Test Your Knowledge of
a Civil Rights Icon
On January 15, our country will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., probably the most prominent leader of the American civil rights movement.
He was a Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who continues to inspire a nation almost 56 years after his assassination. But how much do you really know about MLK? Take our quiz and find out!
(Answers are below, but no fair peeking!)
#1. Martin Luther King Jr. was unjustly arrested 29 times in the course of his career. What were the charges?
A. Civil disobedience
B. Traffic violations
C. Obstructing a sidewalk
D. Loitering
E. All of the above
#2. How old was MLK when he entered college?
A. 12
B. 15
C. 17
D. 22
E. He never attended college.
#3. Dr. King was a prolific writer, authoring several books that continue to educate and inspire. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
A. “Strength to Love”
B. “The Trumpet of Conscience”
C. “Ninety-Five Theses”
D. “Why We Can’t Wait”
E. “Stride Toward Freedom”
#4. MLK survived an assassination attempt ten years before his death. Who was his attacker in the earlier attempt?
A. Thomas Hagan
B. Izola Curry
C. Sara Jane Moore
D. James Earl Ray
E. James Earl Jones
#5. Which of the following awards did Dr. King receive?
A, Nobel Peace Prize
B. Presidential Medal of Freedom
C. Congressional Gold Medal
D. Grammy Award
E. All of the above
#6. Who prompted MLK to talk about his “dream” during his iconic speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963?
A. Mahalia Jackson
B. Jesse Jackson
C. Jackie Robinson
D. Rosa Parks
E. His wife, Coretta Scott King
(Need a clue? Click the
video at right.)
Answers
#1. Answer: E. On various occasions, Dr. King was arrested for all of these charges in several states throughout the South. Most often the charge was civil disobedience or creating a civil disturbance, but in January 1956, he was arrested for driving 5mph over the speed limit; in May 1961, he was arrested for obstructing a sidewalk and parading without a permit; and in September 1958, he was arrested for loitering.
#2. Answer: B. Young Martin performed so well in high school that he was accepted to Morehouse College at age 15. He graduated four years later and went on to earn a doctorate in theology from Boston University at age 25.
#3. Answer: C. “Ninety-Five Theses” was written by German theologian Martin Luther in 1517 to challenge the Catholic Church and launch the Protestant Reformation. All of the other books listed were written by Dr. King. When MLK was five years old, his father changed his name from Michael Luther King to Martin Luther King, in honor of the Protestant reformer.
#4. Answer: B. In September 1958, a 42-year-old mentally disturbed woman named Izola Ware Curry stabbed MLK with a letter opener while he was signing copies of his book, “Stride Toward Freedom,” at a Harlem, N.Y., department store.
Thomas Hagen was the assassin of another civil rights leader–Malcolm X—who was shot while addressing the Organization of Afro-American Unity in 1965. Sara Jane Moore was the unassuming San Francisco bookkeeper who raised a gun and fired at President Gerald Ford’s head in 1975. James Earl Ray was the man who was convicted of assassinating Dr. King in 1968. (Interestingly enough, the King family has consistently stated that they believe Ray was innocent.)
James Earl Jones is a distinguished African-American actor of stage and screen. (By the way, if you confused him with James Earl Ray, it wouldn’t be the first time. In 2002, a plaque intended for Jones at a Florida MLK celebration mistakenly displayed “Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive.” Fortunately, the error was corrected before the presentation.)
#5. Answer: E. MLK was the recipient of all these awards, although all but one was received by his family posthumously. In 1964, he was the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35. In 1971, three years after his death, the civil rights leader won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording, “Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam.” He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.
#6. Answer: A. While Jesse Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, and (of course) Coretta Scott King were all in attendance, it was legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson who prompted Dr. King, “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” That’s when he disregarded his prepared notes to improvise the entire next section of his historic speech. (See the video above for details.)
Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
Black History
Morehouse College
King Institute
TopTenz
Chicago Tribune
Grammy.com
History.com