full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Christina Greer: How one journalist risked her life to hold murderers accountable

Unscramble the Blue Letters


In March of 1892, three Black grocery srtoe owners in Memphis, tesnneese, were murdered by a mob of white men. Lynchings like these were hpnpneiag all over the American South, often without any susquenbet legal investigation or consequences for the murderers. But this time, a young jasuilrnot and friend of the victims set out to expose the truth about these killings. Her rtoerps would shock the nation and launch her career as an investigative journalist, civic leader, and civil rights acdtoave. Her name was Ida B. Wells.

Ida Bell Wells was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862, several months before the Emancipation Proclamation released her and her family. After losing both parents and a brother to yellow fever at the age of 16, she supported her five rnineimag siblings by wrionkg as a sohhaocceetlr in mpiemhs, Tennessee.

Open Cloze


In March of 1892, three Black grocery _____ owners in Memphis, _________, were murdered by a mob of white men. Lynchings like these were _________ all over the American South, often without any __________ legal investigation or consequences for the murderers. But this time, a young __________ and friend of the victims set out to expose the truth about these killings. Her _______ would shock the nation and launch her career as an investigative journalist, civic leader, and civil rights ________. Her name was Ida B. Wells.

Ida Bell Wells was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862, several months before the Emancipation Proclamation released her and her family. After losing both parents and a brother to yellow fever at the age of 16, she supported her five _________ siblings by _______ as a _____________ in _______, Tennessee.

Solution


  1. schoolteacher
  2. remaining
  3. advocate
  4. journalist
  5. reports
  6. store
  7. working
  8. subsequent
  9. memphis
  10. tennessee
  11. happening

Original Text


In March of 1892, three Black grocery store owners in Memphis, Tennessee, were murdered by a mob of white men. Lynchings like these were happening all over the American South, often without any subsequent legal investigation or consequences for the murderers. But this time, a young journalist and friend of the victims set out to expose the truth about these killings. Her reports would shock the nation and launch her career as an investigative journalist, civic leader, and civil rights advocate. Her name was Ida B. Wells.

Ida Bell Wells was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862, several months before the Emancipation Proclamation released her and her family. After losing both parents and a brother to yellow fever at the age of 16, she supported her five remaining siblings by working as a schoolteacher in Memphis, Tennessee.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
black people 3
grocery store 2
white men 2
civil rights 2
white women 2


Important Words


  1. advocate
  2. age
  3. american
  4. bell
  5. black
  6. born
  7. brother
  8. career
  9. civic
  10. civil
  11. consequences
  12. emancipation
  13. expose
  14. family
  15. fever
  16. friend
  17. grocery
  18. happening
  19. holly
  20. ida
  21. investigation
  22. investigative
  23. journalist
  24. july
  25. killings
  26. launch
  27. leader
  28. legal
  29. losing
  30. lynchings
  31. march
  32. memphis
  33. men
  34. mississippi
  35. mob
  36. months
  37. murdered
  38. murderers
  39. nation
  40. owners
  41. parents
  42. proclamation
  43. released
  44. remaining
  45. reports
  46. rights
  47. schoolteacher
  48. set
  49. shock
  50. siblings
  51. slavery
  52. south
  53. springs
  54. store
  55. subsequent
  56. supported
  57. tennessee
  58. time
  59. truth
  60. victims
  61. wells
  62. white
  63. working
  64. yellow
  65. young