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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. Steele's daughter's name is which of the following?

2. Who was Steele's editor for The Content of Our Character?

3. What was Steele doing on the afternoon of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1986?

4. In what state does Steele work?

5. What does Steele say is the first step to pursuing power?

Short Essay Questions

1. Steele said the 60's were turbulent. What are two of the race related movements that took place in that decade?

2. What caused Steele to experience discrimination in a segregated school?

3. What are the three ways that Steele said integration shock manifests as segregation?

4. What did Steele mean when he spoke about integration shock? When does it generally occur? Are blacks and whites equally likely to experience it?

5. In line with Steele's experience, how are individualistic blacks received by those who have conformed to the 'black identity'?

6. How did Steele mention individualism is powerful? What did he say it requires people to do? What could be the drawbacks of it?

7. What effect did Steele say integration shock has on blacks' attitude about racism as a whole? How did he say it affects their individual attitudes?

8. Steele shared his thought that blacks use themes of re-composition to create black identity. What did he say are these themes?

9. In Chapter 1, Steele said the only way to do away with racial problems is for all to move from a racial consciousness to a moral consciousness. What does that mean?

10. How does Steele define the self-inflicted mindset of anti-self?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

According to Steele, blacks deal with the feeling of powerlessness in two ways: challenging and bargaining. Define what these two terms mean. What is the purpose of taking on these attitudes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two? Who are some examples mentioned in the book of people who 'challenge or bargain'?

Essay Topic 2

How did Steele say an inferior complex from discrimination leads to aggression and low self-esteem in blacks? How does this mentally and emotionally affect them? How does this mentally and emotionally affect whites?

Essay Topic 3

What did Steele say about the race relations conversation between opposing views? How does it help aid the negative issues of race relations? How does it hinder the progress of moving beyond the negative issues of race relations?

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