Stay Focused Throughout Theessay Engl 120 Gccc An
Essay 1 Prompt: Narrative
Purpose:Sometimes I wake up and everything feels normal, but then it hits me that nothing is normal rightnow. This is because we are uniquely positioned amidst two pandemics. Over the last sixmonths, our lives have been completely transformed as we try to figure out how to function in asociety that is battling with COVID-19 and anti-blackness.COVID-19 has impacted people to varying degrees: some have lost their jobs, while others havefallen ill or have had loved ones fall ill. Still others are struggling to provide childcare orschooling to their children. The pandemic has also compounded the pre-existing racial inequitiesthat exist in our society.Although anti-blackness is not new, it has become especially salient after the murders ofBreonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and many others. The effects have been farreaching, from folks experiencing racial battle fatigue, overt racism, psychological trauma, physical safety insecurities, among many others.The goal of this first essay is to reflect on how ONE of these pandemics has impacted you.
Assignment:This unit, we will watch Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story.” She discusses the danger ofjudging others based on our own worldviews and the undignified nature of stereotypes. Also, wewill read a text by Brent Staples titled, “Black Men and Public Space.” In his text, Staplesdiscusses his daily experiences as a “threatening” black man and how he is actually the victimwhen others become threatened by him. We will pair Staples’s text with Sterling K. Brown’sFacebook video, which discusses the literal and metaphorical masks that Black folk wear on adaily basis.
OPTION 1: Using Adichie’s, Staples’s, and Brown’s texts as a lens, narrate an experience youhave had during the COVID-19 or the anti-blackness pandemic. Describe a specific event thathas happened to you during one of these pandemics.Use sensory details and dialogue to further the plot of your story. At the end of your story, reflecton how this incident made you feel, what it is like to reflect back on it now, and what you havelearned from it. If applicable, you can also make a call to action to your readers.
OPTION 2: Using Adichie’s, Staples’s, and Brown’s texts as a lens, discuss a specific event inthe news that is related to either the COVID-19 or anti-blackness pandemic. Choose one specificnews article or social media post, describe the event using sensory details and dialogue (ifapplicable), reflect on how this incident made you feel, what it is like to reflect back on it now,and what you have learned from it. If applicable, you can also make a call to action to yourreaders.
Tips for Successful Essays:
● 3-5 pages.
● MLA format. 12-point font, Times New Roman.
●A creative title that hints at the subject matter.
● Concrete details (our narration discussion board will help develop this skill).
● Indicate a clear focus in a well-written thesis statement and stay focused throughout theessay.
●Organizing Principle.
●Introduction, body, and conclusion.
●Comments on how this experience or trait is significant to you
●Implements proper stylistic conventions to include: sentence variation, college- levelvocabulary, target audience, complex sentence structure
●Use an effective structure that carefully guides the reader from one idea to the next, andbe thoroughly edited so that sentences are readable and appropriate for an academicaudience.
●Write the paper as if addressing a reader unfamiliar with who you are.