Chao kept a record of his good and bad deeds, putting white beans in a jar for the former and black for the latter.

赵树理有一种善恶之行的记录，做了好事就在罐子里放白豆，做了坏事就放黑豆。

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From slavery to the civil rights movement, black social action offered the nation the opportunity -- and template -- for transforming democratic rhetoric into uplifting deeds that brought America closer to its founding principles.

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