Civil Rights Quiz (With Answers)

Test your knowledge of civil rights with this 20-question multiple-choice quiz. Questions cover the Civil Rights Movement, important court decisions, and laws protecting people's civil rights.

Civil Rights History Quiz

1. On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of what Washington, D.C., location?

a) The White House
b) The Lincoln Memorial
c) The U.S. Capitol
d) The U.S. Supreme Court building

2. In 1890, which was the first state in the union to grant women the right to vote?

a) California
b) Wyoming
c) Massachusetts
d) Rhode Island

3. The Black Panthers emerged after the assassination of which civil rights activist?

a) Malcolm X
b) Claudette Colvin
c) Jane Bolin
d) Alice Allision Dunnigan

4. True or false: During World War II, more than 100,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast were forced by the U.S. government to leave their homes and were moved to "internment" or "relocation" camps.

5. The historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education:

a) Guaranteed the right to vote to all U.S. citizens
b) Prohibited racial segregation in public schools
c) Defined sexual harassment as a form of unlawful gender discrimination
d) Recognized flag burning as protected under the First Amendment

6. Rosa Parks' arrest after her refusal to move to the back of a bus triggered a citywide boycott of what city's bus system?

a) Atlanta, Georgia
b) Charleston, South Carolina
c) Memphis, Tennessee
d) Montgomery, Alabama

7. The Americans with Disabilities Act, which protects persons with disabilities from discrimination in many aspects of life — including employment, education, and access to buildings and businesses — was signed into law in:

a) 1970
b) 1980
c) 1990
d) 2000

8. True or false: The Equal Rights Amendment, passed by Congress in 1971 and explicitly guaranteeing equality to all persons, regardless of gender, was later signed into law.

9. The Family and Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993, gives most employees the right to take time off to care for:

a) A newborn child
b) A recently adopted child
c) An ill family member
d) All of the above

10. In 2000, which U.S. state became the first to offer "civil unions" to same-sex couples, giving them a legally recognized relationship status that provides many of the same rights as marriage?

a) Hawaii
b) New York
c) Oregon
d) Vermont

11. W.E.B DuBois was a prominent African American civil rights activist, scholar, and co-founder of what organization?

a) NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
b) NCNW: National Council of Negro Women
c) SCLC: Southern Christian Leadership Conference
d) UNCF: United Negro College Fund

12. True or false: Jim Crow laws were racially discriminatory laws created in the Southern United States that supported racial segregation and discrimination against Black people.

13. Which landmark legislation in civil rights history prohibited discrimination based on race, sex, religion, color, or national origin?

a) Civil Rights Act of 1957
b) Civil Rights Act of 1866
c) Civil Rights Act of 1964
d) Civil Rights Act of 1991

14. In what city did the Little Rock Nine face opposition during the school desegregation efforts of Little Rock Central High School?

a) Tampa, Florida
b) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
c) Detroit, Michigan
d) Little Rock, Arkansas

15. Which protest is known for its role in the civil rights movement, challenging racial segregation on public buses?

a) The Montgomery bus boycott
b) The Chicago Freedom Movement
c) The March on Washington
d) Sit-in campaign

16. True or false: Poll taxes were imposed to disenfranchise African Americans and other minority voters.

17. True or false: Brown v. Board of Education established the "separate but equal" doctrine, allowing racial segregation as long as the facilities seemed equal. However, the decision was later overturned by Plessy v. Ferguson.

18. True or false: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting and ensure equal voting rights for all citizens.

19. Which prominent civil rights leaders advocated for self-defense against white aggression, economic empowerment within the Black community, and the need for Black people to take control of their own economic, political, and social destinies?

a) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
b) Amelia Boynton Robinson
c) Malcolm X
d) John Lewis

20. True or false: "Literacy tests" were used to prevent Black Americans from voting by imposing discriminatory and complex requirements for voter registration. Despite having college degrees, many Black voters still were required to take these "literacy tests."

Answers:

1. B
2. B
3. A
4. True
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. False: The Equal Rights Amendment did not receive enough votes for ratification by the individual states and was never signed into law.
9. D
10. D
11. A
12. True
13. C
14. D
15. A
16. True
17. False: The court case Plessy v. Ferguson established the "separate but equal" doctrine, but Brown v. Board of Education later overturned the decision.
18. True
19. C
20. True

Protect Your Civil Rights: Talk to an Attorney About Your Claim

Taking a civil rights quiz provides much knowledge about historic civil rights events. If you believe your rights have been violated, take the next step by talking to a civil rights attorney near you.