Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyEarly Civil Rights Movement (1940s and 1950s)

"Dear Editor: ... Being an American citizen, I want to write to you to express my views on the present crisis... Should I sacrifice my life so that the demagogues and the rascality of those who deny me the right to live as a citizen can continue to govern? ... I suggest that we colored Americans adopt the 'Double V' sign, representing double victory: victory over our enemies at home and victory over our enemies on the battlefields abroad."

— James G. Thompson, letter to the Pittsburgh Courier, January 1942

Which of the following best describes the primary goal of the "Double V" campaign proposed in the excerpt?

  1. To secure citizenship rights for African Americans at home while fighting fascism abroadAnswer
  2. B
    To advocate for strict isolationism and oppose United States entry into World War II
  3. C
    To demand that the federal government prioritize domestic New Deal relief programs over foreign aid
  4. D
    To align with international labor organizations to promote global containment of communism

Answer

To secure citizenship rights for African Americans at home while fighting fascism abroad
The correct answer is correct because the 'Double V' campaign, launched by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1942, explicitly called for a dual victory: victory over fascism and totalitarianism abroad during World War II, and victory over systemic racism and disenfranchisement at home. The excerpt highlights this dual focus by questioning why an African American should sacrifice their life for a country that denies them the full rights of citizenship, and proposing the 'Double V' as a symbol of this double struggle.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical context and the source of the stimulus.
The source is a letter to the Pittsburgh Courier in January 1942, written shortly after the United States entered World War II.
Understanding the temporal context helps identify the key issues of the period, which included the war effort and domestic racial discrimination.
2
Examine the meaning of the 'Double V' sign as defined in the text.
The author defines it as a double victory: 'victory over our enemies at home and victory over our enemies on the battlefields abroad.'
This definition directly connects the battle against foreign enemies (fascism) with the battle against domestic enemies of equality (racism and segregation).
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that matches this dual goal.
The option to secure citizenship rights for African Americans at home while fighting fascism abroad accurately represents this dual objective.
This aligns with the early civil rights efforts of the 1940s to utilize the democratic rhetoric of World War II to demand domestic equality.

Key Concept

Double V Campaign
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Early Civil Rights Movement (1940s and 1950s)

More questions from this topic