Question

which meaning of persecution most closely matches its meaning in the following passage (paragraph 14)? i am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. and some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. you have been the veterans of creative suffering. continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. go back to mississippi, go back to alabama, go back to south carolina, go back to georgia, go back to louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. a. noun | hostile or ill treatment b. noun | persistent annoyance c. verb | to chase another person d. verb | to treat someone poorly

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "persecution" in the passage, we analyze the context. The passage describes people who have faced "trials and tribulations," "jail cells," and "police brutality" in their quest for freedom. "Persecution" here refers to hostile or ill treatment (as a noun) because the context involves mistreatment related to their fight for freedom. Option B's "persistent annoyance" is too mild. Option C is incorrect as "persecution" is a noun here, not a verb meaning to chase. Option D is incorrect as "persecution" is a noun, not a verb meaning to treat poorly, and the context implies more severe hostile treatment than just "poorly."

Answer:

A. | noun | hostile or ill treatment