Summary

A young girl, Kenya, has witnessed the accident involving Tip. She saw the Chevy Tahoe heading toward the young man and then her mother charging towards him, knocking him out of the way, only to get struck by the car herself. After the accident, her mother lay on the ground, bleeding, unable to speak, and the group, including Tip, Teddy, and Doyle, wait for help. During this time, Kenya tells Teddy her mother’s name, Tennessee, “like the state” (44). She got hit because she had knocked Tip out of the way. Teddy tells the girl that Tip’s ankle is broken, and he quotes a speech by Ronald Reagan. The rescue workers believe that Kenya, because she is black, is with Tip and Teddy, and that Doyle is just a bystander. They do not allow Kenya to come with them when they take Tennessee...