Michael S. Roth asked how relevant Jefferson and Emerson's upper- and middle-class vision of liberal education were -- and are -- to people who didn't fit that category, either in race, gender, or class. How did either Booker T. Washington or William James answer that question? Once you have established that, think about how their answer intersects with your own life. You might be a member of what DuBois called the "Talented Tenth" (usually corresponding to upper or middle class, as we often conflate class and potential). You might be female, or working class. Your racial identity might not be one that was routinely included in discussions of liberal education. Your identity might well show the intersection of several of these factors -- race, class, and gender are very complicated, and intersect in multiple ways. Whatever your particulars are, consider how your situation might alter if Washington's or James' ideas were paramount.
Sample Solution