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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow" the author describes a speech that Barack Obama gave during his presidential campaign. Where was the speech given?

2. Who was the former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy that stated that if your child bought drugs, "it was from a student of their own race generally"?

3. In what case in 1985 did the Court rule that racially biased strikes violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?

4. In what notable case did the Court establish the doctrine of "separate but equal"?

5. What organization did Dorsey Nunn co-found?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe white victims of racial caste in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow"?

2. What does the author mean when she refers to "second-class citizens" in the book?

3. What is the significance of the Supreme Court decision in McCleskey v. Kemp?

4. What are the financial debts that a former criminal may face? How much of their wages can be garnished to cover these expenses?

5. What are the obstacles that former criminals face in terms of finding housing?

6. How does the author compare the circumstances of a freed prisoner to those of a black person living in Mississippi at the height of Jim Crow in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand"?

7. How does the author compare the incarceration rates of blacks and whites in the U.S. for drug offenses versus the statistics of use among blacks and whites in the country?

8. What is noted about Frederick Douglass's speech at the National Colored Convention in 1853 in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand"?

9. When did Whren v. United States go before the Supreme Court? What was the Court's decision?

10. When was crack-cocaine introduced to users in the U.S.? What involvement did the government have with the introduction of crack to African American communities?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When did the War on Drugs emerge in the United States? How was the media involved in this campaign? What legislation emerged as a result of the War on Drugs? What impacts has the War on Drugs had on American society?

Essay Topic 2

What are the repercussions a defendant may face for taking a plea deal instead of facing mandatory sentences for drug offenses? What are some of the examples of costs that a defendant may face after trial? How can these costs oppress a former inmate?

Essay Topic 3

What is "affirmative action" and when did it emerge in the United States? What are the pros and cons of affirmative action? Where does the author stand on this issue? Why?

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