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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. In his letter, MLK states that he has heard the word "Wait!" for years and that this word "Wait!" has always meant what?

2. President Kennedy once said something to MLK in the White House about not being too harsh on the judgment of someone. Who was the person that President Kennedy was speaking about?

3. What does MLK state that the American Negroes said after they "shook off three hundred years of psychological slavery"?

4. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, what word does MLK confess he is not afraid of?

5. Who said, "Dammit. Turn on the hoses."?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does MLK answer the questions of the clergymen of "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Aren't negotiations better?"

2. What are the four basic steps in any nonviolent campaign that MLK mentions?

3. What does MLK mention in "The Days to Come" that would immediately transform the conditions of Negro life?

4. How many people were involved with the March on Washington, and what kind of people were involved?

5. Why does MLK state that they could thank the segregationists for the revolution that started in Birmingham?

6. What did approximately 125 business leaders see when they left for lunch during the May 7th Senior Citizens Committee meeting?

7. When the campaign had sent out a request for volunteers, what did the six tiny youngsters ask Andy Young, and what did they do to help the movement?

8. What does MLK say about injustice that explains why he felt like he needed to be involved with the city of Birmingham to help the civil rights movement?

9. When MLK talks about the number of S.C.L.C. affiliates jumping from 85 to 100, he mentions that more than one million Americans attended solidarity demonstrations in what cities?

10. What did MLK and the S.C.L.C. officers want to do to bring a new dynamic to the campaign that would receive criticism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After MLK and the other leaders had decided to lead a demonstration on April 12th, they received what type of bad news? What did this news do to the hopefulness of the leaders? Why was MLK told that he could not go to jail now? What did MLK think about when he was presented with this news? MLK states that he walked to another room by himself. He says, "I think I was standing also at the center of all that my life had brought me to be." What does he mean by these words? Why did MLK not back down after the bad news, and why did he decide that he would have to go to jail if needed?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the book we read about fear and experience this frequently. MLK mention's that Bull Connor's Birmingham had the silent password of fear. The black people were oppressed, so there was fear. Why does MLK say the white citizens were fearful? Why did the thought of change bring fear among Negros and white citizens too? Why and how did Bull Connor strike a sense of fear in the city? What other instances of fear do you find in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Not much is mentioned about MLK's wife during the events of this book. Why do you think that is? Why do you think it was important for MLK to include her in the telling of him being in jail and her trying to call? Even though Coretta isn't mentioned much, how much influence do you think she had during the events in this book? How do you think Coretta King felt about her husband's intense involvement with the civil rights movement? How do you think Coretta showed her support to MLK? How do you think Coretta's support helped motivated MLK?

(see the answer keys)

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