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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. MLK states that a person would have come to a startling conclusion if they had visited Birmingham before what date?

2. In "The Negro Revolution-Why 1963," MLK quotes a poet. Where does the poet say the blackness of nighttime collects?

3. MLK states that a person would conclude that Birmingham had been in what type of slumber and had been trapped for decades?

4. What did Birmingham give up when they decided to close down the parks instead of having them integrated?

5. In "The Sword That Heals," MLK states that the Negro turned his back on force because he knew he couldn't win through physical force, and he also believed he could lose what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does MLK describe tokenism as thwarting the dreams of the Negro population's dreams and aspirations?

2. What does MLK state that Bull Connor prided himself in?

3. What happened soon after the Supreme Court had handed down a decree calling for desegregation of schools that discouraged MLK?

4. How does MLK describe what it would be like to be a Negro baby born and brought up in Birmingham?

5. What would happen if a volunteer did not pass the strict test for service as a demonstrator?

6. What happened to the United States senator who was visiting Birmingham to deliver a speech and walked through a door marked "Colored"?

7. With the number of volunteers increasing after the boycott of Birmingham businesses, what other campaigns were the demonstrators able to accomplish?

8. What were the invitational periods at the mass meetings for?

9. In the introduction of Why We Can't Wait, MLK mentions that he sees a young Negro boy. Describe the setting that MLK describes for this boy.

10. What phrase did Fred Shuttlesworth use to describe Albert Boutwell and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The book, Why We Can't Wait, is written by Martin Luther King, Jr. about the time of the civil rights movement during the 1960s in which Birmingham became the center of attention for the nation to watch those "fighting" for freedom. How do you think MLK's perspective on the details of these events affected the reader of the book? How would the details of the events be told differently if we were reading a book by Bull Connor? How about a book by Jesse Jackson? Explain your answers and use evidence from the book to support those answers.

Essay Topic 2

In "The Sword That Heals," MLK mentions the meaning of tokenism and the use of it during the times of the marches, revolution, and meetings between leaders. What is tokenism? MLK states that Negroes condemned the form of tokenism that is an end in itself. He says that this type of tokenism is there not to begin a process but to end the process of protest and pressure. Why would this be considered to be a hypocritical gesture? How is tokenism being used during the events MLK describes in Birmingham? Why were there some that argued in favor of tokenism?

Essay Topic 3

In 1963 the United States was preparing to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Big productions were in the works for this celebration. What were some of the things that MLK mentions in Chapter 1 that the nation was going to do to celebrate this event? What kind of emotions and desires does this inspire in MLK? What kind of emotions and desires does this inspire in the Negro population as a whole?

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