MEMORANDUM

Date:   September 26, 2014

To:       Anna Plemons

From:   Jasmine Cheatham

Subject: Racial Profiling

Jasmine Cheatham

Proposal

English 304 

          I am choosing to do my research paper on racial profiling with African American males. My research question would be, “What are the effects of racial profiling on African American Males?” For this topic I am going to relate it to Gladwell’s discussion on the Matthew Effect about the x factor, who makes it to the top. After reading about the Matthew Effect I believe that it does apply to racial profiling. There are many instances that are going on in the world that connect racial profiling and the Matthew Effect. I will be able to draft a thesis that lets my readers know where the paper is headed. It might look something like:

             In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell (2008) Gladwell suggested that there are correlations between factors. One of his examples was that there was a correlation between birthdays and success in the Canadian Hockey League. This is the “x factor” as I mentioned earlier the x factor is who makes it to the top. I will be discussing the effects of racial profiling. There are many reasons why racial profiling effects African American males. I am considering using this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M3zL_C1Y1k on racial profiling in a high end store. Also an article about African American male and imprisonment, how they are “selected.”  

Cooper, F. (2013). We Are Always Already Imprisoned: Hyper incarceration and Black Male

Identity Performance. Boston University Law Review, 93(3), 1190-1204.

 Jasmine Cheatham

Ted Talk

English 304 

Even though Phil Hansen couldn't do art the way he wanted to he found alternative ways to do what he loved to do. Relating back to Gladwell, he discussed many ways on becoming successful. There are many ways to get to the same destination by taking different routes.  He embraced the limitation and by doing so he found even more creative ways to do art. We think that we know what’s best for us and go a certain route and it will take us where we want to go but it isn't the road that we are actually going to take. We have to embrace other alternatives still using the skills we have but to find new and different perspectives, in finding these new possibilities we also have to keep an open mind. There are endless possibilities. 

Jasmine Cheatham

Response 2

9/5/14

English 304

Culture of horror, a world where a man’s reputation is at the center of his livelihood and self-worth (167). Just as a herdsman has to show aggression to prove that he is not weak, people are shaped through nature and nurture. There are environmental influences that help shape everyone. Of course biological factors play a major part but the way one acts and shows the rest of the world sometimes sets a marker for how they are viewed and treated. I know that we as people set the tone for our lives. Growing up I was surrounded by drug addicts, prostitutes, gangs, gunshots from time to time. Growing up in a low income community I knew that I did not want to spend the rest of my life or bring children into a world like this. I knew that I had to act a certain way and make decisions for myself on how the world would view and treat me.

            Just as Dov Cohen and Richard Nisbett conducted an experiment on the reactions of insults to a group of men, in Pullman I believe that some police officers try to get reactions out of people. Not saying that they are racist but I have experienced some profiling and police trying to mess with me in a way that has never happened to me before. I believe partially it is due to lack of low crime in Pullman and that I was black and they knew I am not from here. Just as Cohen and Nisbett described what mattered was where they were from.

            It is never too late to turn your circumstances around, just as Korean Air did. The airline went from going to the worst air line and being talked negatively upon to getting recognition for its transformation. My mother who was the eldest of seven and is the only girl had to raise my uncles by herself. Her mother was not too much involved in their lives. My mom knew she wanted to be supportive of her children when the time came around. She worked over night shifts as she got older. Even though she was in a bad circumstance growing up, it gave her motivation to be better and have a better life for herself and her children.

            Just as Rene with the math problem, after consistently trying and trying and still not getting to where she wanted to be she never gave up. A famous quote that I like is when the road gets rough you have to keep on trucking. I like this saying because it is true, when things get difficult you have to continue to press through them because not everything is life is easy to get, you have to go through some trials to reach greatness and once you reach your goals you’ll be satisfied knowing that you made it and didn’t give up. For me being in college I have two jobs to put myself through school and there were many times that I wanted to give up. Just as Rene I kept going over the same stuff over and over again she kept going and that is what I have been doing my college career. 

Jasmine Cheatham

Response 1

9/3/14

English 304

Just like the Rosetan’s I moved away from home in search of a better life. I decided that Washington State University would be an outlier for me because it is far away from my home town. The college town has far less crime than my home town and it has given me an opportunity to start a new life. Just as Rosetan’s stayed strictly for Rosetan’s WSU is strictly for WSU, University of Washington fans, students and faculty are not allowed around here.

            Just as the hokey players were trained at an early age to be the best, I was always challenged to be the best in school. The difference between them and I was that I challenged myself. They were chosen and separated from the talented and untalented with age and date of birth as a factor as well in their selection. By joining after school programs and clubs such as the math club and the debate team I went above and beyond some of my peers. By doing these activities at an early age and being consistent with them I was able to do well in high school and gain great habits for college. Just as the hokey players to be in Major Junior A holey success was earned not given. “Canada athletics are better than the US” I’ve heard that statement so many times. Canada sports select talent at early ages in life and devote most of their time to the kids that already show athletic strength and ability, versus the United States which helps children in all stages of athleticism.

            Like a freeway there are many routes to take to get to the same destination. There are many types of successful people. As mentioned there are people that were born into successful families and was given a great amount of opportunity and then there are others that were talented and worked hard to be in the position they put themselves in, success. Lewis Terman had been unschooled since he was seven years old, but he was not dumb or illiterate with an IQ higher than 140 he is an example of a successful, intelligent person. A scout if you will Terman found other intellects and with his ideas he influenced school districts to have gifted programs for students. When I am bored in class I tend to drift off and think about other things because I already know the material, just as Terman wasn’t able to get along with other children could have been due to lack of engagement in the class room.

An eye for an eye, just as the many feuds occurred in the Appalachians and it was considered to be a pattern, in my home town Seattle there were and still are many feuds going on that are leading to many youth deaths and a lot of young people going to jail. There needs to be more than just the court system involved there needs to be community action as well. As bad as something may seem without help it can only get worse.