Name That Protagonist!
We Beat The Street follows the lives of three young male protagonists who grow up to become doctors. These are their first AND last names.
Who are Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins?
This is the primary city and state where the boys grow up and face the daily realities of the inner city.
What is Newark, New Jersey?
He was Rameck's close friend who tragically lost his life to street violence in Chapter 7, serving as a harsh wake-up call for the boys.
Who is Razor?
I am a student development specialist at Seton Hall who recruits the boys and acts as a major role model throughout their college years.
Who is Carla Dickson?
This is an example of positive peer pressure from the text, which ultimately helps the boys succeed.
What is the pact to go to college and medical school together?
I am the protagonist who joined the Shakespeare club and knew early on that I was interested in pursuing dentistry.
Who is George Jenkins?
This is the specific literary point of view used to tell We Beat the Street.
What is third-person point of view?
This is an example of negative peer pressure from the text, such as when Sampson was pressured into hiding drugs or when the boys engaged in this specific criminal activity.
What is shoplifting/robbing drug dealers / drinking? (Or any other valid textual example of negative peer pressure)
I am Rameck’s loving grandmother, who wisely warned him not to trust his mother with the electric bill money.
Who is Ma (or Rameck's grandmother)?
For the three main characters, going to college symbolizes or represents this broader concept in their lives.
What is freedom, hope, or a way to escape poverty and beat the odds of the street?
I am the protagonist who was tricked into shoplifting by my childhood friend, Eddie.
Who is Sampson Davis?
In Chapter 5, the students staged a massive walkout from their schools to protest this major issue.
What is the lack of proper racial representation, specifically the lack of Black and Latine history, in the students' school curriculum?
When Rameck gets pulled over by the police, he is wrongfully arrested and officially charged with this crime.
What is possession of a deadly weapon (a knife)?
I am George’s third-grade teacher, who inspired him to love learning and first planted the seed of going to college.
Who is Miss Johnson?
These specific, parallel life-altering events deterred Rameck and Sampson from getting into deeper trouble as they grew older, forcing them to realize they needed to change.
What are their arrests/run-ins with the juvenile justice system (e.g., Sampson's time in the juvenile detention center and Rameck's near-expulsion)?
I am the protagonist who became an actor, an honors student, and a passionate leader of the United Students Organization.
Who is Rameck Hunt?
This is the name of the specific university that all three boys attend together through a special minority recruitment program.
What is Seton Hall University?
This is the neighborhood drug dealer who brutally beat a man with a baseball bat, showcasing the extreme violence of the streets that the boys tried to avoid.
Who is Da Bomb?
We are the two older brothers of the main characters: one is Sampson's older brother, and the other is George's older brother.
Who are Andre (Sampson's brother) and Garland (George's brother)?
This is the name of the neighborhood street game the boys play using a broken broomstick or bat and a ball.
What is "slug"?
I secretly lied to my neighborhood friends about getting good grades in school, so I wouldn't be teased or seen as different.
Who is Sampson Davis?
After spending four inseparable years together in undergraduate school, the boys are forced to separate for this reason.
What is because George goes to dental school (Ulan/UMDNJ), while Rameck and Sampson attend medical school (Robert Wood Johnson)?
This is the name of the local shop owner who caught a young Sampson stealing from his store and threatened him with ferocious German Shepherds.
Who is Jack?
I am the old man who gave the boys kung fu lessons in a neighborhood graveyard to help keep them safe and disciplined.
Who is Reggie?
This is the FULL NAME of the rap/hip-hop performance group formed by Rameck, Sampson, and George.
What is Another Rough Tribe (A.R.T.)?