Module 3: "Notable Southerners: Althea Gibson"

12 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. racial
    of or related to groups of people sharing distinctive traits
    She was born August 25, 1927 into an environment of racial repression, a world where as an African-American, it was very difficult to “be somebody.”
  2. repression
    a state of forcible subjugation
    She was born August 25, 1927 into an environment of racial repression, a world where as an African-American, it was very difficult to “be somebody.”
  3. sharecropper
    a tenant farmer who owes a portion of each harvest for rent
    Althea, born to sharecropper parents on a cotton farm in the small town of Silver, South Carolina, faced a future of adversity and uncertainty.
  4. adversity
    a state of misfortune or affliction
    Althea, born to sharecropper parents on a cotton farm in the small town of Silver, South Carolina, faced a future of adversity and uncertainty.
  5. ban
    prohibit especially by law or social pressure
    She began life in a world where African-Americans were banned from all major sports (the term “African-American” did not even exist), yet her life ended in a world where African-Americans not only participated in all major sports, but dominated many of them.
  6. truant
    one who is absent from school without permission
    Young Althea disliked the regimen of school and was often truant.
  7. bias
    a partiality preventing objective consideration of an issue
    With every stroke, she chipped away at racial bias.
  8. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    She defeated Barbara Knapp 6-2, 6-2, on court fourteen at the prestigious West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York.
  9. honor
    the state of being esteemed
    Ticker tape blanketed the streets of New York in her honor.
  10. challenge
    issue a call to engage in a contest or fight
    Althea went on to win many tournaments, and in doing so, continued to challenge racial prejudice.
  11. prejudice
    a partiality preventing objective consideration of an issue
    Althea went on to win many tournaments, and in doing so, continued to challenge racial prejudice.
  12. outdated
    old; no longer valid or fashionable
    She was a true pioneer who broke down racial barriers and challenged outdated beliefs, and she did it simply for the love of the game.
Created on Tue Oct 06 15:47:40 EDT 2020 (updated Wed Oct 07 13:39:36 EDT 2020)

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