The Color of Water

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The Black Panther Party was a Marxist-Leninist organization founded by a couple of college students in 1966. What were the primary beliefs of the Black Panther Party? What historical events led to its creation, and how did it connect to the larger Black Power movement of the 1960s?

Teaching Suggestion: James’s sense of racial dissonance stems from his diverse racial heritage, with a white Jewish mother and Black father. In the 1960s, James is intrigued by the Black Power movement—but also scared of it. An understanding of this movement will allow students to better connect to one of the core themes of the book, which concerns the experience of Growing Up With a Diverse Racial Background in America.

• The “Black Power” article on National Archives gives a sense of the scope of this movement from the 1960s and 1970s.
• The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s “The Black Panther Party: Challenging Police and Promoting Social Change” provides context about the social factors and cultural environment that led to the rise of the Black Panther party.

2. “Intersectionality” is an important concept in sociology, one that is especially useful in helping understand the related theory of “privilege.” How would you define the term “intersectionality”? What is the relationship between privilege and intersectionality?

Teaching Suggestion: “Intersectionality” refers to the multiple layers of our own identity, and how they come together, particularly for members of marginalized groups; “privilege” is special favors conferred on certain groups, leaving others marginalized. For fuller definitions, you can review Oxford’s Encyclopedia of Social Work’s entry on “Privilege” and Womankind’s “Intersectionality 101: What Is It and Why Is It Important?” In discussing this question, students will understand that certain facets of an individual’s identity may garner more privilege than others, thus connecting to the book’s themes around The Layered Nature of Privilege.

• The British Academy’s “What is Intersectionality?” is a broad discussion on the meaning of the term.
• Vox’s “The Intersectionality Wars” explores the modern rise in popularity of the term, despite being coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

For centuries, humanity has wrestled with the concept of free will. Do we really have free will or do our genetics have more control over our behavior? Some say that “DNA is destiny”—do you agree or disagree? How does one’s environment and/or culture fit into this equation?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt is a way of approaching the book’s theme surrounding the Inescapable Legacy of One’s Cultural Heritage. Be sure to emphasize that there is no single correct answer to this prompt; that is why it is such a long-standing subject of debate. That said, many individuals, like James, must acknowledge and grapple with their cultural heritage in order to gain a full picture of their true identity.

• IFL Science’s “Does Your DNA Predict Your Destiny?” takes a more science-based approach to this question. 
• Psychology Today’s “Nature vs. Nurture” outlines this general debate: why it’s so complicated, where the expression came from, and how it might just be a mixture of both.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a more interactive approach, you could hold a formal debate on the subject of nature vs. nurture. Assign one half of the class to argue for “nature” and the other half to argue for “nurture.” You will serve as the mediator and judge of the debate. Explain to students the ground rules for debate, using English-Speaking Union’s debate club guide, if need be. Also, remind students that they should be respectful when forming their arguments. Draw students’ attention to the rubric on which you will be judging them, as another way to help them organize their arguments. They will be graded on the following 6 points: (1) Respect for the other team, (2) quality of information, (3) their rebuttal, (4) use of facts/statistics, (5) the organization of their presentation, and (6) the overall understanding of the topic.