Family Questions for the Final Exam

The following are the family final exam questions I accepted and will appear on the final exam.

GREEN FAMILY (Megan, Ben, Lewis, Jessica H.)

1. How did we connect Dr. King's call for us to be "maladjusted" to the status quo with Erich Fromm's "pathology of normalcy?" (2)

ANSWER: There are aspects of our society that are insane (such as racism), and we shouldn't adjust ourselves to such aspects just beacuse they are the norm or regarded as sane. The so-called norm may in fact be insane or pathological.

2. In the context of discussing the "sociological wisdom" of Dr. King at the very beginning of the course, How did I define wisdom in class? (2)

ANSWER: The highest level of knowledge; wholeness of one's vision and seeing things in their true light.

3. How did Martin Luther King's father feel about him leading the movement in Montgomery? (1)

ANSWER: He was apprehensive and begged him to come back to Atlanta and live a safer, more comfortable lifestyle.


BLUE FAMILY (Jessica O., Frank, Kristin) earn one bonus point.

1. Not long after Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech in Aug. '63, he began to see his dream turn into a nightmare because of what event? (1)

ANSWER: The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, killing four girls.

2. In his "Letter From A Birmingham Jail," King compared nonviolent civil rights demonstrators to what insect that Socrates compared himself to? (1)

ANSWER: a gadfly

3. In a sermon from "The Strength to Love," King describes "softmindedness" as one of the basic causes of race prejudice. Name TWO characteristics of the softminded person described by King. (2)

ANSWER: Any two of the following: (1) unbelievably gullible, (2) superstitious, (3) fears change, (4) looks uncritically, dogmatically at religion.

4. What did King think of "token integration?" (2)

ANSWER: It was an inadequate, deceptive approach to real integration, or a "sophisticated form of delay."


RED FAMILY (Tomas, Jeremy, Tramaine)

1. According to the examples noted in class, and through King's writings, how did he tie Jesus and Gandhi together? (2)

ANSWER: Jesus provided the "love ethic" or moral groundwork, and Gandhi the tactic of nonviolent protest to achieve significant social change.

2. Briefly identify and describe the type of love Dr. King had in mind when he urged his followers to love their enemies. (2)

ANSWER: "Agape" love -- not sentimental or emotional, but entails understanding, good will, unconditional love such as God has for the human race.

3. In addition to government programs, what else did Dr. King see as crucial to addressing racial inequality? (1)

ANSWER: He saw a significant role for black self-help.

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That's it. All participating members listed above will earn 15 activity points for this exercise and members of the BLUE FAMILY will earn a bonus point for their efforts.

Remember tomorrow, our last class, writing assignment #4 is due, and some of you still need to turn in the paper that was due yesterday.