Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UVA) 2024 - Inglês

Read the excerpt from the book “The First Ladies” by Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict.

I peruse the bookshelves, noticing that the conversation dips to a whisper whenever I skirt close to a group. As I draw near women I recognize from my position as president of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, I smile and nod, but I only occasionally receive a nod in return. Most often, my acknowledgments are met with steel-cold glances.

In the passage, what does the phrase in bold mean?