- 1. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch is a compelling and meticulously researched narrative that chronicles the tumultuous period of the American civil rights movement from 1954 to 1963, focusing on the pivotal events that shaped the struggle for racial equality in the United States. Branch captures the essence of the era, detailing the powerful figures involved, including Martin Luther King Jr., and the grassroots organizations that mobilized ordinary citizens to demand change. The book vividly portrays key moments such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Birmingham Campaign, and the March on Washington, interweaving personal stories of activists with the broader social and political context of the time. Through his detailed prose, Branch not only illuminates the challenges and triumphs faced by those who fought against segregation and injustice, but he also delves into the moral and ethical dilemmas that arose within the movement itself. The work is a testament to the persistence and courage of the individuals who risked everything for the cause of justice, making it a significant contribution to the historical narrative of America.
What is the subtitle of 'Parting the Waters' by Taylor Branch?
A) America in the King Years 1954-63
B) The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1968
C) The Life and Times of Martin Luther King Jr.
D) A History of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
- 2. Who is the central figure of 'Parting the Waters'?
A) John F. Kennedy
B) Rosa Parks
C) Martin Luther King Jr.
D) Malcolm X
- 3. What event marks the beginning of the narrative in 'Parting the Waters'?
A) The Brown v. Board decision
B) The March on Washington
C) The assassination of President Kennedy
D) The Montgomery Bus Boycott
- 4. Which civil rights organization did Martin Luther King Jr. help found and lead, as detailed in the book?
A) The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
B) The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
C) The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
D) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- 5. What was the name of the 1961 protest campaign where activists rode buses into the segregated South?
A) The March Against Fear
B) The Freedom Rides
C) The Birmingham Campaign
D) The Selma Marches
- 6. Which U.S. President is a major political figure during the period covered in 'Parting the Waters'?
A) John F. Kennedy
B) Dwight D. Eisenhower
C) Lyndon B. Johnson
D) Richard Nixon
- 7. In which city did police use fire hoses and dogs on peaceful protesters, an event covered in the book?
A) Jackson, Mississippi
B) Atlanta, Georgia
C) Nashville, Tennessee
D) Birmingham, Alabama
- 8. What famous speech did Martin Luther King Jr. deliver at the March on Washington?
A) "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
B) "I Have a Dream"
C) "The Other America"
D) "A Time to Break Silence"
- 9. Which government agency is portrayed as conducting extensive surveillance on Martin Luther King Jr.?
A) The FBI
B) The CIA
C) The Secret Service
D) The NSA
- 10. Who was the head of the FBI during the events of the book?
A) J. Edgar Hoover
B) Clyde Tolson
C) Robert Kennedy
D) Lyndon B. Johnson
- 11. What was the name of the church that was bombed in Birmingham, killing four young girls?
A) Ebenezer Baptist Church
B) Brown Chapel AME Church
C) 16th Street Baptist Church
D) Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
- 12. Which U.S. Attorney General is a significant character in the book?
A) Robert F. Kennedy
B) John Mitchell
C) Bobby Seale
D) Nicholas Katzenbach
- 13. Which student-led organization began with sit-ins at lunch counters?
A) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
B) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
C) Black Panther Party
D) Nation of Islam
- 14. What was the name of the campaign to desegregate public facilities in Albany, Georgia?
A) The Georgia Project
B) Operation Dixie
C) The Albany Movement
D) The Freedom Summer
- 15. Who was the first president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)?
A) Marion Barry
B) Ella Baker
C) John Lewis
D) Stokely Carmichael
- 16. Which leader advocated for black nationalism and is presented as a contrast to King?
A) Whitney Young
B) Malcolm X
C) Bayard Rustin
D) Roy Wilkins
- 17. What pivotal document did King write while jailed in Birmingham?
A) "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
B) "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech
C) "The Black Manifesto"
D) "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech
- 18. Who was the governor of Alabama who famously stood in the schoolhouse door to block integration?
A) Lester Maddox
B) Orval Faubus
C) Ross Barnett
D) George Wallace
- 19. Which university was integrated by James Meredith, causing a major crisis?
A) University of Alabama
B) Auburn University
C) University of Mississippi
D) Louisiana State University
- 20. Who was the charismatic leader of the SCLC often at King's side?
A) Andrew Young
B) James Bevel
C) Ralph Abernathy
D) Fred Shuttlesworth
- 21. What tragic event concludes the narrative of 'Parting the Waters'?
A) The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
B) The assassination of President Kennedy
C) The passage of the Civil Rights Act
D) The Selma to Montgomery marches
- 22. What was the name of the voter registration project in Mississippi?
A) Mississippi Burning
B) The Delta Initiative
C) Freedom Summer
D) Project Vote
- 23. Which civil rights leader was a key organizer of the March on Washington?
A) Hosea Williams
B) Bayard Rustin
C) Fannie Lou Hamer
D) Medgar Evers
- 24. What was the name of the doctrine used to justify segregation?
A) Nullification
B) Separate but equal
C) Interposition
D) Manifest Destiny
- 25. Which event is considered a key turning point that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A) The March on Washington
B) The Montgomery Bus Boycott
C) The Birmingham campaign
D) The Freedom Rides
- 26. Which time period does 'Parting the Waters' primarily cover?
A) 1968-1980
B) 1914-1945
C) 1865-1877
D) 1954-1963
- 27. What prestigious award did Taylor Branch win for 'Parting the Waters'?
A) Man Booker Prize
B) Pulitzer Prize
C) National Book Award
D) Nobel Prize in Literature
- 28. The title 'Parting the Waters' is an allusion to what biblical story?
A) The resurrection of Lazarus
B) David and Goliath
C) Noah and the Great Flood
D) Moses parting the Red Sea
- 29. Where did the Freedom Rides begin their journey?
A) Jackson, Mississippi
B) Washington, D.C.
C) Atlanta, Georgia
D) Montgomery, Alabama
- 30. What was the name of the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi?
A) Charlayne Hunter-Gault
B) Vivian Malone
C) Autherine Lucy
D) James Meredith
- 31. Which civil rights leader was assassinated in Mississippi in 1963, an event covered in the book?
A) Emmett Till
B) Malcolm X
C) Medgar Evers
D) Fred Hampton
- 32. What was the name of the campaign to desegregate the city of Birmingham in 1963?
A) Operation Breadbasket
B) The Albany Movement
C) Project X
D) Project C
- 33. Who was the key organizer from the SCLC who often managed protests and logistics?
A) Bayard Rustin
B) John Lewis
C) Wyatt Tee Walker
D) James Farmer
- 34. What was the name of the doctrine used to justify 'separate but equal' facilities?
A) Brown v. Board of Education
B) Dred Scott v. Sandford
C) Marbury v. Madison
D) Plessy v. Ferguson
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