All You Have to Do: Chapters 15–25

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. perpetuation
    the act of prolonging or causing to exist indefinitely
    We’ve talked about the origin of American ideas about race, how those ideas served the perpetuation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
  2. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    Later in the semester, we’ll talk more about how those ideas haunt our present. This has been broached in a very immediate way on campus, so I think it’s appropriate to discuss it, at least briefly, now.
  3. asinine
    devoid of intelligence
    Over lunch, we try to guess who will have the most asinine comments.
  4. manifesto
    a public declaration of intentions
    As you know and no doubt read, a small group of students wrote a sort of manifesto, if you will, and posted it around school on Friday.
  5. reprimand
    censure severely or angrily
    He’s chewing gum visibly, and all I can think about as I stare at him is how many times I’ve been reprimanded for chewing gum inside school buildings.
  6. ad hoc
    for or concerned with one specific purpose
    Faculty sympathetic to our cause have formed an ad hoc committee to attempt negotiations.
  7. complicity
    guilt as a confederate in a crime or offense
    We won’t accept cowardice and complicity under a cover of neutrality.
  8. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    They support what we’re doing, but their relief when they hug their children is tangible.
  9. ultimatum
    a final peremptory demand
    Monday evening, the stalemate ends with an ultimatum.
    “The president wants us out of the building by midnight,” Wesley announces. “If we don’t comply, he says he will cut off the power supply and have us forcibly removed.”
  10. remiss
    failing in what duty requires
    “And sisters,” Richard pleads, “we know you’re every bit as dedicated, and we hope the officers won’t get rough. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t try one last time—”
  11. sordid
    morally degraded
    Now, though, the sordid history of these tunnels haunts me. Before Columbia University was here, there were insane asylums, and these tunnels connected the buildings. I wonder if any patients escaped through these walls. I wonder how they sweated and how they caught their breath, knowing the authorities were hunting them down.
  12. gait
    a person's manner of walking
    I tell myself he’ll be fine. I tell myself we all will. I chant this as their backs fade from view, their wrinkled clothes and weary gaits retreating through the tunnel.
  13. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    I repeat the mantra in my head. We are going to be fine.
  14. Marxist
    advocate of the economic and political theories of Karl Marx
    Some of the articles are from the New York Times, and others are from college newspapers, Marxist newspapers, and a few from the Boston Globe.
  15. delicate
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
    They are delicate like butterfly wings, thin at the creases.
  16. trump
    get the better of
    “I guess money trumped race this time,” I say.
  17. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    On the ride home, Mom checks me every few minutes, scrutinizing my stitches and leaning over at red lights to check the dilation of my pupils.
  18. dilation
    the act of making an opening wider
    On the ride home, Mom checks me every few minutes, scrutinizing my stitches and leaning over at red lights to check the dilation of my pupils.
  19. lull
    a pause during which things are calm
    During a lull in the conversation, I raise my voice so everyone can hear me.
  20. revoke
    cancel officially
    I still have to graduate. I have to keep my grades up and stay out of trouble, or they’ll revoke my admission and my scholarship.
  21. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
    Slowly, the boys go back to talking. Conversations turn back to the mundane.
    There’s nowhere to go. There’s nothing to do.
  22. intonation
    rise and fall of the voice pitch
    You stroked his head as you read with dramatic intonations and suspenseful pauses.
  23. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    But these kids look as if they’ve been through a massacre. They are bruised and bloodied. Their hair is matted and sticks up in clumps. Their clothes are ripped and disheveled.
  24. melee
    a noisy riotous fight
    As long as he was inside before the melee started, I know he’s safe.
  25. shaft
    a column of light
    A shaft of light shoots in from the hallway, and I step over outstretched legs to reach it.
  26. recognizance
    a bond requiring someone before a court to perform some act
    Students start to leave. Some on bail, some on recognizance.
  27. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    “I do not know why you’ve called us into your office today,” I say with as much formality as I can muster.
  28. infraction
    a violation of a law or rule
    “I called you in here to let you know that the discipline committee will meet about this case on Friday, and next week, you’ll be called to sit before the committee. As you know, due to your previous infractions, if you are found guilty of intimidation, your suspension will result in permanent expulsion.”
  29. trajectory
    a progression or course of events, actions, or developments
    However, I encourage new students to consider how they can meet their environment halfway, wherever they find themselves. To speak plainly, a change in environment won’t necessarily change the trajectory of your life.
  30. maxim
    a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
    “Why would I do that? Expect nothing, and you can’t be disappointed.” She recites this like a maxim and starts stacking the empty food containers together.
  31. embellish
    add details to
    My bribes of candy, jacks, and embellished tales of New York City were not enough to keep them close.
  32. wane
    become smaller
    Their curiosity about the colored girl waned. Or their siblings tattled. One by one, sometimes in pairs, they announced the end of our friendship.
  33. scalloped
    decorated with a margin or border of semicircles
    Mom helped me sew flared sleeves and a scalloped neckline.
  34. ensemble
    a coordinated outfit (set of clothing)
    To my perfectly wrapped skirt and headwrap I added gold earrings and sandals. I emerged from my bedroom wearing the ensemble and glided downstairs to show everyone.
  35. extricate
    release from entanglement or difficulty
    Joanna extricated her hand from mine and gave me a soft push.
  36. coveted
    greatly desired
    Mrs. Lewin thrust the prize at me. The coveted tickets to the cinema.
  37. solicit
    request urgently or persistently
    I solicited donations, I advertised until every man, woman, and child in town had to know about the fundraiser.
  38. bound
    move forward by leaping
    Leila gives me a side-hug while Uncle Kevin bounds up the stairs.
  39. grudge
    a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
    Twenty-something years of the cold shoulder? That’s a serious grudge.
  40. repression
    a state of forcible subjugation
    “For one thing, the backlash was no joke. Violence, repression...there was an intentional, systematic dismantling of the movement.”
Created on Wed Aug 07 10:36:05 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Jan 21 12:12:22 EST 2025)

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