James Baldwin — Questions and answers

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What happened after James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr. debated in Cambridge in 1965?

Choices

  1. Baldwin's motion passed decisively. ✓
  2. Buckley Jr.'s ideals were fully accepted.
  3. The debate ended without a vote.
  4. Everyone agreed on the American Dream.

Answer: Baldwin's motion passed decisively.

From page 1

Where was James Baldwin born in 1924?

Choices

  1. Cambridge, England
  2. Harlem, New York ✓
  3. Paris, France
  4. Charlotte, North Carolina

Answer: Harlem, New York

From page 2

Where did James Baldwin go in 1948 to find intellectual and personal freedom, and complete his first novel?

Choices

  1. Harlem
  2. London
  3. Paris ✓
  4. Alabama

Answer: Paris

From page 3

Why did James Baldwin return to America in the late 1950s?

Choices

  1. To write a new novel about Europe.
  2. To join the intensifying Civil Rights Movement. ✓
  3. To visit his family in New York.
  4. To debate William F. Buckley Jr. again.

Answer: To join the intensifying Civil Rights Movement.

From page 4

What was the title of the collection of ten essays James Baldwin published in 1955?

Choices

  1. 'Go Tell It on the Mountain'
  2. 'The Fire Next Time'
  3. 'Notes of a Native Son' ✓
  4. 'An American Dream'

Answer: 'Notes of a Native Son'

From page 5

Why did James Baldwin choose to live primarily in France starting in 1948?

Choices

  1. To escape America and forget about its problems.
  2. To get a critical perspective and develop his voice away from American racism. ✓
  3. He preferred French food and culture over American.
  4. He was invited by the French government to live there.

Answer: To get a critical perspective and develop his voice away from American racism.

From page 6

Which book, released by James Baldwin in 1963, became a national bestseller and challenged millions to confront racism?

Choices

  1. 'Notes of a Native Son'
  2. 'Go Tell It on the Mountain'
  3. 'The Fire Next Time' ✓
  4. 'A Call to Action'

Answer: 'The Fire Next Time'

From page 7

After the Cambridge debate and the success of 'The Fire Next Time,' what did James Baldwin become for America?

Choices

  1. A quiet observer who wrote letters.
  2. An unignorable moral compass. ✓
  3. A famous movie star.
  4. A person who stopped speaking publicly.

Answer: An unignorable moral compass.

From page 8

Which of these people, who were friends and allies, were tragically assassinated in the 1960s, causing James Baldwin great grief?

Choices

  1. William F. Buckley Jr., and his parents.
  2. Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. ✓
  3. The Cambridge Union Society members.
  4. French artists and writers.

Answer: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

From page 9

According to the text, what is an important part of James Baldwin's legacy?

Choices

  1. His collection of rare books.
  2. The enduring power of his challenge to see ourselves and our nation clearly. ✓
  3. His quiet life in France.
  4. The many awards he won for his acting.

Answer: The enduring power of his challenge to see ourselves and our nation clearly.

From page 10