Characters
He is a Black ROTC student who enjoys drawing and is wrongfully accused of shoplifting.
Who is Rashad Butler
Rashad is beaten inside and outside of this specific location
What is Jerry's Corner Store?
This artistic medium is what Rashad uses in the hospital to express his feelings, channeling the style of artist Aaron Douglas.
What is drawing / sketching?
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." (The historical figure quoted by dynamic characters in the book).
Who is Desmond Tutu?
The book ends with a massive, peaceful demonstration of this type through the town.
What is a protest march?
He is a white basketball player who struggles with witnessing his family friend commit an act of police brutality.
Who is Quinn Collins?
This accident causes the police officer to mistakenly believe Rashad is robbing the store.
What is a customer tripping over Rashad?
This phrase, worn on t-shirts by Quinn and others, directly challenges the community to stop ignoring racial injustice.
What is "I'm marching. Are you?"?
"Rashad is absent again today." (The family member who first sends this phrase to the media).
Who is Spoony (Rashad's brother)?
During the protest, Quinn makes intense eye contact with this specific person on the police line.
Who is Paul Galluzzo?
This police officer brutally beats an innocent teenager and claims he was just doing his job.
Who is Paul Galluzzo?
This viral hashtag is sprayed on the pavement and shared online to protest Rashad's absence from school.
What is #RashadIsAbsentAgainToday?
This sport serves as a microcosm of the town's racial division, splitting the teammates into opposing sides.
What is basketball?
"I messed up, man. I just wanted to buy some chips." (The character who says this while hospitalized).
Who is Rashad Butler?
At the end of the march, the protesters read aloud a list of these to honor real-world history.
What are the names of real Black people killed by police?
This basketball team captain pushes his teammates to ignore the political drama and focus strictly on winning games.
Who is English Jones?
Quinn's father died while serving in the military in this country, making Paul's father-figure role even more significant.
What is Afghanistan?
This concept represents the unearned societal advantages Quinn realizes he has, which allowed him to initially look away from the beating.
What is white privilege?
"He’s a cop. He was doing his job." (The basketball player who fiercely defends Paul's actions to Quinn).
Who is Guzzo (Paul's younger brother)?
This is the name of the school both Rashad and Quinn attend, which becomes a focal point for the student protests.
What is Springfield High School?
She is Spoony’s girlfriend who helps organize the protest march and supports the boys' activism.
Who is Berry Lapierre?
Rashad's father initially suspects Rashad did something wrong because of his own history as a former member of this profession.
What is a police officer?
The protest at the end of the book takes the form of this specific, quiet action where participants lie on the ground to mimic the victims
What is a die-in?
"I’m marching because I can’t walk away anymore." (The character who explicitly states this shift from bystander to activist).
Who is Quinn Collins?
This graffiti artist's tag is found all over the school grounds, signaling a shift in student resistance before the march.
Who is The Circle Z?