Family Questions & Answers for the Final Exam & Notes About the Final Exam

Notes about the final exam: I have almost completed making up the final exam and there a couple tips I can share with you. First, the bulk of the questions are on the Autobiography, the Assassination and several on the Imam Zaid/Cornel West speeches. There are some questions on Between Cross and Crescent, dealing with issues I raised in class about various chapters, but not a lot. And I have only come up with a couple questions about Dyson's book which I tried to cover last Tuesday. So, keep that in mind as you study. I believe the best strategy is to study all of your notes as if any aspect of them could be on the test, and don't forget to review key textual passages I quoted in class or called your attention to. And there is also some material I posted on the blog, especially notes about the assassination. Below are the family questions I chose to include.
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FAMILY QUESTIONS ON THE FINAL EXAM

BLUE FAMILY (Sami, Lauren, Arsenio, Annie) earn 10pts + 1 bonus point.

1. What was Malcolm referring to when he was reflecting on the sentences he and Shorty got for burglary and he said: "...their worst crime was their involvement with Negroes." ? (1)

ANSWER: He was referring to the light sentences the white girls who were a part of their burglary ring received, compared to the 10-year sentences he and Shorty received.

2. Why was Malcolm X so critical of the typical depiction of Jesus? (2)

ANSWER: The typical depiction of Jesus as blonde-haired and blue-eyed he felt was historically inaccurate and reflected the white man's interest in brainwashing Blacks to worship a white Jesus.

3. In the video, Imam Zaid stresses that ___________________ is the key to transcending what America had made you. (fill-in-the-blank) (1)

ANSWER: knowledge

4. Who did Malcolm meet in jail and why was he so impressed with him? (2)

ANSWER: An inmate named Bimbi, who commanded total respect when he spoke. Malcolm was intrigued by how he used language without any profanity and could command such respect.

5. What did Malcolm say to Martin Luther King when they met and shook hands for the first and only time? (1)

ANSWER: He joked, "Now you're going to get investigated."


RED FAMILY (Emily, Frances, Michaela, Sarah) earn 10pts. + 1 bonus point.

1. How was Malcolm treated by his parents in comparison to his other siblings, and why does he suspect this was the case? (3)

ANSWER: Malcolm's father was very strict with his siblings, but more lenient on Malcolm. In contrast, his mother gave him most of his whippings. He felt his father was subconsciously afflicted with the white man's brainwashing of Negroes that he was inclined to favor the lighter-skinned Malcolm, whereas Malcolm's mother resented the display of white blood that was apparent in Malcolm's skin color. His mother gave him hell for the same reason his father subconsciously favored him.

2. What was Malcolm's teacher, Mr. Ostrowski's, reaction to Malcolm telling him he wanted to be a lawyer? And how did this affect Malcolm? (2)

ANSWER: His teacher said that being a lawyer is no realistic goal for a nigger; rather, he should consider becoming something more realistic and practical such as a carpenter. This incident was sort of the last straw with whites -- Malcolm turned his back on them.

3. How did Malcolm interpret the drug culture of Harlem? (1)

ANSWER: The drugs that plagued Harlem were just another means by which the white man, who ran the drug trade, oppressed and degraded the black community economically and morally.

4. What was the name given to Malcolm by the Nigerian Muslims during his travels in Africa, and what does it mean? (2)

ANSWER: "Omowhale" -- the son that has come home.

5. What would Imam Zaid say if you told him that we need another Malcolm X or MLK? (1)

ANSWER: We don't need another Malcolm or Martin, so stop searching for one. We need enough people who can be inspired by their example. Basically, he is saying that people need to stop waiting around for some sort of messiah and take action themselves.
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That's it, and you'll note that I did some editing of both questions and answers. Remember that ALL of the above questions will be on the test, but placed in their proper chronological order. So, the test will begin with questions from the first class and conclude with some questions from the last class. Also, for some of the longer answers, you do NOT need to give me back the exact same answer to get full credit for it, as long as you make the basic point or points in your own words.