Complete answers to Black History Quiz

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image of Carter Woodson courtesy of Wikimedia1. Historian Carter G. Woodson chose February as the month to honor black history because:

Woodson chose February as the month to honor black history because Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born in February. Woodson's initial concept in 1926 was for "Negro History Week" to be held near the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and of Frederick Douglass on February 14. Black communities had celebrated those dates together since the late 19th century.

Find resources about Black History Month.
Learn more about African American contributions to The United Methodist Church.

2. True or False, Black History Month is only celebrated in the United States.

The correct answer is False. Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, is an annual observance in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It began as a way to remember important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated each February in the United States and Canada, and in October in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.

Learn more about African American contributions to The United Methodist Church.

3. The first Black History Month celebration in the U.S. took place when?

The correct answer is 1970. Black educators and members of Black United Students at Kent State University organized the first month-long event. In 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month during the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. He urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history".

See a timeline of Methodism in Black and White.
Read more online.

Image of Sojourner Truth4. This former slave became a famous abolitionist and a Methodist preacher.

The correct answer is Sojourner Truth. Born a slave named Isabella Bornefree, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth after New York abolished slavery and she co-founded Kingston Methodist Church. In 1843, Truth began to travel and preach and was heavily involved in the abolitionist movement. In her public speeches, she spoke of her religious faith along with her experiences as a slave.

See a timeline of women in Methodism.
Read about Methodist women who fought for the right to vote.

5. Which United Methodist church is named after one of the "founding fathers of Gospel music?"

The correct answer is Tindley Temple, located in Philadelphia. Charles Albert Tindley was a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a founding figure in American Gospel music. Born in Berlin, Maryland in 1851, he died as pastor of a 12,500 member congregation in Philadelphia. He also wrote the words and music to dozens of Gospel hymns, including five published in the current United Methodist Hymnal and others found in the Songs of Zion songbook. Tindley was one of the "Founding Fathers of Gospel Music."

Watch a video about Tindley Temple: A Highlight of Methodist History

6. This former school, once a haven from racial prejudice, is now an UMCOR relief center:

The correct answer is Sager-Brown Depot in Baldwin, Louisiana. Started in 1867, Sager Brown provided housing and education for black orphans of the U.S. Civil War. When the program was in financial straits in the early 1900s, Mrs. Addie Sager and Mrs. C. W. Brown purchased the school and gave it to the Woman's Home Mission Society to operate. The school closed in 1978 but became a disaster center in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew devastated the nearby area. Since then United Methodist volunteers by the thousands have come to the site to pack relief kits for those in need.

Read more about 150 years of Sager Brown.

7. After the U.S. Civil War, this trailblazing African American woman went to college, owned a business, and became a Methodist missionary.
The correct answer is Susan Angeline Collins. Born in Illinois in 1851, the daughter of an indentured servant, she was the first African American student to attend Upper Iowa University. Collins worked in the home of a Methodist pastor in Iowa and went on to own a laundry business in Huron, Dakota. She later sold the laundry to follow a call to serve in the mission field. In 1887, at the age of 36, she went to Angola and served 13 years with no pay. She established a boarding school in Angola. And her story does not stop there. 

Watch more about the incredible life of Susan Angeline Collins.

8. Mother African Zoar United Methodist Church in Philadelphia housed...
The correct answer is all of the above. Mother Zoar UMC served African Americans in Philadelphia as a stop on the Underground Railroad; the first well-baby clinic for African Americans; a school; and a source of credit for home loans.

Learn more: Methodist History: Mother African Zoar's Legacy

Portrait of Bishop Roy Nichols.9. Who was the first African American bishop in the UMC?
The correct answer is Roy Nichols was the first African American bishop in The United Methodist Church. He was elected a bishop at the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in July 1968 and assigned to the Pittsburgh Area where he served for 12 years. He then served the New York Area until his retirement in 1984. As clergy, he served in Berkeley at one of the first integrated churches and he hosted a radio show called "The Christian Answer."  In 1964 Nichols became the pastor of the 4,600-member Salem United Methodist Church in Harlem and helped build a community center. Nichols was chair of the development committee at Africa University after his retirement. He died on Oct. 9, 2002.

Read more: A first as a bishop

10. Who was the only woman besides Coretta Scott King on the platform when MLK gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963?
The correct answer is Dorothy Height was the only woman, besides Coretta Scott King, on the platform with Rev. Martin Luther King when he gave his "Dream" speech in 1963. She was also on the platform when the first African American president of the U.S., Barack Obama, was sworn in 45 years later. As president of the National Council of Negro Women, Height helped organize voter registration in the South, voter education in the North and scholarship programs for student civil rights workers. Known as the "Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement" Height's advocacy helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Honored by postal service
United Methodists at Obama inauguration

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