Little Rock Girl 1957: Chapters 3–4

by Shelley Marie Tougas
Journalist Shelley Tougas considers the fight to integrate Little Rock Central High School through the lens of a single photograph taken on September 4, 1957.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–4
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ideal
    conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection
    He figured the more photos he shot, the more likely he’d get the ideal photograph.
  2. exposure
    a picture taken with a camera or phone that shows people or scenes
    He could shoot 36 exposures with his 35mm Nikon S2 before he had to reload, a huge advantage over the other photographers, who had to reload their Speed Graphic cameras after every shot.
  3. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    Elizabeth Eckford’s stoic expression was in sharp contrast to Hazel Bryan’s snarling face.
  4. wield
    handle effectively
    L. Alex Wilson, an African-American journalist, was attacked outside Central High by a man wielding a brick.
  5. preceding
    existing or coming before
    Years later the photo was selected by Encyclopaedia Britannica as one of the world’s 50 most memorable news photos of the preceding 50 years.
  6. photojournalism
    the practice of reporting news primarily through pictures
    Counts kept his students focused on the essentials of photojournalism, said Kelly.
  7. breach
    a failure to perform some promised act or obligation
    “For you to do less than your best was a breach of the trust that subjects were placing in you,” he said Counts told his students.
  8. reconciliation
    the reestablishment of cordial relations
    His most famous work would be the photos of the conflict in Little Rock, and of the reconciliation of the two women many years later.
  9. embrace
    take up the cause of someone and use it as one's own
    A shy child and a quiet woman, she had never embraced her role as a face of the civil rights movement.
  10. provoke
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    But it did more than tell the facts—it provoked a reaction.
  11. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    In contrast, Elizabeth’s resolute appearance in the face of such hostility suggested that African-Americans were determined to use and defend their basic constitutional rights—rights taken for granted by most Americans.
  12. constitutional
    sanctioned by or consistent with or operating under the law
    In contrast, Elizabeth’s resolute appearance in the face of such hostility suggested that African-Americans were determined to use and defend their basic constitutional rights—rights taken for granted by most Americans.
  13. ensuing
    following immediately and as a result of what went before
    During the ensuing years, high school graduation rates soared.
  14. rally
    a large gathering of people intended to arouse enthusiasm
    Segregationists rallied at the state Capitol against allowing black students to attend Central High School.
  15. activist
    a reformer who works to achieve social or political change
    She is a social activist and college teacher, and she worked in the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Clinton administration.
  16. motivational
    of or serving to provide incentive or stimulus to action
    She worked for television stations in the San Francisco Bay area before becoming a consultant and motivational speaker.
  17. apprehension
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    Elizabeth Eckford and the statue depicting her, which the sculptor, John Deering, said is "looking ahead with a mix of stoicism and apprehension."
  18. integration
    incorporating a racial or religious group into a community
    While Little Rock Central High School is now a national historic site, African-American leaders don’t consider what happened there a turning point in school integration.
  19. stature
    the height of a standing person
    When I got to the top of the stairs I saw a young black boy wearing wire-rimmed glasses, slight of stature. He bowed and said, ‘Welcome to Central High School. I’m the president of the student body.’
  20. endure
    face and withstand with courage
    “So when he stepped out, I was expecting something other than this black child. This had been my dream, my vision. This was why I had endured all the pain and physical punishment—so this boy could stand there and say that. It was amazing.”
Created on Tue Aug 18 15:43:12 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Aug 18 17:06:27 EDT 2020)

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