Civil Rights Movement MCQs [USA – America]

1. Who was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)? A) Malcolm X B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) Rosa Parks D) Stokely Carmichael Answer: B) Martin Luther King Jr. 2. Which landmark Supreme Court case declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional? A) Plessy v. Ferguson B) Brown v. Board of Education C) Roe v. Wade D) Loving v. Virginia Answer: B) Brown v. Board of Education 3. What was the primary goal of the Freedom Rides? A) To end segregation in interstate bus travel B) To desegregate public parks C) To promote economic equality D) To ensure voting rights for women Answer: A) To end segregation in interstate bus travel 4. Who was known for the “I Have a Dream” speech? A) Malcolm X B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) John Lewis D) Medgar Evers Answer: B) Martin Luther King Jr. 5. What was the significance of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom? A) It led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 B) It marked the end of racial segregation C) It was the first time the Black Panther Party was formed D) It resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Answer: A) It led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 6. Which organization was founded in 1909 and played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement? A) NAACP B) SCLC C) SNCC D) CORE Answer: A) NAACP 7. Who was the first African American woman to refuse to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama? A) Rosa Parks B) Claudette Colvin C) Angela Davis D) Coretta Scott King Answer: B) Claudette Colvin 8. Which act aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting practices? A) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 B) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 C) The Fair Housing Act of 1968 D) The Equal Pay Act of 1963 Answer: B) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 9. What was the name of the campaign to register African American voters in the South? A) Freedom Summer B) March on Selma C) Operation PUSH D) The Great Society Answer: A) Freedom Summer 10. Who was the prominent leader of the Black Panther Party? A) Huey Newton B) Malcolm X C) Martin Luther King Jr. D) Stokely Carmichael Answer: A) Huey Newton 11. Which event is known for its violent clash between protesters and police in Selma, Alabama? A) The Montgomery Bus Boycott B) The March on Washington C) Bloody Sunday D) The Birmingham Campaign Answer: C) Bloody Sunday 12. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery? A) 13th Amendment B) 14th Amendment C) 15th Amendment D) 19th Amendment Answer: A) 13th Amendment 13. What was the primary focus of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)? A) To organize protests and sit-ins B) To provide economic support to African American families C) To conduct voter registration drives D) To create legal strategies for desegregation Answer: C) To conduct voter registration drives 14. What was the purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? A) To end segregation in public places B) To grant women the right to vote C) To provide educational opportunities for minorities D) To regulate interstate commerce Answer: A) To end segregation in public places 15. Which famous activist was assassinated on April 4, 1968? A) Malcolm X B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) Medgar Evers D) James Meredith Answer: B) Martin Luther King Jr. 16. What was the goal of the Montgomery Bus Boycott? A) To desegregate public buses B) To integrate schools C) To promote economic equality D) To improve housing conditions Answer: A) To desegregate public buses 17. Which U.S. President signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law? A) John F. Kennedy B) Lyndon B. Johnson C) Richard Nixon D) Harry S. Truman Answer: B) Lyndon B. Johnson 18. What role did the NAACP play in the Civil Rights Movement? A) Organizing peaceful protests B) Providing legal support and advocacy C) Training activists in nonviolent resistance D) Lobbying Congress for new legislation Answer: B) Providing legal support and advocacy 19. Which Supreme Court case upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine before being overturned? A) Plessy v. Ferguson B) Brown v. Board of Education C) Loving v. Virginia D) Roe v. Wade Answer: A) Plessy v. Ferguson 20. What was the central issue addressed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965? A) Racial segregation in education B) Discrimination in employment C) Voter suppression and discrimination D) Unequal housing opportunities Answer: C) Voter suppression and discrimination 21. Which civil rights leader is associated with the concept of “Black Power”? A) Malcolm X B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) Stokely Carmichael D) Bayard Rustin Answer: C) Stokely Carmichael 22. Who was the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi, an event known as “Ole Miss”? A) James Meredith B) Medgar Evers C) Charles Hamilton Houston D) Thurgood Marshall Answer: A) James Meredith 23. What was the significance of the 1963 Birmingham Campaign? A) It led to the desegregation of public facilities B) It marked the beginning of the Black Panther Party C) It resulted in the passage of the Voting Rights Act D) It was a key event in the formation of SNCC Answer: A) It led to the desegregation of public facilities 24. Which prominent civil rights leader was known for his work in voter registration in Mississippi? A) John Lewis B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) Medgar Evers D) Stokely Carmichael Answer: C) Medgar Evers 25. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written by which civil rights leader? A) Malcolm X B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) Ralph Abernathy D) Rosa Parks Answer: B) Martin Luther King Jr. 26. What was the primary objective of the March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965? A) To demand voting rights for African Americans B) To protest against school segregation C) To advocate for equal housing opportunities D) To support labor rights for African Americans Answer: A) To demand voting rights for African Americans 27. Which civil rights organization focused on legal challenges to segregation and discrimination? A) NAACP B) SNCC C) CORE D) SCLC Answer: A) NAACP 28. Which piece of legislation aimed to eliminate racial segregation in public accommodations and employment? A) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 B) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 C) The Fair Housing Act of 1968 D) The Equal Employment Opportunity Act Answer: A) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 29. What was the outcome of the Watts riots in 1965? A) Increased federal funding for African American communities B) Heightened national awareness of racial inequality C) Passage of new voting rights legislation D) Establishment of new civil rights organizations Answer: B) Heightened national awareness of racial inequality 30. Which civil rights leader is known for his advocacy of black nationalism and self-defense? A) Malcolm X B) Martin Luther King Jr. C) James Baldwin D) Ralph Abernathy Answer: A) Malcolm X 31. What was the focus of the “Black Power” movement? A) Integration of African Americans into mainstream society B) Economic empowerment and self-sufficiency for African Americans C) Preservation of traditional African American culture D) Establishment of separate African American institutions Answer: B) Economic empowerment and self-sufficiency for African Americans 32. Which event marked the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement? A) The Montgomery Bus Boycott B) The March on Washington C) The Freedom Rides D) The Birmingham Campaign Answer: A) The Montgomery Bus Boycott 33. Who was the African American civil rights leader known for his work with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)? A) James Farmer B) Bayard Rustin C) John Lewis D) Medgar Evers Answer: A) James Farmer 34. What was the significance of the Chicago Freedom Movement in the 1960s? A) It focused on education reform in the South B) It addressed housing and economic disparities in urban areas C) It aimed to desegregate public transportation D) It was the first nonviolent protest in the North Answer: B) It addressed housing and economic disparities in urban areas 35. Which civil rights organization was known for organizing sit-ins at segregated lunch counters? A) SNCC B) SCLC C) NAACP D) CORE Answer: A) SNCC