Selection Review #1

Select ion Review #1

One More River to Cross

“Cr ispus Attucks”

1. Explain how Crispus Attucks’ family background might give him a love of freedom. Howdid Attucks show this love as a young man? Crispus Attucks’ father was probably an African.He was probably free before he was a slave. He may have given his son a love of freedom.Attucks’ mother was an Indian woman. She was probably descended from John Attucks, aChristian Indian. In 1676, John Attucks fought on the side of the Indians against the colonists.He was put to death for this. Crispus Attucks’ mother may have also passed on to him atradition of refusing unfair treatment. Attucks showed his love of freedom by running awayfrom slavery in 1750. He probably lived as a sailor until his death twenty years later.

2. Why do you think there were so many fights between the citizens of Boston and the Britishsoldiers? What happened in particular on the evening of March 5, 1770? The people ofBoston were angry with the British already. They thought the taxes and laws the British govern-ment made them follow were unfair. In 1769 the king sent about 1,000 British soldiers toBoston to control the city. The people of Boston had to house and feed these soldiers. Thismade them even angrier. They expressed their anger by insulting the soldiers. They also threwthings at them and had street fights with them. On March 5, 1770, a young apprentice insulteda British captain. A private hit him in the face. Then the boy ran through the streets shoutingthat he had been “killed.” An alarm was sounded and angry crowds filled the streets.

3. What good and bad qualities did Crispus Attucks show when this happened? When thishappened, Crispus Attucks showed that he was a leader of men. He led the crowd to demon-strate where the soldiers were staying. Attucks was also brave. He challenged the Britishsoldiers openly. However, this was also a rude, reckless thing to do. The soldiers answeredthe crowd by firing their guns. Attucks and four other men were killed. This incident was latercalled the “Boston Massacre.”

4. The Boston Massacre changed history. Tell how. What was important about Crispus Attucks’role? The colonists were very angry with the British after the Boston Massacre. This helpedlead to the Revolutionary War. In particular, African Americans in Massachusetts thought aboutAttucks’ death. It helped them take their need for freedom more seriously. They sent severalpetitions to the state legislature. They wanted to be freed from slavery. There were also severalAfrican-American minutemen. They fought against the British in the Revolutionary War.

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5. John Adams changed his mind about the Boston Massacre between 1770 and 1773. Explainhow and why. In 1770 John Adams was the defense lawyer for some of the soldiers. They wereaccused of killing innocent people. At that time Adams was loyal to the British king. He saidthe Boston Massacre was mostly Crispus Attucks’ fault. He and the other people insulted andthreatened the soldiers. Adams said the soldiers fired their guns to defend themselves. How-ever, three years later, Adams’ bias – his view of the situation – had changed. He no longeraccepted the way the British were governing the colonies. At this time Adams thought the Britishgovernor was responsible for the Boston Massacre. He thought that the unfair conditions inBoston led to the fighting between the citizens and the British soldiers.



“Madam C. J . Walker”

1. Responding to challenges: each of the graphic organizers below represents a problem thatSarah Breedlove faced. For each problem, tell how Sarah overcame the difficulty in thebox following the upward arrow. In the box following the dotted downward arrow, tellwhat would have happened if she had done nothing. Some possible answers are given(see back of page).

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husband brutally mur-dered

Problems

Sarah’s response: _______________________

_______________________________________

Consequences if she had done nothing: _____

________________________________________

hair falling out

Sarah’s response: _______________________

_______________________________________


________________________________________

white stores wouldn’tsell product

Sarah’s response: _______________________

_______________________________________


________________________________________

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2. Why was life more difficult for many slaves after they had been freed? After the Civil War,most blacks did not own land they could use to grow food, and it was difficult for them to findwork. Many slaves continued to work for their former slave owners as sharecroppers. Also,white supremacy groups like the Ku Klux Klan terrorized them.

3. What qualities made Madam C. J. Walker successful? Many answers are possible. Someimportant qualities that Madam Walker possessed are self-confidence, willingness to workhard, decisiveness, toughness, persistence, intelligence, persuasive abilities, outspokenness,and hope.

4. How did Madam Walker take an idea and turn it a product that made her a millionaire?What steps did she take to accomplish this? The steps include: 1) She developed a prod-uct to stop hair loss from a vision she had; 2) She started to share the product with friendswho used and liked the product; 3) She learned how to advertise her product successfullyfrom her husband, C. J. Walker; 4) She developed more hair care products that were alsosuccessful; 5) she hired and trained employees to help her expand her business.

Possible answers to Question #1:

husband brutally murdered

Problems

Sarah’s response: moved away from the South

Consequences if she had done nothing: wouldhave gone on living in fear and despair

hair falling out

Sarah’s response: tested and developed a productto solve the problem

Consequences if she had done nothing: wouldhave continued to suffer hair loss

white stores wouldn’t sellproduct

Sarah’s response: advertised in newspapers andtraveled to sell product through talks to black or-ganizations

Consequences if she had done nothing: businesswould not have developed successfully



“Matthew Henson”

1. Why was Matthew Henson unusual when compared to other African Americans of his timeperiod? Matthew Henson received more education than the average African American of hisday. He attend school more years than most. Later he was personally educated by CaptainChilds. Because of his experience as a sailor and his travels with Robert Peary, he also sawmuch more of the world than was usual.

2. Robert Peary first noticed Matthew Henson when he was working as a stock boy. Whatqualities did Peary see that convinced him to take Henson on his trip to Nicaragua? Whatqualities in Henson made him important to Peary’s work? As Peary talked with MatthewHenson, he noticed Henson’s intelligence and willingness to work hard. Henson becameimportant to Peary’s work because he was a skillful and dependable co-worker. He learnedquickly, endured harsh living conditions without complaining or turning back, and performedwell all the responsibilities he was given.

3. Why did scientists name Dr. Peary the discoverer of the North Pole instead of Dr. Cook?Peary was not honored at first when he returned from the arctic because Dr. Frederick Cookclaimed to have discovered it before him. However, experts later hailed Peary as the truediscoverer of the North Pole because his records proved it. Cook, on the other hand, had noevidence to support his claims.

4. Why wasn’t Matthew Henson honored as a co-discoverer of the North Pole along withRobert Peary? Robert Peary did not acknowledge Henson’s importance in the North Polediscovery because Henson was black. Peary feared the public would not approve of hishaving a black partner.

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“Marian Anderson”

1. Why was Marian Anderson’s Easter Sunday concert in 1939 unusual? How did this eventchange many Americans’ ideas about racial discrimination? Marian Anderson wanted togive the concert at a concert hall in Washington. However, the organization that owned thehall would not let her perform there because she was black. Many people were angry whenthey heard about this. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, President Franklin Roosevelt’s wife, decided tohelp. She arranged for Anderson to sing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Anderson sang to ahuge crowd, about 75,000 people. This situation helped many white Americans to see thatracial discrimination did not make sense. They also saw that it was a serious problem that hadto be solved.

2. What are some of the problems Anderson faced on her way to becoming a world-famoussinger? Tell how she overcame these problems. People recognized Marian Anderson’s greattalent as a singer even when she was a young girl. However, her parents did not have moneyfor music lessons. One teacher gave her free lessons in high school. When Anderson decidedto pursue a singing career, her church helped her pay for lessons with Mr. Boghetti. Anderson’sfirst big New York concert failed. She felt like giving up, but she decided to swallow her prideand go on. Anderson did not sing as well in foreign languages. For this reason, she saved hermoney to go to Europe and study. Respected concert halls in America were often closed to herbecause of race. There was less racial discrimination in Europe, so she developed her careerthere for several years.

3. What was ironic about Anderson’s popularity in Europe? It was ironic that for a long timewhite audiences in Anderson’s home country ignored her talent. However, white audiences inEurope loved her immediately. Becoming famous in Europe helped Anderson become famousin America too.

4. Who were some of the people who brought Marian Anderson to the attention of theAmerican public? Sol Hurok, a famous American concert manager, offered to representAnderson in the United States. He arranged for her to give concerts in respected concert hallswhere her gifts would be appreciated. President and Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt also thoughthighly of Marian Anderson. They invited her to sing at the White House.

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5. How did Anderson’s life change as she got older? How did she fight racial discriminationafter she became famous? Anderson received many honors later in her life. In 1941 shereceived a $10,000 award from the city of Philadelphia. She used this money to create ascholarship fund for music students. In 1943 she married her childhood sweetheart, OrpheusFisher. In 1955 Anderson began to sing operas. She was later a member of a U.S. delegationto the United Nations and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. After she became famous,Anderson only sang at concert halls where black customers had the same privileges as whites.She refused to sing in segregated halls



“Ralph Bunche”

1. How did Ralph Bunche’s family face the problems and heartbreaks they encountered dur-ing his childhood? How was Ralph rewarded for his own hard work in and out of school?Ralph Bunche’s family overcame hardships through hard work and helping one another. Forexample, when Ralph’s mother was in poor health, the whole family moved to New Mexico tofind a better climate for her. When the family did not have enough money, eleven-year-oldRalph went to work at night. When Ralph’s parents died, his grandmother took care of him andhis sister. Ralph worked so hard in high school that he was awarded a scholarship to attendcollege. His hard work in college earned him a fellowship to attend graduate school at Harvard.

2. List some of Ralph’s experiences with racial discrimination. How did these experienceshelp prepare him for his future career? Although Ralph grew up in mostly integrated neighbor-hoods and schools, he did experience racial discrimination on many occasions. When he andhis mom went to the movies they were urged to sit in the balcony. His family was locked out ofa house they had rented in a white neighborhood. Ralph had to sit out while white newsboyswent swimming at a party. He was not invited to join the honor society even though he hadthe highest grades in his class. These experiences taught Bunche that it was important tomake things fair and just for everyone, not just for some people. He also learned to listen toall sides of a story, and to keep working even in difficult situations. This was important whenhe became a diplomat working for peace.

3. How did Bunche prepare academically for his career? How did he pay for his studies andhis living expenses at college? Bunche attended the University of California at Los Angeles(UCLA). He maintained high grades and received a fellowship to do graduate study in govern-ment at Harvard. Bunche earned both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Harvard. All the waythrough college, Bunche worked to earn money for living expenses. Also, his hard work on hisstudies helped him earn scholarships.

4. Tell about some of the places Ralph Bunche worked as a scholar and a diplomat. Explainwhat he did in each place. One of the first foreign countries Ralph Bunche visited was SouthAfrica. He visited several African villages and studied relations between blacks and whites.Bunche also studied race relations when he visited the American South with a Swedish soci-ologist. Later, Bunche visited the Middle East as a diplomat. He helped work out a peaceagreement between Israel and the Arab countries. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950for his work in this situation.

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5. As Bunche worked hard for peace around the world, he expressed concern about his owncountry, the United States. What was this concern? Bunche was concerned because Americawas the champion of freedom around the world. However, at home in America, AfricanAmericans still did not have much freedom. Many still lived in very unfair conditions. Bunchesupported the efforts of the NAACP and the civil rights movement to bring about liberty andjustice for all Americans.



“Char les Drew”

1. Tell about Charles Drew’s childhood. What kind of boy was he? Charles Drew was part of alarge family living in a poor section of Washington, D.C. His father was a proud man who laidcarpets for a living. His mother was a former teacher. Charles was very athletic boy. He earnedletters in four different sports in high school. He also worked hard on his studies. In addition,Charles ran a newspaper delivery route. He developed it so well that he had six other boysworking for him.

2. List two reasons Drew might have been tempted to give up on going to medical school.Why do you think he insisted on going? When Drew graduated from college, he had nomoney to attend medical school. He got a job as an athletic director for two years. He was sosuccessful that he might have been tempted to give up on medical school. He could have hada good career as an athletic director and coach. Also, Drew’s application to Howard UniversityMedical School was turned down. He could have become discouraged and given up. Instead,Drew went to medical school in Canada. Drew was not a person to be turned aside from hisgoals by either success or setbacks.

3. Describe Charles Drew’s research. Why was this important? Why was it especially impor-tant during World War II? Charles Drew was trying to find a way to store blood so it could beused for emergencies. This was important because sometimes people need blood transfusionsin a hurry after an accident or during an operation. After many years of research, Drew learnedto separate the plasma and dry it for storage. This was very helpful during World War II. Extrablood was needed to treat thousands of wounded soldiers.

4. Describe Charles Drew’s job in England. Why was he unable to do a similar job in America?Charles Drew’s job in England was to provide a lot of blood for wounded soldiers. He organizedAmerican volunteer donors. He set up a system to process the blood in America and thentransport it to England. However, when Drew returned to America he had a problem. Some whitepeople in America did not want to be treated with blood given by black people. These peopleput a lot of pressure on the Red Cross, the Army, and the Navy. They insisted on segregatingthe blood collection work on the basis of race. This did not make sense scientifically. It alsomade the blood collection work a lot harder. Charles Drew saw that this practice was foolish,so he resigned from his job organizing blood collections.

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5. List several ironies (contradictions) in Charles Drew’s medical career. One irony of Drew’scareer is that he was refused admission as a student at Howard University’s medical school.Drew later became a highly respected teacher in that very same medical school. Another ironyis that Drew developed a medical technique that saved thousands of lives of both black andwhite people. He developed this technique in the 1930s, at a time when medical treatmentwas segregated in many parts of America, and African Americans often received very poormedical treatment. Finally, it is ironic that some white Americans insisted on segregating bloodsupplies because they thought it would be “bad” to mix blood given by people of differentraces. Actually, it was really “bad” to segregate the blood supplies. This made the wholeprocess complicated and inefficient.



“Romare Bearden”

1. What was exciting about Romare Bearden’s childhood? Why did Bearden and his motherdisagree on the subject of his career? Romare Bearden grew up in Harlem in the middle ofthe Harlem Renaissance. He met many great musicians, including J. Rosamond Johnson andDuke Ellington. Romare Bearden and his mother disagreed when Romare decided he wanted tobecome an artist. His mother thought that it would be hard for a black artist to make a living.She wanted Romare to become a doctor or to take a job with the government.

2. What were Bearden’s first steps toward becoming an artist? What was the hardest thingfor him in the beginning? Bearden took his first step toward becoming an artist when hebecame involved in the Harlem Artists Guild. He also took art courses at the Art StudentsLeague downtown. After that he found a job in the Department of Welfare. Having a job gaveBearden a chance to rent a studio apartment of his own. This is where he began to paint.However, the hardest thing for him was to decide what to paint. Finally Bearden realized thathe could paint subjects that he knew well from his own life and childhood.

3. What were some of the reasons that Bearden went through a time of great discouragementafter he came home from the war? What helped him find happiness again? Bearden wasvery discouraged after the war for many reasons. Most of his old friends had moved away fromHarlem. The people there were not as friendly as they had been before. Bearden was stillupset from his mother’s death in 1943. He was also discouraged because he had not foundthe way to paint that was right for him. He went to Paris to learn more but he had to comehome because his money ran out. He was not able to make much money selling paintings sohe had to earn money in other ways. He was so discouraged that he thought he was physicallysick, but the doctors could not find anything wrong with him. Finally Bearden fell in love withNanette Rohan and they were married. His marriage helped him find happiness again.

4. Describe some of the different art techniques that Romare Bearden experimented with.After his marriage, Bearden experimented with many different ways of painting. He began topay more attention to colors and shapes. He painted abstract paintings that did not look likereal objects. He learned about Chinese painting and experimented with gluing rice paper onhis canvases. Later, Bearden focused on making collages. He made many pictures by gluingcut pieces of colored paper or scraps from magazines and newspapers onto canvas orwooden boards.

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5. One writer said that art critics who spoke of Romare Bearden as a “black artist” wereputting him in an “artistic ghetto.” Explain this metaphor. In this metaphor, the writer istalking about Bearden’s situation as an artist. He compares this situation to a ghetto, a part oftown where a minority group is forced to live separated from other people. This writer believesthat always calling Bearden a “black artist” suggests that his work would not be interestingfor people who are not black. This writer would probably agree with Bearden that art is justart, not “black art” and “white art.”

6. How did Bearden try to help other African-American artists get past discrimination in theart world? Bearden created a gallery so that other African-American artists’ work would receivethe attention it deserved. He always liked to talk with young artists to encourage them.



“Fannie Lou Hamer”

1. Describe Fannie Lou Hamer’s childhood and her early married life. What did she learn fromthe hardships she endured? Fannie Lou’s parents were poor sharecroppers. She beganworking in the cotton fields at the age of six. She did not go to school very much because shedid not have nice clothes. Also, she often had to help her parents in the fields. Fannie Loumarried a man who was also a sharecropper. She had two children, and then a white doctordecided she should not have any more. He operated on her, without her permission, to preventher from having more children. The Hamers lived in an old house with a bathroom that neededfixing. The plantation owner would not fix it. Fannie Lou had learned from her mother to standup for herself. She did not accept this unfair treatment. She had also learned to work hard.She was willing to suffer to reach her goals.

2. Why was it important for blacks in Mississippi to register to vote? Why was it so hard forMrs. Hamer and other blacks to register? There were many blacks living in Mississippi.However, very few were allowed to vote before 1960. Blacks had to register so they couldhelp choose government officials. Mississippi laws and courts did not treat blacks fairly, andfair-minded people in government were needed to change this situation. Also, only registeredvoters could serve on juries. Since blacks were not registered, they could not serve on jurieseither. All-white juries often did not treat blacks fairly. White officials made Mrs. Hamer andother blacks take hard, unfair tests on the State Constitution before allowing them to vote.Mrs. Hamer’s landowner also threw her out of her home. Nightriders fired shots into thehouse where she stayed. Threats and attacks like these were used to discourage people fromregistering to vote.

3. Fannie Lou Hamer and other SNCC workers were unfairly arrested and beaten in 1963.Why weren’t their attackers punished? Fannie Lou Hamer and other SNCC workers tried toencourage blacks to vote. When they were arrested and beaten, many Southern white peoplethought they “got what they deserved.” The all-white jury in the case found the attackers notguilty.

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4. Why did Hamer and other SNCC leaders create the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party(MFDP)? Why did the MFDP challenge the official Mississippi delegation at the DemocraticNational Convention in 1964? The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was createdbecause blacks were not allowed to take an active part in the “official” Mississippi DemocraticParty. The MFDP group went to the Democratic National Convention. They said that the officialdelegation did not really represent all the people of Mississippi. They told the delegates andthe world about the unfair ways that blacks were excluded from politics in Mississippi.

5. How was the voting rights problem solved? How did peoples’ view of Mrs. Hamer changeafter this? The voting rights problem was solved by the Voting Rights Act passed by Congressin 1965. This law allowed federal officials to register black voters in the South. Local whiteofficials could no longer make up rules to prevent African Americans from registering to vote.After this, many people began to see Mrs. Hamer as a hero. She was named a “Woman ofInfluence” for 1965 by Mississippi magazine. Her hometown declared “Fannie Lou HamerDay” a few years later. White politicians asked her to give them her support.



“Eddie Robinson”

1. Explain what place hard work had in Eddie Robinson’s life and career. Also explain how hiscommitment to hard work changed the school where he worked and the place of blackathletes in America. Eddie Robinson’s grandfather told him that hard work could get himwhat he wanted in life. He started working for pay when he was a child. His hard work andaccomplishments in college won him the task of starting the athletic department at GramblingState University. He had few resources to work with and his black players at that time had nohope of entering professional football. However, he trained them to compete with the bestteams in the nation. He also groomed them to present themselves well as professionals in thenational spotlight. This attitude and dedication to hard work set Grambling football playersapart from many others. It also, with time, helped open the door for black players to enterprofessional football.

2. Explain how racial discrimination affected Eddie Robinson’s work at Grambling. Racialdiscrimination kept white schools segregated from black schools. Blacks could only play blacks.Black players had no chance to show their talents and receive credit in a white-dominatedsport. Black colleges were poorer, and Grambling players had to practice on a dirt field. Asthe team traveled through the South, they also faced discrimination at restaurants and gasstations. This certainly affected their state of mind and their athletic performance.

3. How was Grambling’s football program affected by desegregation? What did EddieRobinson do to help Grambling adjust to the changing times? When desegregation occurred,white colleges offered scholarship money and opportunities to black players. Grambling hadto compete harder to attract black athletes. First, Eddie Robinson made his team even morecompetitive by developing more game tactics to make it more flexible. He made innovationssuch as allowing players to drink water during the game. Secondly, he put his team in thenational spotlight by inviting college teams from around the country to meet Gambling inexhibition games. Thirdly, he improved the working conditions of the athletes through betterfacilities. He improved the entertainment value of the game with a new stadium and amarching band.

4. What does Eddie Robinson consider more important accomplishments than his winningfootball record? Robinson has been married to only one wife and remained at only oneschool throughout his football career. He considers these facts more important than hisrecord as the “winningest” college football coach in history. He also considers the fact thathe accomplished so much in spite of segregation to be another more important record.

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“Shir ley Chisholm”

1. List several ways that Shirley Chisholm’s childhood foreshadowed her future career inpolitics. There are many hints in Shirley Chisholm’s childhood about her later political career. Asa child Shirley was bossy and quick to speak her mind. She even tried to boss older children.Later, as a politician, “Ms. Chisholm” was not afraid to express her opinion. She even chal-lenged older, more experienced politicians. Shirley loved to talk with her father about politics.Later, politics became her passion. In school Shirley felt more discrimination because of hersex than because of her race. In her political career she also felt discrimination because ofher sex from both black and white men. As a young girl Shirley cared for her little sisters whiletheir mother was at work. Later, as a politician, she felt a special concern for working mothersand their children.

2. Explain how Shirley Chisholm tried to help the poor as a member of the New York StateAssembly. Chisholm suggested bills in the State Assembly that would help poor people. Forexample, one bill offered unemployment insurance to domestic workers. Most domestic workersdid not earn much money. They needed some help if they were fired or laid off. Other billsprovided money for day care and public education. Day care was important to working mothers,who were often poor. Poor people also needed good public education because they could notafford to send children to private schools. Another bill set up the SEEK program. This programgave college scholarships to black and Hispanic young people who were academically readyfor college.

3. What problems did Chisholm have when she ran for President of the United States in1972? Why did she feel that her campaign was a good experience even though she lostthe nomination? When Chisholm ran for President in 1972, two kinds of groups supportedher. Black political groups supported her, and so did women’s groups. However, these twogroups often disagreed about how to run the campaign. Also, most black male politicians didnot support Chisholm’s campaign. Despite this, Chisholm felt that her campaign was a goodexperience. She called attention to the concerns of many people in America who did not havemuch political power. She also opened the door for other blacks and women to be candidates.These included Geraldine Ferraro, who later ran for Vice President, and Jesse Jackson, whoran for President twice.

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4. What did Chisholm find frustrating when she returned to her work in Congress? Whatimportant role did she later play? When Chisholm returned to her work in Congress, shecontinued to fight for the causes she believed in. However, these causes were often unsuccess-ful. Sometimes there were not enough supporting votes in Congress. Other times, the Presidentvetoed a bill that had passed in Congress. However, Chisholm continued to fight. In 1976 shewas the secretary for the Democratic caucus. She was the first black and the first woman tobe part of the leadership of the House of Representatives.

5. Described Chisholm’s life after she left Congress. Chisholm left Congress to be with herhusband, who had suffered a serious auto accident. She became a teacher at Mount HolyokeCollege. She was also the chairwoman of the National Political Caucus of Black Women.



“Malcolm X”

1. During the course of his lifetime, Malcolm X changed in many ways. In the first box of thechart below, write three words or phrases that describe Malcolm X’s character and per-sonality before he entered prison. In the second box, write down three things or peoplethat influenced him to change. In the last box, list three words or phrases that describeMalcolm X’s beliefs and behavior at the time of his death. Some possible answers aregiven on reverse.

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2. What was the Nation of Islam, and why did Malcolm X decide to join it? The Nation of Islam,part of the world religion of Islam, was founded by W.D. Fard. The leader, Elijah Muhammad,said that the one true God, Allah, told him that white people were the devil. He said that blackswere a lost people who had been found and who would rule the world. Malcolm X chose to jointhe Nation of Islam because the religious aspects of it gave him a sense of peace. Also, hebelieved in the group’s anti-white views.

3. What was Malcolm X working toward at the time of his death? Why did so many peoplehate him? Malcolm X was trying to get whites and blacks to work together to create economicand political independence for blacks. He was opposed by both blacks and whites who did notwant the two races to work together.

Malcolm X beforeprison

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

Why Malcolm Xchanged

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

Malcolm X at the timeof his death

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

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4. Why is Malcolm X an important figure in American history? What do you admire mostabout him? Malcolm X is an important person in American history because in many ways herepresented the anger of many black people. They were filled with frustration and hatredbecause their social conditions were terrible and they could not bring about change. MalcolmX was changed from an irresponsible criminal into a religious and political leader of greatinfluence. He was killed before many of the changes he worked hard for occurred. However,his burning desire for social equality and black economic independence, and later for racialunity, still inspires many people today.

Answers for Graphic Organizer (Question #1):

Malcolm X beforeprison

uneducated

a criminal

hated whites

Why Malcolm Xchanged

began followingteachings of theNation of Islamimproved his

educationtook a pilgrimage

to Mecca

Malcolm X at thetime of his death

a leader

an excellentspeaker

wanted blacksand whites towork together



“Ronald McNair”

1. What disadvantages did Ronald McNair have growing up that could have discouraged him?McNair was born in a poor part of the South where segregation was still strong. The poor blackschools he attended did not prepare him for graduate school as well as the wealthier whiteschools would have.

2. Why was Ronald McNair a good candidate for becoming an astronaut? Ronald McNair hadbeen an accomplished student of physics and had scientific skills that could be useful inspace exploration. He also applied to become an astronaut at a time when NASA wanted torecruit minorities for the space program.

3. Why did NASA develop the space shuttle? How did the space shuttle differ from the rocketspreviously sent into space? NASA developed the space shuttle because it needed a reusablespacecraft that could perform work that would earn money for the space program. It differedfrom the rockets used earlier in that it could be reused, carry payloads into space, carry morepersonnel, and perform work in space.

4. In what ways is Ronald McNair’s life an inspiration to young people? Answers will vary.McNair is an inspiration because he is an example of how one can overcome social disadvan-tages and succeed with a positive attitude and a commitment to hard work. He is also aninspiration because he was one of the first blacks chosen to fly in space.

5. Describe the tragedy that occurred with the January 1986 Challenger space flight. Thisflight will always be remembered because the Challenger exploded into a ball of fire shortlyafter take-off. All seven people on board, including McNair, died.

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Literature Test #1


“Crispus Attucks”

1. Tell about Crispus Attucks’ family background and his life as a young man.

2. Give examples of Crispus Attucks’ good and bad qualities as seen in the events of March 5,1770. What happened?

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3. Tell about the historical importance of the Boston Massacre, both for the American Revolu-tion and for African-Americans of that time.

4. What is bias? How did John Adams’ bias about the Boston Massacre change between 1770and 1773?

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Literature Test #2


“Madam C. J. Walker”

1. Why was life difficult for blacks in the South even after they became free?

2. Explain why Madam C. J. Walker first developed the product that would make her wealthy.Describe the problem she had to overcome in selling her product and what she did to sell itsuccessfully.

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3. How was Madam C. J. Walker an inspiration to both women and black people who lived in hertime period? How is she an inspiration to you?

4. Name three qualities that Madam C. J. Walker had that you think contributed most to hersuccess. Tell why you think these qualities are important.

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Literature Test #3



1. Why did Robert Peary choose Henson to work with him? How did Henson prove to be a valuableworker?

2. Explain how Matthew Henson’s life was different from that of most African Americans of hisday.

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3. Why wasn’t Henson at first honored along with Peary as a co-discoverer of the North Pole?

4. Which of Henson’s qualities do you find most inspiring? Why?

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Literature Test #4



1. How did Marian Anderson’s Easter Sunday concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial help thecause of racial justice?

2. One of Marian Anderson’s main qualities was her perseverance or determination to pursueher goals despite the obstacles she encountered. List at least three problems she faced andtell how she overcame each of them.

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3. Why was it easier for Anderson to achieve fame and success in Europe than in America? Howdid she finally gain recognition in her home country?

4. Tell one way Marian Anderson helped those less fortunate than herself after she becamefamous.

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Literature Test #5


“Ralph Bunche”

1. Name two values that helped Ralph Bunche’s family face and overcome hardships.

2. Describe Ralph Bunche’s education after high school. Why was it hard for him to go to college?How did he handle this problem?

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3. Explain why Bunche received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.

4. What irony (contradictory situation) did Bunche criticize in the United States in the 1950s and1960s?

149

Literature Test #6


“Charles Drew”

1. Although various circumstances might have tempted Drew to give up on medical school, henever lost sight of his goal. List two reasons Drew might have considered giving up.

2. Tell about the discovery that made Charles Drew famous. Explain why it was especially impor-tant in wartime.

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150

3. Why did Charles Drew criticize the blood collection policy in America?

4. Describe one of the ironies of Drew’s career.

151

Literature Test #7



1. Why was Harlem an exciting place for Romare Bearden to grow up?

2. List three different problems that added to Bearden’s discouragement when he returned fromWorld War II.

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3. Describe one new artistic style that Bearden experimented with after he was married.

4. Why did Bearden complain about being called a “black artist”? How did he fight againstdiscrimination in the art world?

153

Literature Test #8



1. Describe several hardships of Fannie Hamer’s early life. Tell one lesson she learned from herexperiences.

2. List two reasons why Hamer and other SNCC workers felt it was important for blacks in theSouth to register to vote.

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3. Why did the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) send a delegation to the Demo-cratic National Convention in 1964? What did Fannie Lou Hamer, as head of the delegation,complain about to the Convention?

4. How did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 improve the situation of Southern blacks? Name onehonor that Fannie Lou Hamer received after the Voting Rights Act was passed.

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Literature Test #9



1. Explain why Grambling’s football teams were so successful, even though they had little moneyand resources available to them.

2. Summarize Eddie Robinson’s accomplishments as a football coach at Grambling. Describethe obstacles he had to overcome to accomplish these things.

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3. Explain why desegregation of colleges in the South was a good thing for blacks but a difficultchallenge for Eddie Robinson’s football program.

4. For what will history remember Eddie Robinson? How would Eddie Robinson like to be remem-bered?

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Literature Test #10


“Shirley Chisholm”

1. Shirley Chisholm’s childhood foreshadowed her later career in many ways. List at least twoof them.

2. Tell about one way that Chisholm tried to help the poor when she was a member of the NewYork State Assembly.

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3. Chisholm felt good about her 1972 Presidential campaign even though it was unsuccessful.Why? What did she feel her campaign had accomplished?

4. What did Chisholm find frustrating in her later years in Congress? What did she do after sheleft Congress?

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Literature Test #11


“Malcolm X”

1. How did Malcolm X’s life change while he was in prison?

2. How was Malcolm X’s new organization, Muslim Mosque, Inc., different from the Nation ofIslam, which he left? How was it similar?

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3. Why did Malcolm X start inviting white people to join his organization after his pilgrimage toMecca?

4. Why did many people hate Malcolm X at the time of his death? Why was he, at the same time,an inspiration to many others?

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Literature Test #12


“Ronald McNair”

1. Explain why Ronald McNair had to work especially hard to succeed. Tell why he did succeedin spite of these disadvantages.

2. What advantages did the space shuttle have over the manned space rocket?

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3. What message did Ronald McNair like to give students when he spoke at schools?

4. Why will the January 1986 Challenger flight always be remembered?

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Vocabular y Test #1


“Crispus Attucks”

WRITE SENTENCES FOR THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

opposition unruly voluntary

aimlessly confront

Vocabular y Test #2


“Madam C. J. Walker”


N a m e :

supremacy denied avid

astute

165

Vocabular y Test #3




N a m e :

evidence content prominent

extensive acclaim

166

Vocabular y Test #4




N a m e :

discrimination rejection object

former astounded significance

stature

167

Vocabular y Test #5


“Ralph Bunche”


N a m e :

predominantly integrating bigotry

hostility negotiate complex

fragile

168

Vocabular y Test #6


“Charles Drew”


N a m e :

isolating founded indefensible

tuition compatible distinction

deteriorating

169

N a m e :170

Vocabular y Test #7




realistic somber celebrity

gallery abstract sophisticated

eloquently

Vocabular y Test #8




N a m e :

interpret sympathetic factions

energetic credentials momentum

excluded

171

Vocabular y Test #9




N a m e :

ambitious confined innovations

reluctance obstacles intricate

172

Vocabular y Test #10


“Shirley Chisholm”


N a m e :

artifacts equivalent qualifications

accustomed curriculum vetoed

portrayed

173

N a m e :174



“Malcolm X”


successor moderate divert

compulsory denounced economic



“Ronald McNair”


N a m e :

instilled compiled affluent

perseverance surpassing abrupt

technology

175

Selection Review #1

Documents

Transcript of Selection Review #1