Bigotry — A Vocabulary Story
The Flame Tree Pitch
The dust rose in golden clouds as Mo dribbled the ball across the patchy Lagos pitch. He'd been visiting his cousin Grace for the summer, and every afternoon the neighbourhood children gathered for matches beneath the flame trees.
On Thursday, a new boy arrived. His name was Aleksey, and his family had just moved from Russia for his father's engineering job.
"He won't understand our game," muttered Ricardo, folding his arms. "And look how pale he is. He'll burn before half-time." Grace frowned. "That's bigotry, Ricardo, and you know it."
Bigotry means stubborn, intolerant prejudice against those who hold different opinions, beliefs, or backgrounds.
"It's not bigotry," Ricardo huffed. "It's just facts."
"You haven't even seen him kick a ball, and you've already decided who he is," Grace replied firmly. "That's exactly what's wrong with how you're thinking."
Mo waved Aleksey over. The boy spoke softly, his English careful but clear. Within minutes, he'd nutmegged Ricardo and slotted a goal past the makeshift posts.
After the match, sweaty and laughing, the children shared oranges in the shade. Ricardo sat apart, embarrassed.
Aleksey wandered over and offered him a slice. "Good defending," he said kindly.
Ricardo looked up, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I said stupid things earlier."
"My grandmother taught me," Aleksey said, "that bigotry shrinks the world. Friendship grows it."
Grace grinned. "She sounds wise."
Word Definition
bigotry
meaning
stubborn, intolerant prejudice against those who hold different opinions, beliefs, or backgrounds
synonyms
intolerance · prejudice · discrimination · fanaticism · bias
antonyms
tolerance · fairness · impartiality
example sentence
The community rallied together to stand against bigotry and hatred.