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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. The best friend of a particular member of Oluo's family owned what type of African restaurant?

2. Oluo warns the reader to be careful not to confuse the meanings of the word appropriation and which other word?

3. Oluo recalls being told by white classmates that at least black men liked what quality she possessed?

4. When Oluo was young, her mother made ends meet by taking on a family of how many people as roommates?

5. How does Oluo characterize the number of African restaurant offerings in the Pacific Northwest?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the symbolism of the Indian headdress being worn at Coachella by a white festival-goer?

2. In what ways was Oluo led to believe that there were things wrong with her identity when she was growing up?

3. What length of time does Oluo claim will have to pass before white people can utter the ‘n’ word without causing harm to black people?

4. What is the real problem with the model minority myth, according to Oluo?

5. Name two elements of what Oluo calls “white-centered education” (104).

6. What point does Oluo make about the negative effects of the optimism in the 1980s regarding race relations?

7. What is Oluo’s advice regarding white people’s use of the ‘n’ word and how does her advice value compassion over understanding?

8. What question did the division director at Oluo's work ask her at a meeting and how did she react?

9. What is Oluo's ultimate determination about whether it is alright to ask a black person if they are okay with their hair being touched?

10. What strategy did Oluo’s mother use to make ends meet before applying for public housing and what happened to render that strategy ineffective?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Oluo’s use of metaphor, simile, imagery, and other literary devices as a means to send particular thematic messages within the text of So You Want to Talk About Race.

Essay Topic 2

Examine Oluo’s use of characterization methods to portray real people. What effect do these characterization methods have on the work's inherent themes and messages?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Oluo's choice to present the text of So You Want to Talk About Race using the first person point-of-view. What elements of the book's themes and Uluo’s voice lend themselves to this choice and what are Oluo’s intended effects on the reader?

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This section contains 1,297 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample