Introspection and Reflection Questions
- Near the end of the chapter, Obama looks out at the East River and reflects, “I realized I had never noticed which way the river ran” (p. 143). What does the river symbolize for Obama? Why? Retrace Obama’s steps on his walk along the East River promenade and describe the scene as you see it today, moving beyond the surface features to interpret the larger picture. What do you notice? Why do these details stand out to you? Compare your description to Obama’s reflection at the end of Chapter 7.
- What scenes from history does Obama imagine in Chapters 7 and 8? Why are these scenes important in building links to the “Origins” section of Dreams from My Father? Have you ever wished that you had been part of a particular historical movement or event—or that you had lived in a different time and place? Has a particular scene from history had a significant impact in shaping your life? Compare your reflections to Obama’s thoughts about history in these chapters and explain your reflections. What is Obama’s attitude toward religion and politics in these chapters? What specific examples help to illustrate his thoughts on religion and politics? Are his experiences different from or similar to people with whom he works? Why or why not?
- Perhaps you have heard the expression “religion and politics don’t mix.” What role do religion and politics play throughout Chapters 7 and 8? What have been your own experiences with religion and politics? Draw connections, similarities, or differences between your own experiences and observations, and how the characters presented in this chapter, including Obama, respond to the subjects of religion and politics.
Suggestions for Essays, Presentations, or Research Projects
- Obama was born in 1961 in the midst of the civil rights movement; he graduated from college in 1983, during the second year of President Ronald Reagan’s administration. During his two terms in office (1981-1989), President Reagan cut the funding for several social programs inspired by the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Choose a particular area that interests you, such as education or housing and urban development. What social programs were developed in those years and what impact did these programs have on poor and working class communities and communities of color? How did the budget cuts of the Reagan era affect these programs? What changes occurred to these programs between the years 1961 and 1983 and what were the effects of these changes? Imagine that you are preparing for a debate, and use your research to develop arguments for or against federal funding for social programs.
- How might Obama’s experiences in New York City have informed his work in Chicago? Use the links below to research economic conditions and race relations in New York City and Chicago in the early 1980s. What similarities do you find between New York and Chicago? What differences? What impact might these similarities and differences have had on Obama’s reflections about race and economics in Chapters 7 and 8? Why? Develop a script for a radio program in which the characters compare and contrast life in New York and in Chicago in the 1980s.
- Based on your reading of Chapters 7 and 8, how would you define the work of a community organizer? Include examples from the Chapters 7 and 8 to explain your definition. If you have worked for a community organization, add your own experiences to your definition. If you have not worked for a community organization, include your speculations about what community organizing work might involve. Then using the links below, research the skills needed to become a community organizer. Summarize and analyze what you find in your research to draw conclusions about these skills. Revise your definition to create an extended job description. Use evidence from your reading, experiences, and research as supporting points.
Useful Links for Further Research
Civil Rights Movement
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/http://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/index.html
Racial Issues in New York City in the Early 1980s
http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-10-18/specials/1982/http://www.psupress.org/justataste/samplechapters/justatastehengehold.html
1960s and 1970s Federal Social Programs
http://aspe.hhs.gov/info/hewhistory.htmhttp://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf12/hudhistory.cfm