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1. How does Jeremiah feel about being Black when in his own community?

Jeremiah feels safe as a Black man in his own community of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, as everyone there is also Black. The warmth of the sun on his skin lets him know he is Black, and he feels safe, as long as he is home.

2. How do Jeremiah and his Brooklyn friends deal with racial issues?

Jeremiah and the other boys from his community give each other a hard time about their skin color, particularly his friend Carlton whose mom is white and dad is Black. Nothing serious is meant by these jabs between the boys, and, when hanging out with his neighborhood friends, Jeremiah feels free and happy.

3. What do various family members tell Jeremiah about his blackness?

Jeremiah has received mixed messages about his skin color his whole life. His grandmother, who is now deceased, always told him to sit in the shade, so he would not get darker. Jeremiah’s father, on the other hand, used to call him a warrior, because he was Black. Jeremiah did not know who he was supposed to fight. Now that he is older he understands that the war is around him - the current culture.

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