Justice Frank Murphy and Racial Prejudice: No Justifiable Part
45 min
Walk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.
- What challenges are you facing?
- What fears or concerns might you have?
- What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?
Observation Questions
- What was Justice Frank Murphy’s role concerning Supreme Court cases involving Japanese-Americans? How was Murphy’s effort important?
- What was Justice Murphy’s purpose in deciding these cases?
- Why did Murphy think it was important to challenge the prevailing sentiment that restricted rights of Americans of Japanese ancestry?
Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.
- What is the historical context of the narrative?
- What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
- How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
- How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
- How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
- What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
- Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
- How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?
- Students will examine Justice Frank Murphy’s pursuit of justice for Japanese Americans.
- Students will determine ways that they can promote justice in their actions.
- Students will apply their knowledge of justice to their own lives.