Shelby Steele: On Being Black and Middle Class

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This activity contains 3 questions.

Central to Steele’s argument here is the idea of “victimization.” What does this term mean for Steele, both explicitly and implicitly? How does his use of the term affect his argument? Can you think of other terms to substitute that might be used to counter his argument?

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Steele assumes certain markers of class distinctions among blacks, particularly in his discussion of the fictional “Sam” and of standard English speech. Do these seem accurate to you? Are these markers also true of class distinctions among whites and other ethnic groups? How do you make class distinctions?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

Consider current images of African Americans in television series, advertising, and movies. To what extent do these images seem to suggest a spectrum of experience, or do certain social classes or stereotypes predominate?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type at the beginning of the paragraph, and at the end.

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