September 22 (Wednesday): Race, 1954-Present

• READ: "The Southern Manifesto"
              Katagiri, "The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission"
              Navasky, Kennedy Justice"
              "Texas finally speaks out against the poll tax"
              "Under shadow of 1957, Arkansas stays out of health-care fight"
• Journal 2 Due
•  

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe the relationship between Federal officials and state officials in the cases of the Freedom Riders (in the chapter on the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission) and the desegregation of Ole Miss (Kennedy Justice).   How do Federal government officials handle state officials who disagree with them?  Did Robert Kennedy have to deal with Governor Ross Barnett the way he did?  Do the states have substantial power to resist Federal directions?  Under what circumstances? 

2. From all the readings for the week, describe the ways states have initiated policies that protect the civil rights of minorities.  Have state initiatives federalism been necessary for policies that promote civil rights?

3. How does the role of federalism in civil rights affect American politics and policy issues today?