“The Middle-Class Black’s Burden”

Leanita McClain

Quick Write Question

• Burden: a load, esp. a heavy one

• Based on the title, “Middle-Class Black’s Burden,” make a prediction about what burden you believe a black, middle-class individual might carry? What background information or prior knowledge allowed you to come to this conclusion?

Just write this on the side of your article.

Label QW. 3-4 sent.

About the Essay

• As her comparison makes disturbingly clear, McClain’s position on economically successful African Americans subjected her to mistaken judgments by both blacks and whites.

“TMCBB”HW Questions

Leanita McClain

Do some digging…

• http://scottholleran.com/culture/the-suicide-of-leanita-mcclain/

• Read the article and create a circle map identifying 5 items about this author’s background information.

• Put her name in the inner circle: Leanit McClain.

Meaning, Purpose, Audience, Structure and Language

• 1. What is the “middle-class black’s burden” to which the title refers?

• 2. What does McClain argue? Answers vary.

• 3. What seems to be her primary purpose in this piece? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

• 4. Is McClain writing to primarily whites or to blacks or both? What textual evidence supports your claim?

Meaning, Purpose, Audience, Structure and Language

• 5. What exactly is McClain comparing here? What are her main points of comparison?

• 6. McClain sets the tone for this essay in the very first sentence. How would you describe this tone? Do you believe the tone , is appropriate? Why?

• 7. McClain states, “My life abounds in incongruities” in paragraph 6. What does the word incongruities mean? How does it apply to McClain’s life?

• 8. McClain writers that “there is no safe distance from the wretched past of my ancestors or the purposeless present of some of my contemporaries” in paragraph 8. What do you think she means by this statement?

Do a little dance…

• You are done! Keep to turn in tomorrow.

• Check:

-Is your name in MLA format?

-Is this titled “TMCBB” HW Questions?

-Are your questions thoroughly answered?

I’ll let you interpret that…