Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution: Chapters 11–16

by Sherri Winston
Lotus Bloom, a seventh-grade girl who loves the vintage style of the 1970s, learns to speak up and fight for the freedom of expression after facing a dress code violation at school.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 4, Chapters 5–10, Chapters 11–16, Chapters 17–22
35 words 18 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    But here he is telling me that his behavior is devised to make sure he isn’t overlooked.
  2. posh
    elegant and fashionable
    “One at a time, Taj,” Fabiola says in her posh French-Creole accent.
  3. tic
    a local and habitual twitching, especially in the face
    Mr. Mackie is an assortment of nervous tics and twitches—tapping his foot, drumming his fingers, tugging at the red tie the color of tomato soup.
  4. breach
    a failure to perform some promised act or obligation
    I am here to inform you that you are in breach of the school’s code of standards and ethics.
  5. reedy
    thin and high-pitched in tone
    Her reedy little voice is a high soprano, but her conviction is strong.
  6. bout
    a period of illness
    A bout of queasiness grips me.
  7. strew
    spread by scattering
    I abandon the strewn music, and we all sit crisscross facing one another.
  8. assimilation
    the process of absorbing one cultural group into another
    So not only has the county robbed us and our neighbors of a quality education—both traditional and musical—but now, they’re basically telling you that the only way you can be accepted is by total assimilation!
  9. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    I swear, she is glowing. Revolution does wonders for the complexion.
  10. oppression
    the state of being kept down by unjust use of authority
    “She wants me to go to this district board meeting, make a big scene about how the funding issues cause problems for both of us, and quit Atlantis for its unfair practices and ‘oppression,’” I say.
  11. diplomacy
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    “Your mama is starting Weight Watchers again,” she says with an eye roll. The walls on my diplomacy fort are cracking.
    “Granny, why do you do that?” I say. “Why do you constantly try to make Mom feel bad about herself?”
  12. rift
    a personal or social separation
    Oh, how many times I’ve imagined having this conversation. Saying these words. Always, I’ve talked myself out of it because I was afraid doing so would create some sort of cosmic rift. I thought confronting the problem would bring more problems.
  13. plumb
    completely
    By high school, I was plumb tired of standing up for myself.
  14. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
    Granny looks proud. Then the look turns wistful.
  15. relevant
    having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
    Listening to her talk about the struggles of being a young Black woman reminds me of our continued struggle to be heard, to be valued, to be relevant.
  16. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    I fluff my hair and see that it’s grown. It’s so lush and plush and fabulous.
  17. barge
    push one's way
    “We’re sorry to barge in like this, but we were hoping to catch you ladies at home before you left this morning,” she says.
  18. allocation
    the act of distributing or apportioning according to a plan
    A number of neighborhood activists are gathering to protest the Atlantis School and what they think is the unfair allocation of public money for use on a school that is being treated like a private school.
  19. interim
    serving during an intermediate interval of time
    I’d thought we were going to the interim school board headquarters.
  20. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    “I...I don’t know what to say,” is all I can muster, feeling shaken.
  21. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    “I’m an attorney, and I’m running for the state representative seat in the 27th District. I want to assure you that I take your plight very seriously and if elected plan to do everything in my power to assure...”
  22. quaver
    give off unsteady sounds
    Voice quavering, I clear my throat.
  23. malign
    speak unfavorably about
    “I will not stand by and listen as this...this...person maligns our school!”
  24. bedlam
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder
    There is so much bedlam in the room, no one even seems to notice when I climb onto the table, sit in a cross-legged position, and open my violin bag.
  25. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    I slink backstage for a minute, trying to catch my breath.
  26. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
    I’m doing my best to give you culture and status. Stop looking for ways to undermine me!
  27. sentiment
    a personal belief or judgment
    In the lyrics, Marvin Gaye is making a plea to end war and stop fighting.
    Those thoughts. The lyrics. The sentiment. They all move around me and lift me up.
  28. subside
    wear off or die down
    When the noise finally subsides, some man on the far side of the room stands.
  29. venue
    the scene of any event or action
    “It’s all well and fine that the girl can play, but I don’t want my son going to a school where kids don’t know their place. Hair like that might be fine for other venues, but if it’s causing problems at the school, I say why not do something with it!”
  30. reverberate
    ring or echo with sound
    Loud and sharp and harsh notes reverberate through the speakers.
  31. implore
    beg or request earnestly and urgently
    “Miss Bloom, please,” Maestro’s voice is imploring.
  32. contingent
    a gathering of persons representative of some larger group
    Dr. Cortez and her contingent have been valuable fundraisers and did indeed work tirelessly to assure the school fundraising project was a success.
  33. skew
    present with a bias
    However, they had no authority—none—to dictate policy or in any way skew opinions of who should be attending our school and how.
  34. crony
    a close friend or associate
    Rebel, quitting is just giving Mrs. Cortez and her cronies exactly what they want.
  35. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    “I don’t think she’s going to forgive me,” I say dejectedly.
Created on Wed Nov 02 10:35:55 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Nov 18 17:44:10 EST 2022)

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