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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Down at the Cross," what does the author define as "the judges, the juries, the shotguns, the law"?
(a) "Legality."
(b) "White society."
(c) "Power."
(d) "Freedom."

2. What does the author claim is the only thing to "cause any of those people to treat you as they presumably wanted to be treated" in "Down at the Cross"?
(a) "The ability for empathy."
(b) "The power of attorney."
(c) "The fear of your power to retaliate."
(d) "The ability to communicate with them."

3. In describing Elijah Muhammad in "Down at the Cross," the author notes, "The central quality in Elijah's face is" what?
(a) "Pain."
(b) "Tranquility."
(c) "Love."
(d) "Joy."

4. What qualities does the author claim Elijah Muhammad has invested in his followers in "Down at the Cross"?
(a) Pride and serenity.
(b) Peace and humility.
(c) Caution and fear.
(d) Worry and doubt.

5. The author states in "Down at the Cross" that what "and heroism have been made synonymous except when it comes to blacks"?
(a) "Violence."
(b) "Strength."
(c) "Love."
(d) "Power."

Short Answer Questions

1. The author writes in "Down at the Cross" that "the social treatment accorded even the most successful Negroes proved that one needed, in order to be free, something more than a bank account. One needed" what?

2. What word from "Down at the Cross" refers to people who engage in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings?

3. Where does the author describe the pimps and whores hanging out in Harlem in "Down at the Cross"?

4. The author claims that we owe the ministry of Elijah Muhammad to the fact that he witnessed what when he was five or six years old?

5. When was the Nation of Islam founded?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the source of the author's anger and resentment toward his father?

2. What does the author describe discussing with his driver after leaving Elijah Muhammad's home in "Down at the Cross"?

3. How does the author describe his departure from Elijah Muhammad's home in "Down at the Cross"?

4. What parallels does the author draw between Christianity and Islam in "Down at the Cross"?

5. What is noteworthy about the quotes that open "Down at the Cross"?

6. What "truth" does the author describe finding through this experiences with Christianity?

7. How does the author describe the racial perspectives in the Nation of Islam's belief system?

8. What elements of foreshadowing can be seen in the first part of "Down at the Cross"?

9. What does the author point out as the failings of Christianity and Islam in "Down at the Cross"?

10. How does the author describe his religious faith to Elijah Muhammad in "Down at the Cross"?

(see the answer keys)

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