Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America

“Sometimes, it’s easier to be mean to a person than to admit that you wish you were that person.”

As Raven watches Brooke being bullied, she considers how she should tell her that the likely reason for her being the victim of bullying is because the other girls are simply jealous of her. Ironically, Raven fails to recognize that this thought speaks to her feelings as well: She refuses to interact with or support Brooke due to her own jealousy of Brooke getting her father while she does not.

“When all their killers got off. But after a while it happens so much…you just stop paying attention.”

This quote from Cam with regard to the shooting of unarmed Black men by police reveals his privilege and Jess’s issue with him that he fails to identify throughout the text. Living in an affluent neighborhood, he ignores the vast number of wrongful deaths because he feels as though he has nothing to fear. Whether that is true or not, the fact that the deaths have no impact on him exemplifies why Jess feels he is out of touch with his ethnicity.

“In twenty-four hours, all my secrets will come out. No more hiding. Parents’ Weekend and Mom and Dad can’t be avoided. […] And no one knows what I’ve done—at least not yet.”

These thoughts by Nivia are an example of foreshadowing, as Nivia has just returned from painting over the Jabec work. It also foreshadows Nivia’s development throughout the text. Although she herself does not realize it—and the “secrets” she is referring to here concern the piece she just painted—she will ultimately be forced to reveal even more about herself throughout the text as she shows her sketches to the school for the competition.