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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did the author's mother urge him to do when he was in trouble at school?
(a) Write.
(b) Fight.
(c) Draw.
(d) Run.

2. How old was Tamir Rice when he was shot?
(a) 12.
(b) Two.
(c) Six.
(d) 21.

3. What did the girl with the long dreads teach the author?
(a) Distrust.
(b) Compassion.
(c) French.
(d) Poetry.

4. Why does the author feel the interview at the beginning of his memoir was a failure?
(a) The interview was cut short.
(b) No one would comment on his new book.
(c) He was insulted by a caller to the radio station.
(d) The interviewer discussed hope for racial peace and equality.

5. Coats explains that the young men who walk the streets of Baltimore loud and rude do so because:
(a) It is their way of being friendly.
(b) They are uncultured and wild.
(c) They are uneducated and don't know any better.
(d) It gives them a sense of security and power.

6. Where did the author meet the mother of his son?
(a) New York.
(b) Baltimore.
(c) The Mecca.
(d) Atlanta.

7. According to the author, America believes itself to be:
(a) Pure.
(b) Understanding.
(c) Peaceful.
(d) Exceptional.

8. What realization does the author have about his university education?
(a) He was never going to learn everything he needed to know.
(b) It was going to provide him with the skills to be a great writer.
(c) It was designed to break down myths and reveal the truth about humanity.
(d) It was a pointless as his public school education.

9. What did the author find unique about Howard University?
(a) The professors spent time outside with the students.
(b) Everyone was treated as an equal, regardless of race.
(c) All the students were wealthy, regardless of race.
(d) All the students were black, but distinctly unique in culture.

10. Who were the first white people the author knew on a personal level?
(a) Reporters.
(b) His editors.
(c) Religious zealots.
(d) Hippies.

11. What acclaimed history book did Chancellor William write?
(a) Destruction of Black Civilization.
(b) By Any Means Necessary.
(c) Notes of a Native Son.
(d) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

12. What bothers the author about artists like Michael Jackson?
(a) He represents the nonviolent black man.
(b) His lyrics are without meaning.
(c) He used cosmetic surgery to appeal to a white fanbase.
(d) He did not finish what he started.

13. According to the author, navigating the streets of Baltimore is like a:
(a) Battlefield.
(b) Warzone.
(c) Playground.
(d) Series of trick questions.

14. What difference does the author see between his childhood and that of his son?
(a) His son's friends are much wilder than his were.
(b) He had to learn to fight and survive in a more violent environment.
(c) His son is living in "The Dream."
(d) He had more friends than his son does now.

15. For whom was the author's son named?
(a) Samori Touré.
(b) Martin Luther King.
(c) Malcom X.
(d) Robert Hayden.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does the author describe his experience in the Baltimore public schools?

2. Whose death reminded the author that his world and his son's were one and the same?

3. What did the author's father collect?

4. What does the author tell his son about responsibility?

5. What sense does the author describe experiencing as he watched television as a child?

(see the answer keys)

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