Midterm.

Length: 24 pages total, double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, page numbers

Citations: APA

What you are doing

You will answer two questions using current events and all three course scholars:

• Beverly Daniel Tatum
• Robin DiAngelo
• Eduardo Bonilla-Silva

Both questions must use all three scholars.

That means: in Question 1 and Question 2, you must bring Tatum, DiAngelo, and Bonilla-Silva into the analysis.

Article requirements (2 total)

You must use two articles total:

• One NYT or WSJ article for Question 1
• One NYT or WSJ article for Question 2

Rules:

• Must be from The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal
• Must be published within the last 2 months (as of March 18, 2026)
• Must be reporting or analysis, not opinion/editorials/newsletters

Quote requirements (simple and enforceable)

Across the whole midterm, you must include 9 to 12 direct quotes total from the assigned books.

Minimums you must hit:

• At least 3 quotes from Tatum
• At least 3 quotes from DiAngelo
• At least 3 quotes from Bonilla-Silva

Per-question requirement (this is the all scholars in both questions rule):

• Each question must include at least 1 quote from Tatum, 1 from DiAngelo, and 1 from Bonilla-Silva.

Rules:

• Every quote must include a page number
• Every quote must be followed by 23 sentences explaining what the quote means and how it supports your claim

Required structure (copy and paste this format)

You must answer both questions using Parts A through G below. Use the headings exactly. This keeps your argument clear and makes grading consistent.

For EACH question, include:

A. Claim (12 sentences)

State your main argument. It must answer the question directly and be arguable.

B. Two reasons (24 sentences each)

Reason 1:

Reason 2:

C. Course Scholar Lens: Tatum (1 quote minimum)

• Quote with page number
• Explanation of what it means
• How it applies to the articles details

D. Course Scholar Lens: DiAngelo (1 quote minimum)

• Quote with page number
• Explanation
• Application to the article

E. Course Scholar Lens: Bonilla-Silva (1 quote minimum)

• Quote with page number
• Explanation
• Application to the article

F. Article evidence (at least 2 specific details)

Use concrete information: actors, institutions, policies, dates, decisions, outcomes, conflicts, enforcement, or political messaging.

G. Counterargument + rebuttal (57 sentences)

Present a plausible alternative interpretation, then rebut it using evidence from the article and at least one of the scholars.

H. Media framing check (46 sentences)

Explain how the article frames race and politics:

• What is treated as the main problem?
• Who is treated as responsible?
• What solutions seem reasonable or realistic?
• What is missing, minimized, or treated as normal?
• Then connect that framing to at least one scholar.

Note: You can place the Media Framing Check before the counterargument if your writing flows better. It still must appear.

Questions

Question 1 (100 points): Racial identity, conflict, and political meaning

Choose a recent NYT or WSJ article and analyze how the event or controversy reveals something important about racial identity and racial politics today. Use Tatum, DiAngelo, and Bonilla-Silva to explain how identities are formed, defended, and politicized in the situation. Your goal is to show how the three scholars together clarify what is happening and why it matters.

Question 2 (100 points): Racial hierarchy, denial, and policy discourse

Choose a different recent NYT or WSJ article and analyze how contemporary political discourse or policymaking sustains racial hierarchy. Use Tatum, DiAngelo, and Bonilla-Silva to evaluate how identity, defensiveness, and color-blind ideology appear in the debate. Then explain what the readings suggest about what disruption would require.

Grading rubric (200 points total)

Question 1: 100 points

Question 2: 100 points

For EACH question (100 points):

1. Claim quality (20 points)
2. Clear, arguable, directly answers the question.
3. Use of all three scholars (30 points)
4. Accurate concept use, strong quote choice, quotes explained and applied. This is not a quote dump.
5. Use of article as evidence (20 points)
6. Uses specific details from the article. No vague this shows racism statements.
7. Media framing analysis (20 points)
8. Identifies problem definition, responsibility, solutions, and omissions. Connects framing to the scholars.
9. Counterargument + rebuttal (10 points)
10. Plausible alternative explanation, rebutted with evidence.

Automatic deductions (objective and fast)

• Missing page number for any book quote: 4 per quote
• Missing required scholar coverage per question (no Tatum/DiAngelo/Bonilla-Silva quote in that question): 15 each missing scholar per question
• Fewer than 9 total quotes: 10 per missing quote
• Article not NYT/WSJ: 25 per article
• Article not within last 2 months: 25 per article
• Opinion/editorial used: 15 per article
• Missing APA References section: 10

Final checklist (students should confirm)

• I used two NYT/WSJ articles, both within the last 2 months
• Each question uses all three scholars with at least one quote each
• I included 912 total quotes with page numbers and explanation
• I used at least two concrete details from each article
• I included a media framing check and a counterargument + rebuttal for each question
• I used APA citations and included a References section
• Total length is 23 pages, double spaced

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS : I AM NOT A STUDENT WHO WRITES ESSAYS WITH CRAZY GRAMMAR, LARGE WORDS, DRAMATIC SENTENCES, AND IM LOOKING FOR A WRITER WHO CAN MATCH MY WRITING STYLE SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT I NEED A REGULAR TONE ESSAY WITHOUT THE LARGE AND OVERLY EXAGGERATED SENTENCES AND WORDS AND STILL GIVE ME A GRADE A ESSAY

im looking for a writer who can follow the exact directions as given when it comes to citation style when it comes to referencing page numbers and everything that comes with the instructions.

I will be attaching all of the book links that are required for this midterm essay as well