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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. What type of fruit trees did the Delany sisters have in their yard?

2. Who was the editor of the Amsterdam News?

3. What was the name of the music teacher often visited by the sisters?

4. In what month did the crash take place?

5. What happened to the cottage in the end?

Short Essay Questions

1. Sadie was tricky when it came to getting a job at a high school. What was Sadie's trick? Why was it necessary?

2. Examine the incident with the cottage, Bessie, and the judge.

3. What is written about the assassinations of the famous leaders of the time, particularly those involved in the Civil Rights Movement?

4. Who was Little Hubie? Why was he special? What happened to the child?

5. Discuss the main issue in "Outliving the Rebby Boys."

6. What was the general impression of Harlem in the 1920s and 1930s? What was the other side of the situation?

7. The sisters talk about the deaths in the family. Who died first? Could any of the deaths have been prevented? Explain.

8. The sisters talk about their situation during World War II. Discuss at least one issue the sisters had at that time.

9. Examine the effect Nanny's death had on Sadie.

10. What prompted the family to move to New York? Who moved to the city first? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bessie jokes that the reason she and Sadie have lived so long was due to the fact that neither ever got married. Do you think there is any truth to that statement? Did Bessie mean what she said or was she joking? Why do you think neither sister ever married? How was that choice viewed by the rest of the family? Did either have a boyfriend? How might things have changed if one or both of the sisters had married? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

The author says: "Both more than one hundred years old, Sarah ("Sadie") Delany and her sister Annie Elizabeth ("Bessie") Delany are among the oldest living witnesses to American history." (Part 1, page 3) What do you think it would be like to be in that position? Would you want to be one of the oldest living witnesses? What types of things did the sister see first hand that you would consider to be ancient history? Would you record your experiences? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

The Delany family attended school at St. Augustine's, as did their parents. Discuss in detail St. Augustine's school. Why did Henry and Nanny attend St. Augustine's? What were their majors? What made the Delanys decide to stay there? What kind of education did the children receive at the school? What jobs did Henry and Nanny have? Was St. Augustine's school a religious, private or public school? Where did the children go after leaving St. Augustine's school?

(see the answer keys)

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