'As Fast As Words Could Fly' read by Dulé Hill

StorylineOnline10 minutes read

Fourteen-year-old Mason Steele in North Carolina helps with civil rights work, receives a typewriter as a gift, excels in typing, faces discrimination, and chooses a manual typewriter to symbolize his roots and determination in effecting change.

Insights

  • Mason Steele, a teenager in Greenville, North Carolina, demonstrates his commitment to civil rights through practical actions like writing letters and organizing sit-ins.
  • Mason's choice of a manual typewriter not only signifies his perseverance and connection to his roots but also highlights the transformative impact of tangible efforts in creating real change, showcasing the power of actions over mere words in the fight for equality.

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Recent questions

  • What is the setting of the story?

    Greenville, North Carolina

  • How does Mason contribute to civil rights work?

    Writing letters and organizing sit-ins

  • What gift does Mason receive to aid in his work?

    Typewriter

  • How does Mason secure a job in the school library?

    Through the Neighborhood Youth Corps

  • What does Mason's choice of a manual typewriter symbolize?

    Roots and determination

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Summary

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Teen Typist: Fighting for Civil Rights

  • Mason Steele, a fourteen-year-old boy in Greenville, North Carolina, helps his father with civil rights work by writing letters and organizing sit-ins.
  • Mason receives a typewriter as a gift from the civil rights group to aid in his work.
  • During the summer, Mason and his brothers work picking tobacco and practice typing in the evenings.
  • Mason starts high school and, with his father's support, fights for equal education rights, leading to a victory in attending a closer school.
  • Mason excels in typing class and secures a job in the school library through the Neighborhood Youth Corps.
  • Mason impresses his librarian boss with his fast and accurate typing skills, leading to improved relationships at school.
  • Mason participates in a typing tournament and chooses a manual typewriter, breaking records with a speed of sixty-five words per minute.
  • Despite his success, Mason faces discrimination and lack of recognition from his peers and teachers.
  • Mason's choice of a manual typewriter symbolizes his roots and determination, showcasing the power of actions over words in effecting change.
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