Martin Luther King Jr.
Equal Rights
Legislation
Notable Events
Prominent Figures
100
In this excerpt, why did Martin Luther King, Jr. provide these examples?
“[W]hen you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading ‘white’ and ‘colored’ . . . then you will understand. . . .”
--Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
A. to express the routine frustrations with the segregation system
B. to explain why the time for large-scale protests had passed
C. to express support for local officials protecting civil rights
D. to explain why violence was necessary to change society
to express the routine frustrations with the segregation system
100
Which is an example of de jure segregation?
A. Banks refuse to loan money to businesses owned by minorities.
B. Builders sell houses exclusively to one ethnic group.
C. A company establishes a quota of minority employees.
D. A state law requires separate waiting rooms at a bus terminal.
A state law requires separate waiting rooms at a bus terminal.
100
During the 1950s, the Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools in which landmark case?
A. Plessy v. Ferguson
B. Brown v. Board of Education
C. U.C. Regents v. Bakke
D. Sweatt v. Painter
Brown v. Board of Education
100
This timeline shows some events in Mississippi during 1964.
Which statement describes the impact of these events on civil rights in Mississippi?
A. Determination and sacrifice resulted in significant gains for African Americans.
B. Public outrage contributed to increased support for the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
C. Fear of additional violence and deaths led to decreased support for the Civil Rights Movement.
D. Awareness of the issues led the Mississippi Legislature to end segregation in the state immediately.
Determination and sacrifice resulted in significant gains for African Americans.
100
Which significant contribution did James Meredith make to the civil rights movement?
A. He led the March on Washington.
B. He participated in the Freedom Rides.
C. He desegregated the University of Mississippi.
D. He helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
He desegregated the University of Mississippi.
200
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 to urge Congress to
A. increase funding for education.
B. enact the Equal Rights Amendment.
C. integrate the U.S. military.
D. pass a civil rights bill
pass a civil rights bill.
200
President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military because of the
A. continuation of New Deal programs that supported African Americans.
B. need to increase the number of soldiers in the armed forces.
C. service that African Americans performed during World War II.
D. need to regulate the operations of the defense industry.
service that African Americans performed during World War II.
200
Which of the following made it unlawful to discriminate in the workplace?
A. 24th Amendment
B. Civil Rights Act of 1964
C. Plessy v. Ferguson
D. Dred Scott v. Sandford
Civil Rights Act of 1964
200
At which event did President Dwight D. Eisenhower use federal troops to protect the rights of African Americans?
A. the boycott of an Alabama city bus system
B. the integration of an Arkansas public school
C. a wade-in at a public beach in Mississippi
D. a sit-in at a lunch counter in North Carolina
the integration of an Arkansas public school
200
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. were similar because they both rose to prominence as
A. business owners.
B. elected politicians.
C. public defenders.
D. social activists.
social activists.
300
The writings and actions of Martin Luther King, Jr. most challenged
A. charitable organizations to provide food for people in need of assistance.
B. mainstream society to examine its moral conscience.
C. city governments to improve living conditions for the working poor.
D. federal agencies to regulate large corporations.
mainstream society to examine its moral conscience.
300
The government’s decision to desegregate the U.S. military after World War II was an example of
A. the power of the president.
B. a judicial review by the Supreme Court.
C. the authority of the Senate.
D. a bill passed by the House of Representatives.
the power of the president.
300
The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a federal response to which situation?
A. limited economic opportunity in rural areas
B. desegregation of the U.S. armed forces
C. continued enforcement of Jim Crow Laws
D. suspicion of foreign influence in government
continued enforcement of Jim Crow Laws
300
What was the main reason for the student protests at Kent State in the early 1970s?
A. to end the conflict in Vietnam
B. to protect local manufacturing jobs
C. to promote environmental conservation
D. to promote relations with communist China
to end the conflict in Vietnam
300
Which civil rights leader helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
A. Stokely Carmichael
B. Martin Luther King, Jr.
C. Malcolm X
D. Thurgood Marshall
Martin Luther King, Jr.
400
Which element of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” most affected future civil rights movements?
A. its call for civil disobedience against unjust laws
B. its support for violent resistance of government authority
C. its focus on economic equality for all minorities
D. its criticism of judicial decisions in civil rights cases
its call for civil disobedience against unjust laws
400
Which of these events was the earliest action taken by the federal government to advance equality for African Americans?
A. desegregation of the United States military
B. deployment of troops to desegregate schools in Little Rock
C. the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education
D. passage of the Voting Rights Act
desegregation of the United States military
400
This is the text of the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
How does this amendment impact democracy in the United States?
A. It increases the electorate by removing socioeconomic variables to voting.
B. It institutes the use of primary elections to increase voter participation.
C. It requires the president and vice president to be elected by a direct vote of the people.
D. It lowers the voting age to 18 to allow more people to vote.
It increases the electorate by removing socioeconomic variables to voting.
400
Which factor is an example of how the African American civil rights movement influenced the United Farm Workers?
A. the emphasis on securing voting rights
B. the use of the courts to address injustices
C. the promotion of direct-action policies
D. the diffusion of the principles of nonviolence
the diffusion of the principles of nonviolence
400
César Chávez was best known for advocating which civil rights issue?
A. equal pay for equal work
B. basic working conditions for migrant workers
C. desegregation of public schools
D. affirmative action in higher education
basic working conditions for migrant workers
500
What was the primary intent of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”?
A. to show the injustices of modern society
B. to appeal his case to the Supreme Court
C. to criticize the principles of the U.S. government
D. to express support for advocates of states’ rights
to show the injustices of modern society
500
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit because a fast-food chain paid female shift managers lower wages than male shift managers. In addition, the chain also scheduled women managers to work fewer hours each week.
Which conclusion is best supported by this information?
A. The differences in work hours are decided by law.
B. Education level determines a worker’s minimum wage.
C. Gender disparity in pay violates federal civil rights laws.
D. Federal agencies may raise the minimum wage to promote equality.
Gender disparity in pay violates federal civil rights laws.
500
In what way did the Civil Rights Movement expand democracy in the United States?
A. The movement encouraged immigrants to become naturalized citizens.
B. The movement led to the ratification of a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age.
C. The movement established payment programs to help people pay their poll taxes.
D. The movement resulted in the removal of several arbitrary voting obstacles.
The movement resulted in the removal of several arbitrary voting obstacles.
500
Which event in the 1940s reflected a major milestone in achieving the second victory described in this excerpt?
The symbol of black participation [during World War II] was ‘the Double V.’ In other words, ‘Double V’ meant two victories: victory against the enemy abroad, and victory against the enemy at home. The enemy at home of course being racism, discrimination, prejudice and Jim Crow.
—Bill DeShields, founder of the Black Military History Institute of America
A. passage of the GI Bill to provide veteran’s benefits
B. the executive order desegregating the military
C. establishment of the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe
D. the formation of an international peacekeeping organization
the executive order desegregating the military
500
How did the Freedom Riders seek political change?
A. by organizing bus transportation to the Selma March
B. by desegregating stations on interstate bus lines
C. by boycotting local bus lines with segregated seating
D. by providing bus service to the March on Washington
by desegregating stations on interstate bus lines