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.