Citizen: An American Lyric

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-2

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the street in the first image of the book?

2. What is “John Henryism” as referenced in Chapter 2?

3. What does Hennessy Youngman “wryly suggest” in his video series Art Thoughtz?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Rankine signal the passage of time with her character in Chapter 1?

2. In Chapter 2, Rankine asks, “What does a victorious or defeated [B]lack woman’s body in a historically white space look like?” What situation is she referring to, and what does she recognize?

3. Who is Caroline Wozniacki? How does Rankine relate the controversy of her actions within a larger discussion of race in the public sphere?

Paired Resources

“Affirmative Action”

• This entry from Britannica discusses the effort being made toward improving the education and employment of minorities.
• This connects with the themes of Microaggressions, The Lie of “Post-Racial” America, and Citizenship.
• What is affirmative action, and how is it perceived by different communities?

“‘John Henryism’: The Hidden Health Impact of Race Inequality”