Civil Rights STAAR Review Questions

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.

—President Harry S. Truman, Executive Order 9981, July 26, 1948

Which of the following contributed to President Truman’s decision to issue this order?

• A lack of funding for veteran pensions

• Declining enlistment rates during peacetime

• Discrimination against minority service members

• A desire to repeal the draft

“Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated in Memphis”

How did the event in this headline impact the Civil Rights movement?

• The focus of the movement shifted to the struggle of migrant workers.

• The movement lost credibility with the American public

• The focus of the movement shifted to protesting U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

• The movement lost an important national leader

How did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 contribute to the increase in voter participation between 1964 and 1968?

• It helped reduce voter discrimination at polling sites.

• It increased state revenues associated with poll taxes.

• It contributed to increased involvement of lobbyists in political campaigns.

• It helped voters determine educational policy based on literacy test results.

How did the Brown v. Board of Education decision influence the Civil Rights movement?

• By discouraging activists from relying on the judicial system

• By guaranteeing scholarships to minority college students

• By providing a judicial basis for achieving equality in other areas

• By eliminating social barriers associated with hiring practices

We claim for ourselves every single right that belongs to a freeborn American, political, civil and social; and until we get these rights we will never cease to protest and assail the ears of America. The battle we wage is not for ourselves alone but for all true Americans.

—W. E. B. Du Bois, Niagara Movement Address to the Country,1906

How did the ideas presented in this address affect the early Civil Rights movement in the United States?

• By encouraging African Americans to achieve equality through vocational education

• By directly supporting Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Steamship Line

• By encouraging African Americans to accept Jim Crow laws

• By forming the basis for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Which action is prohibited under provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972?

• A principal refuses to organize athletic events and programs for female sports teams

• The funding for a music program is cut because of declining tax revenues.

• A teacher attempts to organize a charity basketball game for faculty and students

• The staffing for a foreign language class is reduced due to lack of interest

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 established a Civil Rights Division within the U.S. Department of Justice. What was the main purpose of this division?

• To enforce laws prohibiting discrimination

• To integrate public schools

• To enforce privacy protections

• To integrate the armed forces

During Reconstruction the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were ratified. Which issue did these amendments address?

• Rights for women

• Readmission of states to the Union

• Rights for former slaves

• Presidential impeachment proceedings

Which headline can be most directly attributed to the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement?

• “ Four African Americans served in U.S. Congress in 1959; Now there are many more”

• “Federal Voting Age lowered to 18”

• “Senate Supports Treaty to expand trade with African nations”

• “ U.S. Government Reinstates the Military Draft”

The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

—Executive Order 11246 as amended, September 24, 1965

What was the main purpose of this executive order?

• To expand protections in hiring decisions

• To guarantee a minimum wage for employees

• To provide corporate tax cuts to companies

• To provide on-the-job training for new workers