Quiz How to Survive America D.L. Hughley

How to Survive America: Full-Book Quiz (20 Questions)

Welcome to the companion quiz for D.L. Hughley and Doug Moe’s How to Survive America. These 20 questions cover the book’s central arguments, character motivations, symbols, and broader implications. Mix of multiple-choice and short-answer formats. After you finish, check the answer key for explanations rooted in the text.

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (8 questions)

  1. (Multiple-choice) The book’s opening chapter uses what medical test as its central metaphor for diagnosing America?

    • A) Blood panel
    • B) Stress test
    • C) MRI scan
    • D) Genetic screening

  2. (Short-answer) According to the book, what “very serious malignant cancer” was removed from America?

  3. (Multiple-choice) After removing that malignant cancer, Hughley says the nation is in what state?

    • A) Full recovery
    • B) Remission
    • C) Terminal decline
    • D) Acute crisis

  4. (Short-answer) Name two of the “cancerous cells” still circulating in America’s system, according to Hughley.

  5. (Multiple-choice) The book states that Black mothers’ and fathers’ mission was focused on survival rather than what?

    • A) Thriving
    • B) Voting
    • C) Education
    • D) Protest

  6. (Short-answer) What disease, beyond racism, does Hughley say America tested positive for?

  7. (Multiple-choice) The book’s closing line offers the reader a satirical gift: “Do you want a _____?”

    • A) Band-Aid
    • B) Prescription
    • C) Lollipop
    • D) Handshake

  8. (Short-answer) What is the “only course of treatment” Hughley prescribes for America’s underlying conditions?

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. (Multiple-choice) According to the “About the Authors” chapter, D.L. Hughley won a Peabody Award for which satirical documentary?

    • A) The Original Kings of Comedy
    • B) D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List
    • C) The Hughleys
    • D) Black Man, White House

  2. (Short-answer) What two previous books did D.L. Hughley coauthor with Doug Moe? (Name at least one.)

  3. (Multiple-choice) The book implies that Donald Trump’s political career represents a “malignant cancer.” Which of the following best describes the motivation ascribed to Trump?

    • A) A desire to unite the country
    • B) The embodiment of an entrenched belief that Black people are responsible for their own problems
    • C) A purely economic agenda
    • D) An accidental presidency

  4. (Short-answer) What is the collective goal of the “Black mothers and fathers” mentioned in the conclusion?

  5. (Multiple-choice) Doug Moe’s background includes training at which comedy theatre?

    • A) The Second City
    • B) Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
    • C) The Groundlings
    • D) The Comedy Store

Theme & Symbol (4 questions)

  1. (Multiple-choice) The lollipop offered at the end of the book most directly symbolizes what?

    • A) A genuine reward for listening
    • B) The empty, patronizing consolation America offers in place of real change
    • C) Children’s healthcare
    • D) Hughley’s love of candy

  2. (Short-answer) Hughley says “There’s no vaccine for racism.” What does this metaphor imply about the problem?

  3. (Multiple-choice) The “stress test” is used to reveal which of the following?

    • A) America’s economic strength
    • B) The underlying condition of racism
    • C) The effectiveness of the healthcare system
    • D) Political polarization

  4. (Short-answer) The phrase “survive, not thrive” encapsulates what theme of the book?

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. (Short-answer) How does the inclusion of the “About the Publisher” chapter, listing HarperCollins offices worldwide, reinforce the book’s overall argument about survival?

  2. (Multiple-choice) If one were to apply Hughley’s “stress test” metaphor to the “About the Authors” section, what would it reveal about the authors’ credentials?

    • A) That they lack authority
    • B) That their comedy careers are unrelated to the topic
    • C) That they have lived experience and professional success—a form of “survival” in the industry
    • D) That they are purely academic writers

  3. (Short-answer) Based on the entire book, what is the central challenge Hughley identifies for Black Americans after surviving America?

Answer Key & Explanations

Plot & Sequence

  1. B) Stress test. The conclusion opens by describing the past four years as a stress test, with Hughley announcing he has received preliminary results and identified serious underlying conditions.

  2. President Trump. Hughley explicitly calls President Trump a “very serious malignant cancer” that was removed.

  3. B) Remission. He states, “even though we’re in remission, there’s still a chance of it recurring.”

  4. Any two of: Donald Trump Jr., Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham. The text lists these three as “cancerous cells still circulating in our system.”

  5. A) Thriving. Hughley says the mission of Black mothers and fathers was “for us to survive, not thrive.”

  6. COVID‑19 (coronavirus). He writes, “And you tested positive for coronavirus.”

  7. C) Lollipop. The book ends with the satirical question: “Do you want a lollipop?”

  8. For America to start being fair to Black people. Hughley says, “the only course of treatment I prescribe is for America to start being fair to Black people.”

Character Motivation

  1. B) D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List. The “About the Authors” section states that this documentary won the George Foster Peabody Award.

  2. How Not to Get Shot and Surrender, White People! (naming either is sufficient). Both are listed as previous co-authored works.

  3. B) The embodiment of an entrenched belief that Black people are responsible for their own problems. Hughley connects the “malignant cancer” to “the underlying belief of white people that Black people are the cause of their own troubles.”

  4. To ensure Black survival, not necessarily to thrive. The text explains that their “mission was never for anything more than that; their mission was for us to survive.”

  5. B) Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Doug Moe’s biography identifies him as “a comedic actor and writer from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.”

Theme & Symbol

  1. B) The empty, patronizing consolation America offers in place of real change. The lollipop is a classic doctor’s‑office bribe, appearing right after Hughley admits he can only “point out the problems and hope that seeing clearly will cause America to change”—no real treatment has been given.

  2. That racism is a persistent social ill with no simple, one‑time cure. By comparing racism to a disease without a vaccine, Hughley emphasizes that it requires ongoing effort and systemic fairness, not a quick fix.

  3. B) The underlying condition of racism. The stress test metaphor is used to diagnose America’s deep‑seated problems, primarily racism.

  4. That the previous generation’s goal was merely to keep Black people alive, and the next step is to teach them how to truly live. This contrast between basic survival and full enjoyment of life is a core theme.

Synthesis

  1. It shows that the book itself is a global product of an established institution, yet the message remains that survival is not enough—even with worldwide resources, the deeper work of fairness is incomplete. The publisher information underscores the structural support behind the authors, but the conclusion insists that institutional backing doesn’t automatically solve the racism problem.

  2. C) That they have lived experience and professional success—a form of “survival” in the industry. Hughley and Moe’s biographies—Peabody Award, bestseller status, UCB training—demonstrate they have survived and succeeded in entertainment, lending credibility to a guide about surviving America.

  3. Learning to thrive, not just survive. Hughley explicitly states, “That’s our big challenge in the next years … they didn’t teach us how to live.”

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