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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How did the author spend most of his time at The Mecca?
(a) Listening to and writing poetry.
(b) Absorbing culture and music.
(c) Reading and taking notes on black literature and essays.
(d) Arguing politics on the Lawn.

2. How did the author and his friends illegally obtain alcohol when they were underage?
(a) They would make corn liquor at home in the bathtub.
(b) There were men of legal drinking age who would purchase it for them for a fee.
(c) They would steal it from the liquor store.
(d) They would steal it from their parents.

3. What advantages has the author's son had growing up?
(a) Wealth and private schools.
(b) A safer neighborhood, better schools and more freedom.
(c) A black president, social networks, omnipresent media and black culture.
(d) Less racism, the Internet and a world culture.

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

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

6. For how many years were black people enslaved in America?
(a) 150 years.
(b) 100 years.
(c) 50 years.
(d) 250 years.

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

8. What does the author describe as the "enemy of art, courageous thinking and honest writing"?
(a) Public education.
(b) Religion.
(c) The Dream.
(d) Science.

9. According to the author, what do many of his black contemporaries have in common?
(a) They are searching for a better future.
(b) They are proud of their heritage.
(c) They are unhappy with their lives.
(d) They have never known their fathers.

10. Whom does the author describe as his "wedding ring"?
(a) God.
(b) His son.
(c) His wife.
(d) His soul.

11. What is "The Dream" that Coats refers to?
(a) Hope for the future.
(b) Principles set out by the Declaration of Independence.
(c) The misconception that all Americans, regardless of race, can achieve success.
(d) The ability of every person to achieve their personal goals.

12. What did the author's parents teach him about religion?
(a) They rejected all religions.
(b) He should find his own spiritual path.
(c) They were devout Muslims.
(d) They were devout Baptists.

13. What is "the Yard"?
(a) A club in downtown Atlanta.
(b) A communal green space at Howard University when students gather.
(c) A strip of green grass near the White House where protesters gather.
(d) An area near the docks in Virginia where students gather.

14. According to the author, who controls the streets of Baltimore?
(a) The students.
(b) The parents.
(c) The crews.
(d) The police.

15. 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.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did the girl with the long dreads teach the author?

2. Who were the first white people the author knew on a personal level?

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

4. What important skills did the author's mother teach him?

5. Where is Howard University located?

(see the answer keys)

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