Summary

A new lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs alleges decades of discrimination against Black military veterans. To learn more, Geoff Bennett speaks to Conley Monk Jr., a Vietnam War veteran whose VA benefits were denied for nearly 50 years, and Richard Brookshire, an Army veteran who co-founded the Black Veterans Project. For a transcript of this story, click here . You may also choose another story from the newscast by clicking on the image below. Then answer the following questions.

Five Facts

• Who are the individuals or groups of people mentioned in the story?


• What is the main idea of the piece?


• Where and When does the story take place?


• Why did the event(s) discussed occur?


• How do you think the NewsHour’s producers decided to produce a story about this topic?

Focus Questions

See, Think, Wonder : What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more? Media literacy : What additional questions do you have about the way the story was produced (made)?

For More

What students can do: PBS NewsHour has produced a series of "Race Matters" stories over the last several years. Click here or on the image below to see some of the stories; watch the segment and write down three connections faced by those featured in the piece you watched and the VA piece.

 

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