In this course so far, we have learned about many issues in race and ethnicity: the historical and contemporary management of immigration, historical and contemporary forms of settler colonialism and Indigenous dispossession, racism in overt and covert forms. This essay asks you to connect an issue in race/ethnicity to real-life advocacy work being done in that area. While we spend a lot of time in this course discussing complex problems in race and ethnicity, it is also important to see the concrete ways in which organizations are working to resolve these problems.

For this essay, you will select one topic to research in-depth, drawing on at least 5 scholarly sources. What topics particularly drew your interest in the readings or lectures? What topics would you like to explore further?

The essay has two parts:

Choose an issue in the sociology of race and ethnicity to research. You must take a stance on the issue to argue in the paper. Can you connect a theoretical perspective to this issue? Can you connect any course concepts to this issue? Are there multiple “sides” to this issue, and which side do you fall on?
Profile an organization that is working on creating change in this area. This can be a non-profit organization, a religious group, an informal network or collective, or another type of organization, working locally, nationally, or internationally. The issue and organization don’t have to be based in Canada, but should have information available in English. In this section, you should answer: What is this organization? What is its purpose? What kind of work is it doing? How does it relate to course concepts? How does it relate to your essay’s overall argument?
You must have a clear thesis statement that shows your stance on the issue. For example, you could choose to research systemic barriers to entering the legal profession for Black students. Your argumentative statement could look like this: “I argue that Black students face systemic barriers to the legal profession including a lack of mentorship and access to cultural and social capital. Black Future Lawyers seeks to increase Black enrolment and success in Canadian law schools through networking and mentorship opportunities.”