Betty Before X: Prologue–Chapter 2

by Ilyasah Shabazz, Renée Watson
This novel is a fictionalized account of the childhood of Dr. Betty Shabazz, the civil rights activist and wife of Malcolm X.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 2, Chapters 3–8, Chapters 9–18, Chapters 19–23, Chapters 24–34

Here is a link to our lists for X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon, and here is a link to our lists for Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lynch
    kill without legal sanction
    It was the first time I saw a lynching.
  2. stride
    a step in walking or running
    She moved fast, pulling me along because my stride was shorter than hers and I could barely keep up.
  3. hover
    hang, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
    So after each day settled into the black sky, my questions rose like the moon, hovering over me all night till I fell asleep.
  4. cobbler
    a pie made of fruit with rich biscuit dough on top
    I am trying to hold on to the sound of my Aunt Fannie Mae’s laughter and the taste of the fruit cobbler and butter pecan ice cream we’d make from scratch, how I’d sit on the floor between my Aunt Fannie Mae’s knees getting my scalp oiled, my hair braided in two long plaits with pretty ribbons on each side.
  5. plait
    a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
    I am trying to hold on to the sound of my Aunt Fannie Mae’s laughter and the taste of the fruit cobbler and butter pecan ice cream we’d make from scratch, how I’d sit on the floor between my Aunt Fannie Mae’s knees getting my scalp oiled, my hair braided in two long plaits with pretty ribbons on each side.
  6. recite
    repeat aloud from memory
    She sits up straight, closes her eyes, and starts reciting Philippians 4:13.
  7. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    “Who cares?” Sonny shouts. And for that he gets a stern look from Arthur, so he mumbles, “Sorry.”
  8. pout
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
    Jimmie pouts and looks at Ollie Mae.
  9. scripture
    any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group
    Arthur says, “Well, you better get to studying the scriptures. That’s the only way you can join them.”
  10. boycott
    refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization
    She organizes the boycotts of stores that refuse to hire Negroes or sell products made by Negroes.
  11. wiry
    lean but strong
    Phyllis is the wiry one.
  12. podium
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
    Pastor Dames takes the podium. He’s only been the pastor for about a year.
  13. pulpit
    a platform raised to give prominence to the person on it
    It’s different not seeing him at the pulpit or after church greeting the visitors with Mrs. Peck, who still comes to church and sits in the same pew every Sunday.
  14. congregation
    group that habitually attends a particular place of worship
    Once it’s offering time, the deacons stand at the front of the church asking the congregation to rise and follow the ushers from the rear.
  15. sanctuary
    area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir
    Then she says, “Walk out of the sanctuary like you’re going downstairs to the restroom.”
  16. leery
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
    Suesetta looks leery of Phyllis’s confidence, but we walk into the candy shop and start picking our candy.
  17. foyer
    a large entrance or reception room or area
    We stop in the foyer and, instead of entering the sanctuary, we go straight downstairs to the basement and take our turns coming out of the bathroom just in case someone asks where we were.
  18. fib
    tell a relatively insignificant lie
    Now, we won’t be fibbing if we say the bathroom.
  19. sermon
    an address of a religious nature
    We sneak back into the sanctuary like we never really left. Step right back into our row, candy in our cheeks, just as Pastor Dames begins his sermon.
  20. deceive
    cause someone to believe an untruth
    “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
  21. mock
    treat with contempt
    “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
  22. sow
    place seeds in or on the ground for future growth
    “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
  23. reap
    gather, as of natural products
    “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
  24. injustice
    the practice of being unfair
    “Church,” he says, “when you sow injustice, you reap calamity. When you sow hatred and selfishness, racism and fear, you reap destruction and chaos!”
  25. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    “Church,” he says, “when you sow injustice, you reap calamity. When you sow hatred and selfishness, racism and fear, you reap destruction and chaos!”
  26. racism
    the prejudice that one people are superior to another
    “Church,” he says, “when you sow injustice, you reap calamity. When you sow hatred and selfishness, racism and fear, you reap destruction and chaos!”
  27. provision
    the activity of supplying something
    Pastor Dames says, “Oh, my friends, the Lord will not allow this suffering to last forever. The Lord’s timing is not your timing. We must not be weary. For every tear you sow, you will reap joy. For every good deed you’ve done, kindness and provision and peace will be at your doorstep.”
  28. cultivate
    prepare for crops
    “As slaves, we cultivated this nation’s barren land and we turned it into a land of milk and honey so that every single American citizen now has the opportunity to call this great United States of America his home,” he preaches.
  29. barren
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    “As slaves, we cultivated this nation’s barren land and we turned it into a land of milk and honey so that every single American citizen now has the opportunity to call this great United States of America his home,” he preaches.
  30. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    He takes a sip of water, then lowers his voice, talking solemn and low. “And this goes for our personal lives, too. Let us remember that God sees everything. He sees our heart, every good deed, and every sin. Every word of gossip, every lie. God sees and hears it all.”
Created on Mon Feb 18 20:50:13 EST 2019 (updated Thu Feb 21 13:05:02 EST 2019)

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