Early Years
Jacqueline Woodson was born in this city, though she spent much of her early childhood in the South.
What is Columbus Ohio (or Ohio)
Jacqueline’s childhood was shaped by this movement, which fought for racial equality in the U.S.
What is Civil Rights Movement
Jacqueline’s mother left her children in the care of this grandparent before moving to New York to establish a home.
Who is their Grandmother
Though she struggled in school, Jacqueline found a passion for storytelling through this form of writing.
What is poetry?
Jacqueline’s divided upbringing between the North and South represents this symbolic struggle.
What is identity and belonging
Jacqueline’s mother moved her children to this city, which became their new home in the North.
What is New York
Segregation and racial injustice were enforced by these laws, which persisted in the South.
What are jim crow laws
Jacqueline had a special bond with this sibling, often looking up to her.
Who is her older sister
Jacqueline was inspired by these types of books, fueling her dream of becoming an author.
What is fiction
The book’s title, Brown Girl Dreaming, symbolizes Jacqueline’s dreams and this other concept.
What is memory?
Her grandmother’s strict religious beliefs meant Jacqueline spent much of her childhood practicing this faith.
What is Jehovah’s Witness
Jacqueline’s family faced discrimination even after moving North, reflecting this ongoing societal struggle.
What is racial inequality
Jacqueline’s father, who was mostly absent from her life, had strong ties to this Northern state.
What is Ohio
Her teacher mistakenly thought she was slow because of this childhood challenge.
What is reading/writing struggles?
Jacqueline’s love of words and storytelling is symbolized by the presence of these objects.
What are books and notebooks?
Jacqueline was raised under the influence of two different cultural traditions—one Southern, one Northern—creating this unique dual identity.
What is a split cultural experience
Jacqueline witnessed activism and heard stories of these figures who played key roles in the Civil Rights Movement.
Who are Martin Luther King and Malcolm X
This friend Jacqueline had a strong connection to.
Who is Maria?
Jacqueline carried around this object, using it to jot down stories and poems.
What is a notebook?
Jacqueline’s struggles with reading and writing make her eventual success in this field even more meaningful.
What is literature
Jacqueline and her siblings initially lived with this family member after their move.
What is their uncle
Her memoir shows the importance of protest and speaking up, a theme influenced by this historic era.
What is the 1960s and 1970s Civil Rights era
Her family valued education, but this person particularly encouraged her love of words and storytelling.
Who is Uncle Robert?
Writing became Jacqueline’s way of understanding the world, as she realized the power of this artistic medium.
What is storytelling?
The idea of family and history is represented by this recurring theme throughout the book.
What is ancestry and heritage?