If you selected Malcolm X’s message to the grassroots you might focus on the era of the civil rights period or the rise of Black Nationalism among African Americans in the 1960s. Examine the philosophy and politics of the Nation of Islam or Malcolm X.

-Henry Louis Gates Jr., Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African American History, 1513-2008 (Knopf, 2013).

-Kai Wright, African American Experience: Black History and Culture Through Speeches, Letters, Editorials, Poems, Songs, and Stories (Black Dog & Leventhal; Reprint Edition, 2009)

Students will select a paper topic based on one of the primary sources from the book, The African American Experience: Black History and Culture. The final paper will be 6-7 pages. The research paper is required to have an abstract (250 word synopsis), bibliography consisting of 10 sources, both books and recent scholarly articles. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, New Times Roman typeface 1” (one-inch) margins using Chicago/Turabian bibliographic format with footnotes in 10-point font. This paper will situate the primary source in its own historical period. For example if you selected Malcolm X’s message to the grassroots you might focus on the era of the civil rights period or the rise of Black Nationalism among African Americans in the 1960s. You may also want to examine the philosophy and politics of the Nation of Islam or Malcolm X. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of the primary source utilizing relevant and pertinent secondary sources. A key question to keep in mind is why did the author write this essay or develop this speech, treatise, legislation or manifesto? What were they seeking to accomplish?