Question

"We have a right to go to that school, and I'm certain our governor, who was elected to govern all the people, will decide to do what is just." I felt myself speak aloud before I was ready. Who said that? It sounded like me, but the words . . . where had they come from? The white reporters wrote my words down and behaved as if what I said was very important. Pride welled up inside me, and for the first time, I knew that working for integration was the right thing for me to be doing.


–Warriors Don’t Cry,

Melba Pattillo Beals


What historical information must the reader understand to identify the central idea of the passage?


A. the process by which the governor of Arkansas was elected

B. the education of girls in the American South

C. the history of journalism in the United States

D. the struggle to end racial segregation < The answer

Answer 1

The struggle to end racial discrimination is what the readers need to know about as the historical background information. It is the central idea of the passage.

Answer: Option D

Explanation:

Melba Pattillo Beals was an Afro-American journalist, socialist and an educator whose mother was among the first black graduates from the University of Arkansas. Melba protested for equal rights for the Afro-American students. The reader must understand the historical background and the contextual information of the speech to understand the main motive of the speech.

The emphasis on the word ‘white reporters' shows how Melba struggles to end racial segregation. It was one of the dynamic speeches ever made by a black American woman.  

Answer 2

Answer:

D. the struggle to end racial segregation