Part II: Representations of Gender, Race and Class

Role Reversal and the “Transracial”

1. Have students read the article by Morris, Part II, Chapter 10.

2. Have a brief discussion about the idea of being “transracial” and compare it to the idea of being “transgender.” How are they different?

3. View this video on YouTube: the opening number of the musical Hamilton as performed on the 70th Tony Awards with a brief introduction by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

4. Lead a discussion: Why has Hamilton become such a hit now with the work that it does? Are there other examples that students can think of that have been whitewashed and the dynamics of the narrative would be changed if the races were altered? Does this reinforce or undercut the controversial idea of “transracialism?”

Racist Branding: A History

1. Assign students to read the article by King.

2. In class, show them the website from Business Insider which details the history of several racist brand mascots/logos--some of which are still in use.

3. Lead a discussion with students on the insidious nature of these logos and why some of them might still be continued to be used (e.g., Washington Redskins and Aunt Jemima syrup). Do students consider the logo of items that they purchase? What if the logo has racist/offensive origins? (It would help to lead in the discussion with the fact that research indicates that millennials tend to be very brand loyal).

From Limbaugh to Trump

1. Assign students to read the article by Katz.

2. Show this video on YouTube which is a discussion by Rush Limbaugh on Fox News Sunday in which he accuses the “left wing media” of sabotaging Trump’s presidency.

3. Lead a discussion on Limbaugh’s assertions in the video. How has conservative journalism been affected with the demise of several of its biggest names due to sexual harassment suits like Roger Ailes, Eric Bolling and Bill O’Reilly?