saddity- Slang for pretentious or conceited. 

square-Slang for a tobacco cigarette 

bougie-Derived from bourgeois; aspiring to be from a higher class. 

martyr- A person who is killed or suffers greatly while defending a principle, belief or cause. 

Pall Mall- A brand of cigarettes. 

Legacy- Something handed down by a predecessor, especially in terms of achievement and impact. 

spook- A spy; A derogatory term for an African American.

Mule of the World- Based on a quote from Zora Neale Hurston’s book, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” written in 1937. Referring to black women as mules describes the idea that they are considered the lowest of creatures, used for work and to bear or carry heavy loads without any power over themselves or the world around them. 

Oratorical- A characteristic of someone with eloquent and superior public speaking ability.

Incognegro- A derogatory term referring to an African American who tries to hide their African heritage. 

Commie- Short for communist; a communist is someone who believes in or advocates for the communist party or movement; it’s also used to describe someone engaged in leftwing, subversive, or revolutionary activities. 

All a’ God’s children got wings – A phrase from a “Negro Spiritual”*; it’s used to state that all people are equal and deserving of love and the same access to heaven; it also refers to a classic folktale centered around the idea that the enslaved African people in America have the gift of flight and would fly back home to freedom one day. 

Preponderance- Carrying superior weight, power, or importance. 

Woolworth’s- The F. W. Woolworth Co. was a chain of general-merchandise retail stores based on the concept of the five-and-ten (i.e., a store that sells all items in stock for 10 cents or less). Many stores had a lunch counter where only whites were allowed to eat. In the 1960s activist groups led sit-ins during which African American people went in and sat at the counters even though they weren’t allowed as a form of protest.