against-silvio-berlusconi

Alberici, Emma. "Italian Women Protest Over Berlusconi Sex Scandal." ABC [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] News (2-14-2011). Article is transcript of audio available here (listen to voices of Ms. Camusso and Sister Bonetti)–or view video shown on ABC News TV.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/14/3137665.htm?site=news

Makenzie, James "Berlusconi Refuses to Resign, Dismisses Protest.’ Reuters (2-14-2011). Yahoo! News. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110214/wl/nm/us_italy_berlusconi

Resources: Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin http://www.aretha-franklin.com/bio.htm

"The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin." Short biography at aretha-franklin.com. Scroll down past the "Strawberry Fields" trailer to find it.

"Aretha Franklin." Biography (cable network). A documentary in 6parts (each just over 6 minutes long). http://www.biography.com/articles/Aretha-Franklin-9301157

"Aretha Franklin." Wikipedia. This article includes citations and links throughout–as well as a list of worthwhile external links. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin

"Respect." Wikipedia. Detailed information about the song, its original version, Otis Redding’s reaction to Aretha’s hit, its chart history, and covers by various artists. The covers included one by a Basque fusion-rock band, not too surprising–given the Basque struggle for autonomy and respect.  Access from "Aretha Franklin" article.

"Aretha Franklin--Respect Lyrics." These lyrics are correct–with TCB at end of line that is sometimes misquoted. For the meaning of TCB see Wikpedia article. http://www.lyrics007.com/Aretha%20Franklin%20Lyrics/Respect%20Lyrics.html

To listen to "Respect" (02:24):
Times Topics: Aretha Franklin
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/aretha_franklin/index.html

NPR. http://www.npr.org/   Search "Aretha Franklin NPR" to access several NPR stories.

Bego, Mark. Aretha Franklin, The Queen Of Soul. St. Martin’s Press, 1989.
　
Salvatore, Nick, Singing in a Strange Land: C. L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America. New York: Little Brown, 2005.
　

Resources: Berlusconi and Women in Italy

Donadio, Rachel.  "Surreal: A Soap Opera Starring Berlusconi." NYT (1-22-2011).  This "news analysis" appeared in the Sunday Week in Review section.  About half of it discusses why Berlusconi is still in power (with a reference back to late Roman times).

Donadio, Rachel.  "Prosecuters Seek Immediate Trial for Berlusconi."  NYT (2-9-2011).

Donadio, Rachel.  "Under Threat, Berlusconi Enlists His Media Empire."  NYT (2-11-2011).

Times Topics: Silvio Berlusconi    (Access to the Donadio articles and much more.)　http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/silvio_berlusconi/index.html

NYT Room for Debate. "Decadence and Democracy in Italy" (January 26, 2011).
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/26/decadence-and-democracy-in-italy?ref=europe

Corporate Gender Gap Report 2010: Part 2: Country Reports. World Economic Forum. Countries are listed on page 3 but page numbers are those of the printed report and do not correspond to the PDF page numbers. So slide down to find any country (arranged alphabetically). http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_CountryProfiles_2010.pdf

　
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