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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What 1986 event helped solidify the author's view that violence is inevitable?
(a) A teenage boy pulled a gun.
(b) He fired his first weapon.
(c) His father was shot.
(d) His mother iwa mugged.

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

3. Which name symbolically means "The Struggle"?
(a) Malcom.
(b) Samori.
(c) Ta-Nehisi.
(d) Luther.

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

5. How does the author describe his experience in the Baltimore public schools?
(a) Pointless.
(b) Safe.
(c) Hopeful.
(d) Enlightening.

6. Who is Linda Heywood?
(a) A Howard professor specialized in Central Africa.
(b) An American poet.
(c) A musician the author met at The Mecca.
(d) A protester from the Lawn.

7. What has been the prevalent emotion in the author's life?
(a) Fear.
(b) Joy.
(c) Anger.
(d) Hope.

8. What does the author tell his son about responsibility?
(a) He is only responsible for himself.
(b) He is responsible for his family.
(c) He is responsible for his body and the bodies of others.
(d) Responsibility comes with a price.

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 said, "Either I can beat him, or the police"?
(a) The author.
(b) The author's mother.
(c) The author's father.
(d) The author's grandmother.

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

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

13. Whose death reminded the author that his world and his son's were one and the same?
(a) The author's grandmother.
(b) Michael Brown.
(c) The author's father.
(d) Michael Jackson.

14. According to the author, what is the purpose of defining races of people?
(a) To identify people groups.
(b) To instill a sense of cultural pride.
(c) To define culture.
(d) To form a hierarchy in society.

15. What view does the author have of the afterlife?
(a) It does not exist.
(b) It is an unknown.
(c) It is his only comfort.
(d) It is a vital part of the fabric of the human psyche.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the author, when Lincoln spoke of the "government of the people," to whom was he addressing?

2. What is "the Yard"?

3. How did the author's parent's respond to his questions about inequality in the world?

4. What essential question does the author pose in his memoir?

5. What realization does the author have about his university education?

(see the answer keys)

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