All You Have to Do: Chapters 9–14

by Autumn Allen
In alternating narratives set in the 1960s and 1995 in New York and Massachusetts, the teenage son and grandson of Dr. Wilson, Kevin and Gibran, continue to struggle against racism by protesting at their schools and supporting the marches on Washington, D.C.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–5, Chapters 6–8, Chapters 9–14, Chapters 15–25
40 words 2 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. vilify
    spread negative information about
    When a Black man in this country tells the truth about what white people have done to Black people, he is vilified. When a Black man in this country puts Black people first, he is persecuted.
  2. nonsectarian
    not restricted to one religious or political group
    This is the true reason for the Million Man March, a nonsectarian event supported by dozens of mainstream Black leaders whose beliefs overlap with the Nation of Islam only in the commitment to healing the Black community.
  3. waver
    be unsure or weak
    His voice wavers at first, but he finishes strong.
  4. decisive
    characterized by resoluteness and firmness
    In order to force the university’s hand, we have to be organized and decisive.
  5. unwieldy
    difficult to use or handle because of size or weight
    The SDS and the white students use this sort of participatory democracy, which is nice in theory, but with hundreds of students? Trying to get everyone in on every decision? It’s...unwieldy, to say the least.
  6. procession
    the action of a group moving ahead in regular formation
    We were sitting in the living room, watching the presidential procession on television.
  7. rivet
    direct one's attention on something
    Mom glanced at Dad, who was riveted by his food.
  8. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    Throughout high school, I read constantly and tried to explain my revelations to Dawn, to open her eyes.
  9. zeal
    excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end
    I told her she needed to educate herself. Maybe I went overboard, like Robbie had with me. With the zeal of an evangelist, I was desperate to make her free.
  10. evangelist
    a preacher of the Christian gospel
    I told her she needed to educate herself. Maybe I went overboard, like Robbie had with me. With the zeal of an evangelist, I was desperate to make her free.
  11. subdued
    softened in tone
    Inside the assembly hall, the loud, immature chaos that usually reigns until Mr. Clarke arrives is subdued.
  12. punctual
    acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed
    Mr. Clarke is an eerily punctual person. Every day, he steps onto the stage as the clock strikes eight o’clock.
  13. curt
    brief and to the point
    He manages a curt nod before turning back to his papers.
  14. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    Silence. Shifting eyes. Slow coughs. Meaningless shuffling of notebooks and tapping of pens. Tentative voices resuming conversations, leaving space, as if listening, waiting, and talking at the same time.
  15. surreptitious
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    The boys look around the lunchroom as if they’ll see signs of surreptitious conversations, whispering and pointing at us.
  16. suave
    having a sophisticated charm
    In the black-and-white photos of Grandpa in his doctor’s coat, he looks like a suave Langston Hughes.
  17. incorrigible
    impervious to correction by punishment
    “Don’t go out. I want to see you.”
    “Don’t front. You know you’re coming to comfort Mom about her incorrigible son.”
  18. dispensable
    capable of being eliminated or done without
    Our all-Black building is a danger and an opportunity. On the one hand, we are dispensable. On the other hand, Columbia can’t afford to bring the police down violently on a group of Black students.
  19. devolve
    grow worse
    Now our group can run smoothly, on consensus, and if theirs devolve into disorder, they won’t take us down with them.
  20. accost
    approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently
    Reporters from the campus paper accost the dean on the steps.
  21. impartial
    free from undue bias or preconceived opinions
    We admire their involvement, though we wish that instead of being an impartial voice of “reason,” they’d take a principled stand.
  22. concession
    the act of yielding
    “We have an offer,” Richard says, “from the administration. They say if we leave tonight, we can avoid suspension.”
    “And?” Valerie asks.
    “That’s the only concession?” Jack asks.
  23. impose
    compel to behave in a certain way
    The community members haven’t imposed on our strategizing and decision-making. But their presence intimidates the administration and even the white protesters who were here before.
  24. consensus
    agreement in the judgment reached by a group as a whole
    It doesn’t take long for a consensus to emerge.
    “Are we ready to vote?” Richard asks.
    Everyone agrees.
  25. embed
    fix or set securely or deeply
    We do another self-defense practice drill, trying to embed the moves into our muscle memory.
  26. mobilize
    make ready for action or use
    Each time we practice, the leaders ask the sisters to leave if police are mobilized.
  27. conversion
    a change of religion
    His parents took a long time to accept his path as an activist and his conversion to Islam, and Mom and Dad supported them through their worry.
  28. sentiment
    tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion
    “She can talk to my parents. Get some tips on parenting activists.”
    I try to smile. I appreciate the sentiment, but I can’t really be compared to Robbie.
  29. hamper
    a basket usually with a cover
    I jog up the stairs to my room and change my clothes, stuffing the ones I was wearing inside my hamper.
  30. lilt
    a jaunty rhythm in music or speech
    Her voice comes through the metal box like a bell, her light Caribbean lilt barely audible after decades in the States.
  31. croon
    sing softly
    “I can sing for you if you want me to,” he says. “Happy biiirthdaaay to youuuu,” he croons, and then cackles.
  32. charismatic
    possessing an extraordinary ability to attract
    I pick up A Raisin in the Sun and read it from beginning to end. It’s Mom’s old copy, all marked-up and highlighted from decades ago, when she played Mama to my father’s charismatic Walter Lee.
  33. robust
    strong enough to withstand intellectual challenges
    I’ll have to go to the public library to do some of the research, since the section on Black culture at Lakeside isn’t exactly robust.
  34. indulge
    yield to; give satisfaction to
    No one knows what will happen tomorrow, but in this moment, I indulge the feeling of being a part of something vast.
  35. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
    Our other demands have yet to be addressed. We also want to make sure the suspension of the gym construction becomes cancellation. We don’t want them to placate us to get us out and then go right back to their plans.
  36. reconvene
    meet or cause to meet again
    Let’s enjoy this moment and get some rest. We’ll reconvene later this morning and discuss next steps.
  37. hajj
    a pilgrimage to Mecca that is a religious duty for Muslims
    When he broke from the Nation of Islam, made the hajj, and traveled around the Middle East and Africa, he was welcomed by laypeople and world leaders alike.
  38. orthodox
    adhering to what is commonly accepted
    He came back to New York an orthodox Muslim and a Black nationalist.
  39. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
    He spoke with reverence about Malcolm’s new organizations.
  40. instigate
    provoke or stir up
    Anyone who has heard the sound bites reporters use to represent these two men would think they came here to get us riled up, to agitate, to instigate a race war.
Created on Wed Aug 07 10:35:55 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Jan 21 12:12:08 EST 2025)

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