Donte is a 12-year black boy studying among the white students, and his experience is miserable. Sometimes, Donte wishes that he were imperceptible because his presence makes his fellow students uncomfortable due to his dark skin color. The white students do not like Donte because they see him as a creature that is not supposed to be among them. Teachers are not better either because they treat Donte as an inferior human being. After all, he is a black child. Consequently, the introductory part of the book brings out the theme of racism that is rampant in white society, and Donte is the sacrificial lamb in this scenario.
One of the worst experiences Donte encounters in school is bullying. For instance, the school fencing team captain bullies Donte and frames him for a mistake he never committed. Due to the assumption that black people are notorious and unwanted, Donte is arrested and jailed to serve for the mistakes he never committed. Consequently, white superiority is a significant issue that the author focuses on to aid readers in comprehending the challenges black people go through during the racism era.
Donte suffers from an identity crisis because he does not understand why whites in every aspect of his life discriminate against him. To get himself preoccupied, Donte joins a youth group under the leadership of Jones, a former Olympic fencer. Dante is accepted, and he starts his training sessions hoping to find answers to his various troubling questions about his identity. Jones is dedicated to helping Donte to become a competent fencer. After Donte gets the best skills from the fencing team, he gets the courage to face his oppressors and is ready to fight the corrupt systems that put him behind bars illegally. Donte is also confident that he can fight racism to ensure black children get equal opportunities and treatment in white society.
The Black Brother is a moving piece of literature by Rhodes whose primary aim is to highlight the evils of racism and corrupt systems. The author carefully examines how Donte struggles with racism in school, the legal system, and the rest of society. Donte is always disadvantaged because he is a black boy. However, Donte gathers the courage to fight racism and corrupt systems to create a better society for all.
