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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 3: "Part Three: The Eight Pillars of Caste".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," where does Wilkerson say that the idea of race began?
(a) In the transatlantic slave trade.
(b) In Ancient Greece and Rome.
(c) During the Moorish invasion of Spain.
(d) In colonial India.

2. Which of the following is the traditional Indian word for "caste"?
(a) Varna.
(b) Dalit.
(c) Vaishya.
(d) Kshatriya.

3. In "Pillar Number Eight: Inherent Superiority versus Inherent Inferiority," what is Wilkerson's central claim?
(a) That even ordinary events like getting onto a bus reflect the premise that Blacks are inferior.
(b) That American Blacks have historically been treated like animals.
(c) That Black Americans have had to learn an elaborate performance of inferiority.
(d) That the caste system depends on all members of the lowest caste being treated as inferior to all members of the highest caste.

4. In "Pillar Number Six: Dehumanization and Stigma," what is the best definition of the word "stigma"?
(a) A cultural system of disguised aggressions.
(b) A set of negative beliefs attached to a particular characteristic, action, object, etc.
(c) The practice of separating or segregating something believed to be polluted.
(d) A marking believed to indicate evil, corruption, etc.

5. What is the best definition of "heritability" as used in "The Second Pillar: Heritability"?
(a) Able to bind different families together.
(b) A privilege that stays within a particular family.
(c) Capable of being passed down from parent to child.
(d) A status based on genetics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to "Pillar Number Five: Occupational Hierarchy: The Jatis and the Mudsill," what percentage of Blacks worked in white-collar professions during the Great Depression?

2. In "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what reason does Wilkerson give for most people's participation in the American caste system?

3. In "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," what does the Nigerian playwright tell Wilkerson about Blacks in Africa?

4. On page 6, Wilkerson refers to white "preeminence." What quality is she referring to?

5. In "Pillar Number Six: Dehumanization and Stigma," Wilkerson explains that enslaved people were not allowed to cry as their families were separated. What is this meant to serve as an example of?

(see the answer key)

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