Amos
a Biblical prophet, and author of the Book of Amos
anesthetizing
numbing, either physically or spiritually
blemish
to spoil the appearance of (something) that is otherwise aesthetically perfect
Calvary
the location where Jesus Christ was crucified, along with two other criminals
civil disobedience
the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest
cognizant
aware, or having knowledge, of
deplore
feel or express deep disapproval of something
direct action
Dr. King's term for protests
freedom rides
an act of civil right protests in the early 1960's, wherein activists rode interstate buses through the segregated southern United States
gadflies
a fly that bites livestock, esp. a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly
gainsaying
denying or contradicting
hemlock
a highly poisonous European plant of the parsley family; the Greek thinker Socrates was killed by the state with hemlock
impunity
exemption from punishment
infanticide
the crime of killing a child within a year of birth
John Bunyan
an English Christian writer and thinker, best known as the author of the allegory Pilgrim's Progress
moderate
in the context of the "Letter," a person who preaches moderation and patience rather than endorsing direct action, especially in the context of segregation
mores
the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community
mutuality
condition or quality of being mutual; reciprocity
ordinance
a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal (city) authority
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely
provinical
of or concerning the regions outside the capital city of a country, especially when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded
rabble-rouser
a person who speaks with the intention of inflaming the emotions of a crowd of people, typically for political reasons; a troublemaker
repudiate
refuse to accept
sanctimonious
making a show of being morally superior to other people
self-purification
in general terms, the act of purifying oneself, either physically or spiritually; in terms of the "Letter," a process the SCLC underwent to ensure that its followers were prepared to pursue their cause with nonviolence and love
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
three Biblical figures who were willing to die before the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar rather than renounce their faith
thalidomide
a drug most infamously associated with causing severe birth defects when administered to pregnant women in the late 1950s
zeitgeist
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time
