Ella's powers/the Thing

Ella's powers, which are referred to often as "the Thing" (9) are a symbol of Black liberation. Ella has prophetic powers and the power of astral projection, but it is also implied that her powers are capable of great destruction, especially when she is angry. At the end of the novel, she shows Kev a vision of a post-apocalyptic America, involving "Monuments to the Confederates pulverized into dust. Police stations turned into husks, watch posts unmanned and creaking with rust" (172). It is implied that this vision will come about because of Ella using her powers, and that it will herald Black liberation from systemic racism.

Breakfast sandwich

Kev's breakfast sandwich, which is stomped on by police officers who are harassing him in Part II, is a symbol of the lack of respect the police have for the lives of Black Americans. In this scene...