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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who was Abraham Brian?
(a) A free black man who left his home to escape the threat of slavery.
(b) A slave who led the underground railroad.
(c) A white congressman who lobbied for the rights of free black men.
(d) A black soldier for the Confederacy.

2. What Civil War battlefield did the author visit with his son and nephew?
(a) Petersburg Battlefield.
(b) Elkin's Ferry.
(c) Pea Ridge.
(d) Prairie Grove.

3. Which Howard University student was shot by a PG County officer shortly after the author's encounter with the police?
(a) The girl with the long dreadlocks.
(b) Prince Jones.
(c) The author's wife.
(d) Trayvon Martin.

4. Why was the man on page 112 arguing with the boy in the car?
(a) The boy was trying to run him over with the car.
(b) The boy was pointing a gun at him.
(c) The boy refused to turn down his music.
(d) The man wanted to rob the boy.

5. How was the officer who killed Prince Jones dressed?
(a) In plain clothes.
(b) As a homeless man.
(c) In a patrol uniform.
(d) As an undercover drug dealer.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who took care of the author's son while his mother was away?

2. According to senator John C. Calhoun, "The two great divisions of society are not the rich and the poor, but _____" what?

3. How did the death of Prince Jones affect the author emotionally?

4. What emotion did the author experience when sitting in the public garden in Paris?

5. According to the author, "In America, it is traditional to destroy the _____" what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the author's fear of his son seeing him arrested greater than his fear of being arrested?

2. Why did the author move to New York?

3. How does the death of the boy on page 112 (Jordan Davis) reinforce the author's theory that the "Dream" is dangerous?

4. What revelation does the author have about police officers and authority figures after the September 11 attacks?

5. Why did the thought of encountering the Prince George's County patrol officer frighten the author?

6. How does the author compare the flight of Abraham Brian to the fear of the modern black man?

7. Why are black children told to be "twice as good"?

8. What is the significance of the author's description of the slave burial plot in southern Manhattan?

9. According to the author, how do the behaviors of police departments reflect American values?

10. What reasons does the author give for Prince Jones' behavior prior to his death?

(see the answer keys)

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