Final answer:
Responses to being called a 'jelly bean' in Memphis and New Orleans would differ based on each city's unique historical and cultural contexts. In Memphis, it might be met with resistance reflective of civil rights activism, whereas in New Orleans, it could combine pride with a call for equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question seems to revolve around regional cultural differences in response to derogatory language, framed within the history of African American civil rights and linguistic variations. The student's question references how individuals in two different Southern cities might react to being called a 'jelly bean,' a presumed euphemism for a trivial or mocking term. The answer requires consideration of the cultural and historical contexts of Memphis and New Orleans, and their residents' experiences with discrimination, prejudice, and resistance to such treatment.
In Memphis, the term might resonate with the historical context of civil rights struggles, particularly the 1968 sanitation workers' strike, where individuals demanded respect and acknowledgment of their humanity, encapsulated in the phrase "I Am A Man." As such, a person from Memphis might respond to the term 'jelly bean' with a sense of resistance or assertion of dignity, reflective of the city's legacy of civil rights activism.
Conversely, in New Orleans, the cultural connotation might be different. While still acknowledging the history of civil rights, the response could be influenced by the city's unique mix of cultures and the role of New Orleans' residents as Union soldiers during the Civil War. The reaction in New Orleans might therefore mix pride with a determination for equality, bearing in mind the city's rich and complicated history regarding race relations.