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hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last!
free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
CULTURAL NOTES
Martin Luther King, Jr. — an African-American clergyman and
th
political leader of the 20
century; the most prominent member of the
civil rights movement. King became famous in the 1950s and 1960s
through the promotion of nonviolent methods of opposition to
segregation, such as boycotts of segregated city buses, or sit-ins at
lunch counters that would never serve black people. His “Letter from
Birmingham Jail” defended this kind of direct, nonviolent action as a
way of forcing people to take notice of injustice. King helped organize
the march on Washington in 1963 that drew hundreds of thousands of
supporters of civil rights to Washington, D.C., for a mass rally. At this
march, he described a possible future of racial harmony in his most
famous speech, which had the refrain “I have a dream.” In 1964, he
received the Nobel Prize for peace. King was assassinated by James
th
Earl Ray in 1968. King was born January 15
, 1929. A national
holiday each January, Martin Luther King Day, commemorates his life.
civil rights movement — the national effort made by Black people
and their supporters in the 1950s and 1960s to eliminate segregation
and gain equal rights. The first large episode was a boycott of the city
buses in Montgomery, Alabama, launched by the refusal of one black
woman, Rosa Parks, to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. A
number of sit-ins and similar demonstrations followed. A high point
of the movement was the rally in D.C. The federal Civil Rights Act of
1964 authorized federal action against segregation in public
accommodations, public facilities, and employment. After some
legislative victories, the civil rights movement shifted its emphasis
toward education and changing the attitudes of white people.
sit-ins — a form of non-violent protest, when demonstrators
occupy a place open to the public, such as a racially segregated lunch
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counter or bus station, and then refuse to leave. Sit-ins were designed
to provoke arrest and thereby gain attention for the demonstrators'
cause.
segregation — the policy and practice of imposing the separation
of races. In the U.S., the policy of segregation denied AfricanAmericans their civil rights and provided inferior facilities and
services for them, most noticeably in public schools, housing and
industry.
(E.D. Hirsch, Jr. Dictionary of Cultural Literacy ).
CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS
Look up the following entries in the Dictionary of U. S. Life and
Culture (Жизнь и культура США: Лингвострановедческий
словарь) or other dictionaries and encyclopedias:
African-American (Afro-American)
Alabama
Alleghenies
California
Catholic
Civil Rights Act
Colorado
ethnic(ity)
Georgia
melting pot
migration
Mississippi
national(ity)
Native American
New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
pizza
Protestant
race
Rockies, the
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South, the
spiritual
Tennessee
COMPREHENSION CHECK
1. Why is Martin Luther King’s dream deeply rooted in the
American dream?
2. “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created
equal.” What kind of creed is he talking about?
3. Summarize the aspirations and dreams of Martin Luther King in
your own words.
4. What is his hope? What is the faith he goes back to the South with?
5. What does he mean by the phrase: “Let freedom ring”?
6. What are the uniquely American notions and values that Martin
Luther King appeals to?
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
deep(ly) rooted — (of a habit, idea, belief, etc.) so strong in a person
or society that it is very difficult to change or destroy it: a deep-
rooted suspicion of lawyers
creed (n) — a set of beliefs, esp. religious beliefs: people of all races,
colors and creeds; what is your political creed?
to swelter (v, inflm) — to be so hot it is uncomfortable; to suffer from
the heat: to lie sweltering on a beach
content (n) — 1. the ideas, facts, or opinions that are contained in a
speech, piece of writing, film, program, etc.: The content of the
media course includes scripting, editing and camera work. 2. the
amount of the stated substance contained in something: food with a
high fat content.
Compare: contents (n, pl.) — 1. that which is contained in
something: the contents of the glass 2. a list in a book saying what
the book contains: the table on contents
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vicious (adj) — done with evil intentions; cruel and violent; severe: a
vicious assault /attack /murder
to nullify (v) — to cause or declare to have no effect or value
nullification (n) — the lack of effect: The nullification of election
results was necessary because of voter fraud.
to exalt (v, fml) — 1. to make somebody higher in rank or greater in
power 2. to praise somebody/something highly: The poem was
written to exalt the Roman empire.
faith (n) — 1. a strong feeling of trust or confidence in someone or
something: I still have faith in him. The public has lost faith in the
government.
to destroy/restore somebody’s faith (in somebody/something):
It’s really helped restore my faith in human nature.
good faith — honest and sincere intentions: He proposed a second
meeting as a sign of his good faith. The woman who sold me the car
claimed she had acted in good faith (=had not meant to deceive me).
bad faith — intentions that are not honest or sincere
an act of faith — something you do that shows you trust someone
completely: Allowing Ken to be in charge of the project was a total
act of faith.
2. (uncountable) belief and trust in God: deep religious faith; faith
in God; (countable) one of the main religions in the world: People
from all faiths are welcome.
to hew (v) — to cut something with a cutting tool: They hewed a huge
cross from a tree.
discord (n) — 1. formal disagreement or arguing between people:
marital discord; discord within NATO 2. an unpleasant sound
made by a group of musical notes that do not go together well
prodigious (adj) — very large or great in a surprising or impressive
way: the artist’s prodigious output
prodigious amounts/quantities of something: Some galaxies seem
to release prodigious amounts of energy.
hamlet (n) — a very small village
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EXERCISES
I. Translate into Russian paying attention to the active
vocabulary:
1. People of all races, colors and creeds are invited for worship
and prayers.
2. What is your political creed?
3. Collins has had to deal with deep-rooted prejudice against him.
4. Open the window; it’s sweltering in here!
5. Many of the essays are political in content.
6. Drug trafficking is one of the vicious things he has been accused of.
7. The nullification of his last will was a shock to the people
present.
8. He was exalted as a pillar of the community.
9. After what she’s been through, I can understand why she’s lost
faith in the legal system.
10. Godparents agree to educate their godchild in the practice of
the Christian faith.
11. He is a man of deep religious faith.
12. He had great faith in her judgment and consulted her about
everything.
13. They hewed a path through the forest.
14. The caves are man-made, hewn out of the rock by hand.
15. The explorers hewed their way through the forest.
16. Money is the single biggest cause of discord in marriage.
17. The verdict has increased racial discord in the country.
18. There has always been discord over NATO’s role in world
conflict.
19. Building the bridge was a prodigio
us feat of engineering and
finance.
20. He lived in a hamlet far away from the turmoil of big cities.
II. Find the sentences with the active vocabulary in the text and
translate them into Russian. Paraphrase the sentences.
III. Make up short situations using the active vocabulary.
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IV. Listen to the recording of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
speech.
Does the speech produce a very strong effect on the audience?
Why?
What makes it one of the most famous speeches in American
history?
Can you think of any other speeches in Russian or American
history that have the same significance in the two cultures?
V. Prepare a very good and expressive reading of the speech.
CULTURE QUEST
Consult different reference books and find the answers to the
following questions:
1. What are the most important stages in the history of African
Americans? Make up a table:
Year\time
period
What happened The most
important
people\names\
The result\
effect on
society
places
2. Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.? What was his role in the
history of the U.S.A.? Get ready to speak about him.
3. What is the civil rights movement? When did it start? Who
initiated it? Speak about Montgomery Bus Boycott.
4. What does the saying “Black is beautiful” mean? What
ideological beliefs does it express?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What connection do you see between American beliefs and
values discussed in Unit 1 and the speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.?
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2. How is Martin Luther King s dream related to the American
Dream?
3. How is the issue of race treated in his speech?
WRITING
Choose one of the suggested essay topics. Your essay should be
approximately 500—800 words long:
1. Suppose you are from the U.S.A. If you were to give a speech
about your aspirations today, what kinds of things would you say?
2. You are from Russia. If you were to give a speech about your
aspirations today, what kinds of things would you say?
3. Suppose you are a journalist who was present during the delivery
of the speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. Write a
newspaper article describing the event and summarizing the speech.
4. You are a middle school teacher. Write a lesson plan dedicated
to the speech “I Have a Dream.” Try to explain its role in American
history; summarize its ideas and make connections to the present
taking into consideration the age of your students.
TEXT 2
A LITANY FOR SURVIVAL
by Audre Lords
For those of us who live at the shoreline
standing upon the constant edges of decision
crucial and alone
for those of us who cannot indulge
the passing dreams of
choice who love in doorways
coming and going
in the hours between dawns
looking inward and outward
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at once before and after
seeking a now that can breed
futures
like bread in our children’s mouths
so their dreams will not reflect
the death of ours:
For those of us
who were imprinted with fear
like a faint line in the center of our foreheads
learning to be afraid with our mother’s milk
for by this weapon
this illusion of some safety to be found
the heavy-footed hoped to silence-us
For all of us
this instant and this triumph
We were never meant to survive.
And when the sun rises we are afraid
it might not remain
when the sun sets we are afraid
it might not rise in the morning
when our stomachs are full we are afraid
of indigestion
when our stomachs are empty we are afraid
we may never eat again
when we are loved-we are afraid
love will vanish
when we are alone we are afraid
love will never return
and when we speak we are afraid
our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent we are still afraid.
So it is better to speak
Remembering
We were never meant to survive
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is a litany?
2. Why is this poem a litany for survival?
3. What is the poem devoted to?
4. How can you interpret the line: “We were never meant to
survive?” Why?
5. Whom does the poet address?
6. What is the message the author wants to convey?
7. How does the structure of the poem contribute to the poet’s
aim?
8. Comment on the following quotation: “So it is better to speak
remembering we were never meant to survive.”
9. What stylistic devices make the poem very powerful? Give
examples and comment on the effect produced.
10. How are the problems of race and ethnicity treated in the poem?
11. Is the poem optimistic? Prove your point of view using quotes.
TEXT 3
ANCHORAGE FOR AUDRE LORDS
by Joy Harjo
This city is made of stone, of blood, and fish.
There are Chugatch Mountains to the east
and whale and seal to the west.
It hasn’t always been this way, because glaciers
who are ice ghosts create oceans, carve earth
and shape this city here; by the sound.
They swim backwards in time.
Once a storm of boiling earth cracked open
the streets, threw open the town.
It’s quiet now, but underneath the concrete
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is the cooking earth,
and above that, air
which is another ocean, where spirits we can’t see
are dancing joking getting full
on roasted caribou, and the praying
goes on, extends out.
Nora and I go walking down 4th Avenue
and know it is all happening.
On a park bench we see someone’s Athabascan
grandmother, folded up, smelling like 200 years
of blood and piss, her eyes dosed against some
unimagined darkness, where she is buried in an ache
in which nothing makes
sense.
We keep on breathing, walking but softer now,
the clouds whirling in the air above us.
What can we say that would make us understand
better than we do already?
Except to speak of her home and claim her
as our own history, and know that our dreams
don’t end here, two blocks away from the ocean
where our hearts still batter away at the muddy shore.
And I think of the 6th Avenue jail, of mostly Native
and Black men, where Henry told about being shot at
eight times outside a liquor store in L. A., but when
the car sped away he was surprised he was alive,
no bullet holes, man, and eight cartridges strewn
on the sidewalk
all around him.
Everyone laughed at the impossibility of it,
but also the truth. Because who would believe
the fantastic and terrible story of all of our survival
those who were never meant
to survive?
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