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Brian Lehrer: It's the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. Once again, this membership drive, we're having a 10-question quiz every day to break things up a little and have a little fun. Get two in a row right, and win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or a Brian Lehrer Show mug. Your choice. Who wants to play? You can call right now at 212-433-WNYC. It's a different theme or topic every day during the drive. Today, it's American History 101. You don't have to have been a history major to know the answer to most of these questions. Probably all of these questions. We chose many of them because they're relevant to today's news. It's American History 101.

Who wants to play? Two in a row right and you can win a Brian Lehrer Show mug or baseball cap. 212-433-WNYC, 433-9692. We're going to start with Clyde on the Lower East Side. Clyde, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Clyde: I'm very ready to play.

Brian Lehrer: All right, so question number one. What seminal document from American history begins with the words "We the people of the United States?" Is it the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Gettysburg Address? "We the people of the United States."

Clyde: The Declaration of Independence.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, I'm sorry, Clyde. Call us again. Try again another day. It was the Constitution. It's the preamble to the Constitution. "We the people of the United States, in order to form more perfect union," et cetera, et cetera. Diane, in Fort Monroe, Virginia, you're on WNYC. Hi, Diane. Ready to play?

Diane: Yes. Good morning.

Brian Lehrer: Good morning. All right, question two. After the Trump executive order to remove anything DEI from federal agencies, the Air Force removed archival training videos that the public was able to look at from the legendary squadron that was the first to be comprised of Black pilots. What was the name of that legendary World War II squadron of Black pilots?

Diane: I believe it was Tuskegee.

Brian Lehrer: Yes. I'll take that as good enough. The Tuskegee what if you know?

Diane: Oh, I guess it was pilots. I don't know.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, it was the Tuskegee Airmen. At the time, they were all men. It was the Tuskegee Airmen. The news hook is, as the AP reported, the squadron, which trained in Alabama, hence Tuskegee, shattered racial barriers and racial beliefs about the capabilities of Black pilots. Their success in combat paved the way for the desegregation of the US Military. Yet for a moment, after President Donald Trump took office, that history was almost scrubbed by the Air Force.

The AP says almost scrubbed because the videos were removed. After a public outcry, they had second thoughts on that one. No more Black History Month at West Point. That's still in effect. The Tuskegee Airmen videos can remain as a one-off anyway in the Air Force archives. There's that story. Question three. For the hat or the mug. Within two years, when did the Supreme Court legalize same-sex marriage in Obergefell versus Hodges? What year within two years?

Diane: Oh, my goodness. 1997.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, it was much more recent than that. Sorry, Diane. Nice try. It was 2015. All right, we're going to go next to Wilmer in Union City. Hey, Wilmer, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Wilmer: Ready.

Brian Lehrer: Question four. What was the name of the secret World War II project that developed the atomic bomb and also gave us a best picture Oscar winner?

Wilmer: The Manhattan Project.

Brian Lehrer: That was the Manhattan Project. Of course, as done in the biopic, Oppenheimer. All right, question five, for the hat or the mug. What protest movement named after an anti-colonial act of defiance began in 2009 in response to economic bailouts after the financial crisis and government spending generally? What was the name of that protest movement that started in 2009?

Wilmer: Wall Street protest.

Brian Lehrer: Think the other side.

Wilmer: Can you give me a hint?

Brian Lehrer: Let's see. One more hint might be. It's not about coffee.

Wilmer: The tea protest.

Brian Lehrer: The tea what? Tea protest? Sorry, Wilmer. I tried. I tried, but no, it was the tea Party. The Tea Party movement. Let's go on to David in Stuyvesant Town. Hi, David, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?

David: You bet. Hi.

Brian Lehrer: Hi. Question six. What 19th-century Supreme Court decision ruled that Black people, free or enslaved, could not be US Citizens? What was that Supreme Court decision?

David: I think it was Dred Scott.

Brian Lehrer: It was Dred Scott. Dred Scott versus Sanford, to be precise, in 1857. The news hook there. The reason we brought that in today is that's partly why we have the debate over birthright citizenship for immigrant kids right now. Because of Dred Scott, the 14th Amendment was eventually passed guaranteeing citizenship to anyone born in this country. It was expressly to overturn the Dred Scott ruling that Black people could not be citizens. All right, question seven, for the hat or the mug, We talked about the Tuskegee Airmen almost being erased. What national monument right here in Manhattan-- You're in StuyTown. It's not that far from you, though on the other side of the island, did have a whole category of people erased from its website by Trump? It's a monument to a historical event from 1969.

David: Oh, the Stonewall Inn protest monument.

Brian Lehrer: Absolutely right. Do you want the hat or the mug?

David: The hat, please. I got to show off my fandom of your show.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, thank you for that. The Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap heading for David in StuyTown. We'll take your address off the air. For those of you who haven't heard that story, another news hook to our history quiz, as NPR reported it on Valentine's Day of all times, the National Park Service website exploring the history and significance of the Stonewall uprising has been stripped of any mention of transgender people. The page was also updated to remove the T from the previously used acronym LGBTQ+, now referring to the community as either LGB or LGBQ.

Reference to the word queer has also been removed when describing the Stonewall uprising. The website now reads, "Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual person was illegal, but the events at the Stonewall Inn sparked fresh momentum for the LGB civil rights movement." They've erased trans people and there were some very central trans people at Stonewall that week. We've talked about that history on the show, but excuse me now. Now officially erased. All right, how about Jerry in Brooklyn? Hi, Jerry. Ready to play?

Jerry: I am.

Brian Lehrer: Question number eight. Here's one from our 100 Years of a 100 Things series. We did a segment on 100 Years of Socialism in the United States. We talked about the labor leader and five-time Socialist Party presidential candidate who was jailed for opposing World War I. Who was that 100 year ago socialist?

Jerry: Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue. I'm not remembering it. I'm sorry.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, sorry, Jerry. It was Eugene v. Debs. Let's try Joyce in Bensonhurst. Hi, Joyce. Ready to play?

Joyce: Hi, Brian. Yes, I am.

Brian Lehrer: Question nine. What US state was the last to join the Union? 50th state.

Joyce: Alaska 50th state? Was it? [unintelligible 00:09:17] between Alaska and Hawaii.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, was Hawaii.

Joyce: I said Alaska and Hawaii. Oh, I'm sorry.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, you said Alaska and Hawaii. All right, I'm going to give you. I missed you saying the end Hawaii part. If you said Alaska and Hawaii--

Joyce: Did you hear me?

Brian Lehrer: Even though I asked for one, it was in there, so, yes. All right, so question number 10, for the hat and--

Joyce: Can you hear me?

Brian Lehrer: I can hear you. Can you hear me?

Joyce: Yes. I think there might be a lag. Can you hear me now?

Brian Lehrer: Maybe there's a little lag. It's okay. Question 10. Last question on our 10-question quiz for the hat or the mug. Who was the first Asian American woman to serve in the United States Senate or what state did she come from?

Joyce: This is Hawaii. Hawaii, right?

Brian Lehrer: Hawaii is right.

Joyce: This one-- I'm Asian American.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, you are? Really?

Joyce: I'm Chinese American. There's not a lot of us. I know it's Hirono. There's not lots of us in Congress. There's not a lot of us in Senate or the US Government right now. We have to keep on top of these.

Brian Lehrer: Mazie Hirono, elected by the state of Hawaii in 2012. She's still there. Joyce, thank you. Congratulations. Hang on. We'll take your address off the air and send you your choice of Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap or Brian Lehrer Show New York City skyline mug. That's our 10-question quiz for today. We'll do another one tomorrow on another theme. Thanks for playing, everybody. A lot more to come.

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