Ghost Boys

Ghost Boys Glossary

sharecropper

a person who farms the land owned by another person in exchange for a share of the revenue

manslaughter

unintentional but unlawful killing of another person

contempt

an elevated level of scorn and disdain

unconscionable

something that is wickedly unethical

tangible

capable of being touched and proven real

desegregation

the elimination of legally enforced racial segregation in the United States

paralysis

loss of the ability to move

unconsciously

done without thinking or intending to do

taut

stretched tightly

saunter

walk in a slow, unhurried way

assailant

someone accused of having attacked another person

preliminary hearing

a hearing before a judge in which the prosecutor must show that enough evidence exists to charge a defendant

premonition

a sensory experience associated with seemingly being able to foretell the outcome of an event in the future; a vision of the future

Emmett Till

Chicago-born African American boy who at fourteen was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman named Carolyn Bryant in her family store; Till's murder is recognized as helping to galvanize the civil rights movement

Tamir Rice

a twelve-year-old African American boy who was shot dead by a white Ohio police officer in 2014 while playing in the park with a toy gun

Mississippi

southern US state situated on the Gulf of Mexico

pudgy

term for a slightly overweight person

hulking

heavy and large

Day of the Dead

Mexican holiday celebrated on or around November 2 to honor the dead

Jell-O

fruit-flavored gelatin dessert made from a powder