Part 2: Chapter 10 Summary and Analysis

Shortly after Anne begins high school, the reality of racial violence hits home. A local fourteen-year-old boy named Emmet Till is killed by a group of white men. Anne is shocked by the news, but even more shocked that she has been oblivious to the things happening around her. Mama tells Anne to continue working as though nothing has happened, but Anne is unable to concentrate at Mrs. Burke's. She breaks several dishes and is sent to scrub the bathtub while the family eats. Mrs. Burke eventually approaches Anne about Emmet Till's death and Anne tries to play dumb. Mrs. Burke tells Anne that this is what happens to black people who get out of line with whites. For the first time Anne fears for her life simply because she is black.

Shortly after Emmet Till's death, Anne goes...