While I was abroad for 24 years from the late 70s, there were a lot of changes around race in the States – some (like street names) perhaps more cosmetic than others. There were language changes, with the increased use of the term African-American (both black and Afro-American were more common in the 60s and early 70s); demographic shifts (Hispanic population numbers exceeding those of African-Americans); and public culture changes.
Kwanzaa was created as the first original national African-American holiday in the late 60s, but it was only when I returned to the States in 2000 that I saw it widely referenced alongside Christmas and Chanukah. Martin Luther King Day became official in 1983, but it was only really marked several years later and adopted by all 50 states in 2000.
Black History Month itself was a new phenom. Reagan and Congress made the month official in 1983, but apparently it took a few more years until it was widely observed. In fact, adoption across all 50 states also only jelled in 2000.
Although I feel that in some fundamental way I learned everything I know about life and activism from the civil rights movement, starting with my first interracial political group at age 13 in a very segregated early 1960s Pittsburgh, I suspect I missed a lot of important steps in this process while I was abroad.
I found a slew of online quizzes, some of them light-hearted, some of them more serious, to share with you. I hope you do a lot better than me.
The African-American Voice provides a quiz on African-American Firsts that is a lot of fun. I got 8 out of 10.
Try this well-constructed quiz “Quoting Greatness: Who Said That?” that gives you a lot of social markers as hints in its questions. I got 9 out of 12.
Here’s one called Black History and Reformers Quiz, which is about legislation, organizations and movements. I got 8 out of 10.
To my disconcertment, the Notable African-American Women quiz stumped me – perhaps a sign of how little we are exposed to these important achievements. I only got 6 out of 10.
Maybe the most telling quiz I found was from the Guerrilla Girls. I scored a perfect 1 out of 1.
P.S. The photos are of Langston Hughes and Shirley Chisholm.
These events happened half a world away from me, before I was born or shortly thereafter. I expected to score badly - and I did. Two 60%, 50%, 80% and 50% respectively. :-(
I have a lot to learn!
Loved the Guerrilla Girls poster and of course, the blog!
Posted by: Gema Gray | 19 February 2008 at 08:06