Great Migration

I just begin to feel like a man. It's a great pleasure in knowing that you have got some privilege. My children are going to the same school as whites and I don't have to umble to no one. I have registered—Will vote the next election and there isn't any "yes sir" and "no sir."

—Author unknown, from Letters of Negro Migrants of 1916–1918

What began as a trickle soon turned into a mass movement of African Americans known as the Great Migration [Great Migration: beginning during World War I, the mass movement of millions of African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and Midwest in order to take jobs in industry] . Chicago, New York City, Cleveland, and other cities saw an explosion of black residents. Whites suddenly found themselves competing with blacks for jobs and housing. In some places, racial tensions sparked riots.

Stock Market Simulation

Your Rich Uncle Pennybags has died and left you $100,000!

You could put that money in the Bank but with John Dillinger and his gang running around that might not be such a good idea.

Rather than bury it in pickle jars in the back yard why not invest it in the Stock Market?

1) Which investments were best?  Worst?  What would you do different if you played the game again?

2) Compare/ contrast our simulation graph to the graph of the actual Dow Jones. What is the advantage of long term investing?

3) How did Stock Speculation lead to the actual events of 'Black Tuesday' in 1929?

4) The stock market was the first 'domino' in a chain reaction that would spread world wide.  What were the others?

5) Is investing in the stock market still a good idea?  What would Warren Buffett say?

Bean Counter

The phrase "bean counter" has only been in the public vocabulary since the 1970s, although it sounds as if it should be of a much older origin. It is possible that the description was inspired by overzealous kitchen inventory takers who insisted on counting every bean in a bag or every potato in a sack. The act of counting every bean to the exclusion of more important duties would be viewed by many as the ultimate act of micromanagement.

What do the 'Bean Counters' in this video literally tell us about our Capitalist Society? Why does this matter? Is it fair? What would Andrew Carnegie say you should do about it?

Confederate Flag Controversy

The Civil War may have ended almost 150 years ago but this flag still evokes powerful emotions. Take the recent story from Charlottesville, Virginia. Who do you think was to blame? How could this situation have been avoided? Could this have happened at our own school? 

The Confederate battle flag, called the "Southern Cross" or the cross of St. Andrew, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their statehouses. Others incorporated the controversial symbol into the design of their state flags. The Confederate battle flag has also been appropriated by the Ku Klux Klan and other racist hate groups. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than 500 extremist groups use the Southern Cross as one of their symbols.

History of a Controversy:  The Confederate Flag

Recently Kanye West has been seen wearing the Confederate Flag and selling it on his merchandise.  Why?  What does Larry the Cable guy and a tribe of warriors in Africa have to say about that?

Sweet Home Talawanda... Kanye can 'do what he want' but what will happen to you if you wear a confederate flag to school?  Are our school rules fair?

'ISM'

Not that I condone facism; or any ism for that matter. Isms, in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, “I don’t believe in ‘Beatles’, I just believe in me.” Good point there. After all, he was the Walrus.

Ferris Bueller

What is an 'ISM?'

What are the differences between 'Capitalism' and 'Communism?'  

How did those differences fuel the Cold War?

Jimmy Carter

The 1976 presidential election pitted Gerald Ford against former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter. Carter appealed to voters as a Washington outsider untouched by scandal. He promised Americans, “I will never lie to you.”

Neither candidate generated much excitement. As Election Day neared, people talked of a “clothespin vote,” a phrase that implies “hold your nose and vote for one or the other.” Only 53 percent of eligible voters went to the polls—the lowest turnout since 1948. Carter won, but by a narrow margin.

Once in the White House, Carter maintained his outsider status. Rather than hiring experienced Washington insiders, he surrounded himself with staff from Georgia.Nor did he establish close relations with Congress. As a result, his efforts to enact such reforms as a national health insurance system went nowhere.

So what does President Carter think about our current political climate? 

In a far-ranging interview with Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page, the 39th president expresses hope for the planned White House summit with Pyongyang and discussed the political repercussions of allegations by porn star Stormy Daniels.

Watergate

Watergate was the 'mother of all scandals.'  So much so that today we often refer to new scandals both political and private as '______ gate:'  'Russia-gate.' 'Hillary-gate.'  'Deflate-gate.'  et al.

But what was the actual Watergate scandal and how does it compare to current scandals?

What was the eventual result of the Watrgate Scandal?  

Make a prediction reagarding the outcome of President Trump's 'Stormy-gate.'

Why do you think the President keeps a framed letter from President Nixon on his wall in the Oval Office?