1. MULTICULTURALISM DISUNITY
Arthur M. Schlesinger
By: Elba Rodriguez and Samantha Semlitz

2. WHO IS ARTHUR M. SCHLESINGER?
● Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
first joined President
Kennedy’s campaign as a
speechwriter in 1960. The
following year he was
appointed Special Assistant
to the President and held this
post until 1964.
● Schlesinger was an avid
supporter of liberal
democratic causes, Mr.
Schlesinger was also the
author of several important
books, including The Age of
Jackson, which won the
Pulitzer Prize in 1945.

3. WHO IS ARTHUR M. SCHLESINGER?
● Mr. Schlesinger became Albert Schweitzer Professor of
Humanities at the City University of New York. He returned to
speechwriting, during Robert Kennedy’s 1968 campaign and
George S. McGovern’s 1972 campaign.
● Throughout his political career, Mr. Schlesinger remained an
active scholar, publishing several more historical works and
establishing himself as the leading intellectual of postwar
liberalism.
 http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Ready-Reference/Biographies-and-
Profiles/Arthur-M-Schlesinger-Jr.aspx

4. “ Is it really a good idea to teach minority children myths- at
least to teach myths as facts?” (Schlesinger, 1992, pg 80.)
MULTICULTURALISM DISUNITY

5. ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF OTHER MINORITY GROUPS
 Other minority groups ● View this link to show disparities
have not been by race, gender and family
income.
academically handicapped
 http://www.usatoday.com/news/educa
for lack of historical role tion/2009-08-25-SAT-scores_N.htm
models. Such as Asian -
Americans and Jewish-
Americans.

6. DISUNITY OF AMERICA
• Schlesinger attempts to uncover
the mystery behind what went
wrong with American society an
why the melting pot ideology
seems to have disappeared
form the minds of many
Americans.
● Schlesinger attributes ethnicity as
the cause of the breaking of
nations and notes that the
United States, like that of the
Soviet Union and South Africa,
is on a direct course toward
cultural isolationism not cultural
pluralism.

7. Schlesinger states that
the issue is not to
promote cultural
pluralism and Afrocentric
or African history. The
issue is whether or not to
teach this new history
under specific ethnic
banners and according
to specific ethnic values.
DISUNITY OF AMERICA

8. READ THE FOLLOWING QUOTE:
“ If we are to survive, we must have ideas
, vision, and courage. These things are rarely
produced by committees. Everything that matters
in our intellectual and moral life begins with i….”
Arthur Schlesinger
• Does it really begins with “i”?
• Can we be of power without a committee?

9. MORE QUOTES FROM SCHLESINGER
Watch the video and reflect on his quotes
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEeD-NnOrW0

10. ARTHUR SCHLESINGER, JR.; MICHAEL GRAVES
INTERVIEW
 Historian and former Presidential adviser Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. talks
about his memoir A Life in the 20th Century: Volume 1 and reflects on
the contrast between the scientific progress and the global conflicts of
the past 100 years. Also, architect Michael Graves discusses his
collaboration with the discount retailer Target and most notable designs.
 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5744246697209782215

11. FINAL THOUGHTS
 How does Schlesinger's beliefs about
multiculturalism match up with your own beliefs

12. REFERENCE
Burnett, G. (1994). Varieties of multicultural education: An introduction. ERIC Digest, 98,
Marklein, M. B. (2009, Augs 06). Sat scores show disparities by race, gender, family
income. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-
08-25-SAT-scores_N.htm
Martin, D. (2007, Marc 01). Arthur schlesinger, historian of power, dies at 89. New York
Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/washington/01schlesinger.html?_r=1&pagewant
ed=all
Nicholas, D. M. (1999). The implementation of a multicultural strand in selected teacher
education courses in a monocultural institution. Dissertation Submitted to the College
of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University,
Schlesinger, A. M. (2001, Janu 01). Interview by M Graves [Web Based Recording]. The
story of arthurschlesinger. , Retrieved from http://video.google.com
Schlesinger, A. M. (1992). The disuniting of america: Reflections on a multicultural
society. (Rev ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
Arthur m. schlesinger, jr.. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Ready-Reference/Biographies-and-Profiles/Arthur-
M-Schlesinger-Jr.aspx
Schlesinger's multicultural dissent. (1192, July 12). The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-06-12/news/1992164166_1_schlesinger-
melting-pot-disunited