A.M.E. Zion
African Methodist Episcopal Church. Officially formed in 1821, the church was formed by black Christians who were discriminated against in white places of worship. The church played a great role in the black antislavery movement, and many well known black abolitionists, such as Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, were members of the church.
Accra
the capital of Ghana.
AKC
American Kennel Club. The largest American organization dealing with purebred dog pedigrees.
Albert Schweitzer
an Alsatian physican, philosopher and theologian who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, partially for founding and funding a hospital in West Africa.
Algonquins
An aboriginal North American tribe who lived on lands stretching from Virginia to the Hudson Bay.
Armistice Day
November 11th, the anniversary of the end of World War I. Today, November 11th is celebrated as Veterans Day as a memory to the veterans of all wars.
B.B.
a reference to B.B. King (Riley B. King), an African-American blues musician.
Bo Diddley
born Ellas Bates, and also referred to as The Originator, he is an influential American rock and roll singer.
Bryn Mawr
A women's liberal arts college, located in Pennsylvania, and founded in 1885.
Committee on Civil Rights
A committee established by President Truman that researched civil rights. It eventually led to the desegregation of the armed forces and the workplace.
Contes de Daudet
French: The Short Stories of Daudet, written by Alphonse Daudet, a french writer who focused on creating real and typical characters.
Corpus Domini Nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam
"The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, who watches over our souls."
Cutty Sark
a name brand of blended scotch whisky
Earl Grey
an expensive brand of tea
Eleanor Roosevelt
an American political leader and wife of president Franklin Roosevelt. She was an active civil rights advocate.
Emmett Till
An African-American teenager who was murdered by whites in the region of Mississippi. His murderers were acquitted although they later confessed to the crime. His death sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
Erie Lackawanna
A railway formed in 1960 from two mergers whose motto was, "The Friendly Service Route".
Father Divine
An African-American spiritual leader, also called "the Messenger".
Fats
most likely a reference to Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, a reknown African-American singer, and a best-selling artist in the 1950s and 1960s.
Four Roses
A brand of bourbon whiskey
Freedmen's Bureau
A federal agency created to help African-Americans during the Reconstruction Era.
Herbert Hoover
The thirty-first president of the United States. Hoover is often blamed for deepening the Great Depression.
Jack Daniel's
a brand of whisky
Jelly Roll
A nickname for Ferdinand Morton, a famous Jazz composer and pianist.
Katherine Hepburn
a well-known American actress
Lead-belly
a nickname for Huddie William Ledbetter, a renown African-American folk and blues musician.
Lemon
a reference to "Blind" Lemon Jefferson, one of the most influential blues singers of his time.
Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh, an American aviator, became famous for his non-stop flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
Louise Beavers and Butterfly McQueen
African-American actresses who undertook minor roles, usually those of maids and mammies, in young Hollywood. They set the stage for future black actors.
Malcolm X
A black Muslim Nationalist leader who, as a last resort, supported militant tactics.
Muddy Waters
A nickname for McKinley Morganfield, considered to be one of the best blues singers/musicians of all time.
Neanderthals
An insulting term for primitive and reactionary people.
Orval Faubus
A former Democratic governor of Arkansas who used the National Guard from desegregating Little Rock Central High School.
Pall Mall
a cigarette brand
Prince Charming
a character in many fairy tales, such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. He is typically a prince who comes to the aid of a damsel in distress, and who must somehow liberate her from an evil spell.
Queen Mary
a grand ocean liner, named after the queen of England.
Red Cap
a brand of ale
Sam Sheppard
an American physician convicted of killing his pregnant wife. He served ten years of his sentence until the verdict was overturned in 1966.
Society of Friends
a Christian denomination, commonly referred to as Quakers. They came to the aid of runaway slaves by sneaking them up North. The Quakers have the most members in Africa.
St. Lawrence
a large river that flows from Lake Ontario and drains into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Staggerlee
A story, often presented in old folk ballads or blues songs, about a man called Sheldon who shot his friend Lyons. The shooter, Sheldon, has been nicknamed Stagerlee, and is regarded as a villain.
Susquehanna
A long river that flows from upstate New York, through Pennsylvania and Maryland, and ends at Chesapeake Bay.
Tampa Red
born Hudson Woodbridge, Tampa Red was an influential American guitarist. He was also known as The Guitar Wizard.
Waterford Bowl
A city in southeast Ireland reknown for its' crystal. This particular example refers to a crystal Waterford bowl.
Weimaraner
A silver-gray breed of dog, typically used for hunting. Created in Germany, the dog was specifically produced for the noble/aristocratice class.
Wild Turkey
a brand of bourbon whiskey
