Two Americas

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: What are the effects of systemic racism on people individually and society as a whole?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• disparities (p. 8)
• disproportionate (p. 9)
• decay (p. 9)
• concentrated (p. 9)
• accumulated (p. 11)
• stark (p. 11)

3. Engage
Ask students to share what comes to mind when they hear the term systemic racism. Revisit this discussion after the lesson, having students share any new insights they’ve gained.

4. Read: 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss: 
Distribute or project Up Close: Two Americas, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the facing page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article? Do you think the structure of the article is the most effective choice for supporting this purpose? Explain. (Author’s purpose, text structure) 
  (The author’s main purpose is to explain how a history of systemic racism has resulted in racial inequalities today—even though many racist laws implemented in the past have been changed. Evaluations of the text structure will vary, but students should provide an assessment of the effectiveness of dividing the article into five sections—one per topic—as opposed to, for example, analyzing the effects of systemic racism through a profile of one individual.)

• How does the title treatment help convey the central idea of the article? (Central idea, visual analysis)
  (The use of just the colors black and white, as well as the clear dividing line between “Two” and “Americas” created by the use of color blocking, helps convey a central idea of the article—that Black Americans and white Americans live in two very different worlds.)  

• What types of evidence does the author use to support the central idea of the section “Criminal Justice”? How is this similar to or different from the types of evidence the author uses to support points in the section “Housing”? (Text evidence, compare & contrast)
  (In the section “Criminal Justice,” the author relies mostly on statistics, both in the body text, such as “Black drivers are 31 percent more likely to be pulled over than white drivers for minor infractions,” and with the graph. In the section “Housing,” the author uses a graph, statistics in the body text, and quotations from experts.)

• In the section “Housing,” Hasan Kwame Jeffries says, “Housing is the key to determining people’s life outcomes.” What does he mean? What are some details in other sections that support this idea? (Word meaning, integrate information)
  (Jeffries means that where you live can help set you up for success—such as by providing access to well-funded schools—or put you on a difficult path with fewer job opportunities and poorer health. One detail from the section “Education” that supports this point is “The lack of resources available to them in high school often makes it a much steeper climb for Black students to get into college.” A detail in the section “Health” that also supports this point is “the hospitals [Black and Latinx people] go to tend to offer lower-quality care.”) 

• How does the last section, “Rising Above Racism,” connect to the rest of the article? What would be another effective way to end the article? (Integrate sources, text structure)
  (The previous sections explain how racial inequality persists in five aspects of American life. The last section discusses how Black Americans have persevered or even thrived despite systemic racism and have tried to bring about change. Students’ ideas about other effective endings will vary but should be supported with text evidence.)

• The article discusses racial disparities in place today  that result from systemic racism. Based on details in the article, what do you think are some systemic solutions to these problems? (Problem & solution)
  (Students’ responses will vary, but they should support their ideas with evidence from the text. They should also focus their answers on systemic solutions.)

6. Writing Prompt
Based on this article and the article “A ‘Declaration of Equality’ ” on page 18 of the magazine, write a four- to five-paragraph analysis of how systemic discrimination can affect a society.

7. Video
Watch the video about systemic racism. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Has the U.S. lived up to the ideals expressed in its founding documents?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension and Be the Editor to review grammar skills.