1. Professional football and baseball teams, as well as numerous high school and college sports teams, use American Indian mascots. Some American Indians and their supporters object to this practice, suggesting that it is offensive. Together with a small group of classmates, use the Internet to research the issue and create a list of arguments used by those who defend and those who reject American Indian mascots. With which position do you agree and why?

2. Write down a list of fictional films you have recently watched and the genre into which they fall (e.g., romantic comedy, drama, action film, horror, etc.). Next to the titles, note the main characters, their race and gender, and 2–3 defining characteristics. In how many of the films were the main character a racial or ethnic minority? In films where the main characters were not racial or ethnic minorities, what kinds of roles did minority characters have? Do you detect any pattern in the kinds of roles played by actors of different racial or ethnic groups? Share and compare your responses with classmates.

4. With a group of peers, discuss how you would indicate your race on the U.S. Census. Discuss why you would make that selection versus others. How do you know what your race is? How has society socialized you into thinking of yourself in this way?

6. To better understand the idea that race is a social construction, watch the PBS documentary Race: The Power of Illusion (Episode Two – “The Story We Tell”). After viewing the film, discuss at least two of the ways where race has been used to rationalize or justify inequality, particularly during Colonialism. Then, reflect on the point of the episode being titled “The Story We Tell.”