The Middle Passage
Resistance and Resilience
"Black Excellence" IRL
From Past to Present
100
What was the “Middle Passage”?
The forced voyage enslaved Africans took across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.
100
What does “dehumanization” mean?
Stripping people of their identity and humanity.
100
Who became the first Black woman Vice President of the United States?
Kamala Harris
100
Which Civil Rights leader gave the “I Have a Dream” speech?
Martin Luther King Jr.
200
Roughly how many human beings were forced on the Middle Passage?
About 15 million.
200
What was one way enslaved Africans resisted slavery?
Escaping, revolting, slowing work, or preserving traditions.
200
What NFL player knelt during the national anthem to protest racial injustice?
Colin Kaepernick
200
Who is this?
300
Why were uprisings during the Middle Passage so difficult to organize?
People were chained, isolated, spoke different languages, and faced brutal punishment.
300
What were the three main stages of the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
Capture in Africa, the Middle Passage (transport), and “seasoning” in the US.
300
Which rapper released “The Bigger Picture” to speak out about racial injustice?
Lil Baby
300
Who was the first Black President of the United States?
Barack Obama
400
Roughly, how long did transatlantic slavery last?
Over 400 years
400
Why was it important for enslaved people to form families and communities?
It helped them survive emotionally and maintain hope.
400
Who made history as the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice?
Ketanji Brown Jackson
400
What holiday celebrates the end of slavery in the United States?
Juneteenth
500
Name one type of resistance other than armed revolt.
Refusing food, suicide, sabotage, singing, prayer.
500
During the “seasoning” process, enslaved Africans were forced to abandon their languages, names, and cultures. Yet many found ways to secretly preserve them. What are two examples of how enslaved people kept their African identity alive — and how do we still see those influences in Black culture today?
Examples may include:
Preserving African rhythms and beats through music → evolved into gospel, blues, hip-hop, and R&B.
Keeping spiritual practices alive through coded songs, church call-and-response, and storytelling.
Using African words and linguistic patterns that shaped African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
Holding on to traditional foods, hairstyles, and oral histories passed down through generations.
500
What show, created by Quinta Brunson, highlights Black educators and urban schools?
Abbott Elementary
500
The Black Power Movement focused on what key ideas that still influence activism and culture today?
Self-determination, racial pride, economic independence, and cultural empowerment.