Point of View

Riot Baby is narrated primarily in the present tense from the perspectives of the two main characters, siblings Ella and Kev Jackson. Kev and Ella are Black, and their race is significant to the story, as it informs a great deal of what happens to them. As a young Black man, Kev is subjected to intense surveillance, control, and punishment by the state in the forms of police harassment and brutality and a racially biased justice system. He is born during the riot in South Central in response to the acquittal of the police officers who assaulted Rodney King, earning him the moniker “Riot Baby” (36). This symbolizes the racism Kev is subjected to throughout his life. As a child, he is a bright student, and it is presumed he will go to college and make something of himself. However, Kev's life is changed by witnessing...