It was bad enough being a Black man in the good ol’ US of A and talking to the cops.
-- Ike (chapter 1)

Importance: This sentence essentially begins the book and alerts the reader to the thematic presence of race. Through the novel, Ike is weary of racism and race-relations. By introducing this aspect of the novel in the first chapter, Cosby forces the reader's attention to race from the beginning of the story. This quote also alludes to the lack of faith in police Ike has. This lack of faith eventually manifests into complete disregard for the efforts of the judicial system; Ike and Buddy Lee in fact take the investigation into their own hands.

Just because I don’t wanna talk about it doesn’t mean I want to forget about it. It reminds me of why I don’t ever wanna go back.
-- Ike (chapter 2)

Importance: Ike says this to Buddy Lee when Buddy...