Benjamin L. Hooks has led an extraordinary life as a civil rights leader, clergyman, attorney and judge. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1925. He attended schools in Memphis, graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in 1941. In college he earned a doctorate degree and became both a lawyer and Baptist minister.

As a young man, Dr. Hooks experienced racism first hand. He was forced to use segregated bathrooms and water fountains, and he was not allowed to eat in many restaurants because of the color of his skin. When he decided to study to be a lawyer, no law school in Tennessee would admit him. So Dr. Hooks left to study law in Chicago. Once he graduated, he moved back to Memphis and became one of the few black lawyers in the city. As a public defender, he fought for the rights of minorities.

Dr. Hooks became known as a leader and political activist. He was appointed as the first African-American circuit court judge in Tennessee. In 1972, he overcame racism to become the first African-American appointed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by President Nixon. The FCC makes rules about television and radio programming. In 1977, he became the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP is a group that works to gain the same rights for African-Americans that everyone enjoys.

Benjamin L. Hooks has spent his life fighting for what is right. For his efforts he has earned many awards including the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum.

Find the underlined words in the story above about and circle each word in the game below. The words are forward, backward, up, down, and diagonal.

R E T S I L A W Y E R P Z U D V X E T O H V

S N O T G N I H S A W T R E K O O B D N W O

I C N D K T S E P W C W U H T C Z G V F M F

H U C C J R Y V O Y A R V I M C N A F D I N

P B E N J A M I N L H O O K S F Q U C J N H

M X W S P C P C A B N R Y W T I J T N P I A

E P U B L I C D E F E N D E R U S W C T S Q

M E R I X S D O O Y A I W C D A N A K S T U

D R A W A M O D E E R F I G A E A O L X E E

P D R A W A M O D E E R E N Y N Z W A V R X

S N A C I R E M A N A C I R F A B M G E G K

Suggested Research Questions:

1. Using an encyclopedia or reference book as your source, write a brief history of the NAACP.

2. List five other civil rights leaders, then conduct an Internet search using their names and print an article on each.

3. Write a one page paper on what you think it would be like to be a participant in the Civil Rights Movement.

Additional Resources

Benjamin L. Hooks

Biography of Dr. Benjamin Hooks. http://www.people.memphis.edu/~polisci/HOOKBIO.HTM

National Civil Rights Museum. http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org

Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change. http://benhooks.memphis.edu/hookpics.htm

Educational Fun: Answer Key