January 2012 Famous civil rights leaders and their impact on American history by Stephanie Lundberg Every January the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most famous civil rights leaders in American history, is celebrated on the third Monday of the month. Martin Luther King Jr. day exists as an extremely important reminder of the inalienable necessity for equality between all humans. Although the fight for equality remains an ongoing battle to this day, there have been many famous men and women who have risked their lives to fight discrimination and segregation. Take the quiz below and test your knowledge of civil rights leaders in American history! QUESTIONS: 1. Following Rosa Park’s 1955 refusal to give up her seat on Montgomery, Alabama’s public bus, what significant action took place as a response? Rosa Parks was immediately sent to jail for disregarding segregation laws. The Black community put into motion a boycott of the public bus system in Montgomery. Rosa Parks was freed and subsequently joined the NAACP in Alabama. Bus segregation was outlawed in 1955, immediately following the incident. 2. Who was the slave and leader whose skills in reading, writing, and leadership allowed him to greatly contribute to the civil rights movement? Jesse Jackson John Brown Dred Scott Frederick Douglass 3. Which famous civil rights advocate made 19 trips between the North and the South and brought over 300 slaves to freedom during the 1850's? Sojourner Truth Medger Evers Harriet Tubman Dred Scott 4. In what year was Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday first established as a federal holiday? 1986 1979 1983 1976 5. During the 1950’s, civil rights leader Malcolm X argued which of the following points in his fight against discrimination? All men are equal, and should have entirely equal rights in all regards. Equal but separate was a sound step towards ending discrimination against black men and women. Black Nationalism, only blacks can resolve the problems of blacks. Black and whites must work together to achieve the end of segregation. 6. Which of the following did John F. Kennedy’s Civil Rights Act of 1964 not directly address? All men have equal rights to salary and pay, regardless of race. All men and women have the right to go to school and have a job. All Americans deserve the right to vote, regardless of race. All Americans have the right to be served in a public place without discrimination. 7. Lynden Johnson’s 1967 Executive Order 11246 added which of the following qualities to the list of attributes included in the affirmative action Executive Order of 1965? Race National Origin Religion Sex ANSWERS: 1. [B] A boycott of the public bus system by the black community.  Upon hearing about Rosa Park’s arrest, the Women’s Political Council spearheaded a boycott of the bus system, asking all black men and women in Montgomery to rely on other forms of transportation. On the day of Rosa’s trial, people walked, shared rides, or rode taxis, leaving the busses almost completely empty. Black men and women in Montgomery were so adamant about ending segregation on busses that the boycott lasted a whole year. Source: Rosa Parks. Think Quest. 31 Dec. 2011 <http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/rosa_parks.htm>. 2. [D] Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was born in 1818 as a slave in Maryland. His luck, ambition, and quest for knowledge led to his ability to read and write, unlike many other slaves. After meeting a man named William Lloyd Garrison, Douglass’ began his work giving speeches and writing for his own newspaper, The North Star.  Despite his own origins as a slave, Douglass’ work and writing was an inspiration to many and ultimately aided in ending slavery. Source: Frederick Douglass. Think Quest. 31 Dec. 2011 <http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/frederick_douglass.htm>. 3. [C] Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman is quite possibly the most famous ‘conductor’ of the Underground Railroad. In 1849 Harriet Tubman feared that she would be sold to a different plantation and decided to run away to the North. After finding work and making a small amount of money, Harriet Tubman traveled back to the South to rescue her sister and nieces. Over a 10-year span, she brought over 300 slaves from the South to freedom in the North, and never lost a single passenger. Source: Africans in America. PBS. 1 Jan. 2012 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html>. 4. [A] 1986. Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., in 1968, a petition began to establish the civil rights leader’s birthday as a holiday in order to honor his life. Almost 10 years later, in 1976 the bill was endorsed. Six million signatures, and the support of musical legend Stevie Wonder, caused the official observance of the holiday in 1986. The federal holiday was not, however, officially observed in all 50 states until 2000. Source: Martin Luther King Day in United States. TimeandDate.com. 31 Dec. 2011 <http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/martin-luther-king-day>.   5. [C] Black Nationalism, only blacks can resolve the problems of blacks. After his time in prison, Malcolm X’s brother introduced him to the Nation of Islam, or NOI.  He became engrossed in the teachings, which, unlike traditional Islam, preached that original race of blacks was superior. Given his charisma and leadership, Malcolm X became a leader of the Black Nationalism movement. During the 1950’s and 1960’s he preached black power, self-defense and autonomy from the white population. Sources: African-American History Timeline. Info Please. 1 Jan. 2012 <http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmtimeline.html>. People & Ideas: Malcolm X. PBS. 31 Dec. 2011 <http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/malcolm-x.html>.   6. [A] all men have equal rights to salary and pay, regardless of race. After addressing various issues of discrimination separately, including segregation in housing and on public transportation, President John F. Kennedy established the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  This act existed as a kind of general call to end segregation.  Specifically, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 demanded that regardless of color, every American had the right to vote, to go to school, to hold a job, and be served in a public place. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, just before the act became the law in 1964. Source: John F. Kennedy. Think Quest. 1 Jan. 2012 <http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/jfk.htm>. 7. [D] Sex. The term “affirmative action” was first used in President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 Executive Order 10925. This order called for employers to take affirmative action to end racial discrimination in the work place.  Four years later, in 1965, Lyndon Johnson used this term in Executive Order 11246, which prohibited discrimination in the work place on the basis of race, national origin, religion, or color. In 1967, Johnson amended this order to include sex as one of the listed attributes. This order required employers to promote and strive towards a greater level of equal opportunity for both women and minorities. Source: Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. 3 May 2010. UC Irvine. 9 Jan. 2012 <http://www.oeod.uci.edu/aa.html>. TAKE MORE QUIZZES! Search for a variety of topics in our Cultural Diversity at Work Archive. Here are some to get you started! Canadian Aboriginals by Janna Charles How Much Do You Really Know About American Indians? by Lisa Anderson Celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month by Emily Sugiyama back to top

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