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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 kind of torture from the Middle Ages does Menakem evoke in Chapter 16?

2. Where did Menakem lead a series of training sessions while he was writing this book?

3. What should leaders in law enforcement do two to three times a year for their staff, according to Menakem?

4. What do we all need to do if we are to live full, meaningful lives, according to Menakem in Chapter 16?

5. Why did Officer Betty Shelby say she shot Terence Crutcher?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is one of the hardest parts of healing trauma, according to Menakem in Chapter 12?

2. What role does the soul nerve play in the body, according to Menakem?

3. What do white Americans and police officers have to do in the presence of Black bodies, according to Menakem?

4. What does Menakem say about lynchings in general in Chapter 12 that might surprise many Americans?

5. When would Menakem's grandmother sometimes whip him?

6. What historical event does Menakem ask the reader to look at pictures of, and why, in Chapter 16?

7. What are three things everyone working in American law enforcement need to hear, according to Menakem?

8. What must one first choose to do in order to stop intergenerational and historical trauma in its tracks, according to Menakem?

9. Why does a settled body matter so much, according to Menakem?

10. What did Menakem's grandmother often do to comfort herself in times of stress?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the stories, experiences, and anecdotes Menakem shares from both his childhood and adult life that he uses to illustrate how trauma in the body - especially as it relates to racial injustice - has affected his own family and his own life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Menakem's nephew Xavier's encounter with the police in Chapter 8 affect his and his family's perceptions of police treatment of Black bodies? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Menakem argue that the trauma white Europeans experienced centuries ago is related to white-body supremacy in America today? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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