Summary
In Chapter 19, Jus is headed back to his old neighborhood to talk to Martel, the leader of the Black Jihad. Quan's words from their meeting in juvie—"there's no escaping the Black Man's Curse"—have been stuck in his head (157). His recent feelings of hopelessness—coupled with the fact that Mr. Rivers lost his job and now Manny's parents are relocating—cause him to seek out someone new to talk to, someone who might understand how he feels. He knows that his mom would not be happy with him if she knew where he was headed. Despite that, he stays on the bus, because he is tired of feeling so alone. Jus gets off the bus and recognizes the irony in returning to his neighborhood when he wanted desperately to escape from it in the past. He walks towards Martel's house and sees a gunmetal Range Rover in the driveway. As he approaches, he sees Trey with two other guys sitting on the porch. They greet Jus and send him inside to talk to Martel. As Jus enters Martel's house, he sees African relics hanging on the walls. Martel welcomes Jus and Jus compliments Martel's home decorations. Martel responds that he puts them up as "'reminders of ancient Kemet so the boys and I never forget our imperial roots'" (160). ("Kemet" was one Ancient Egyptian name for Africa. It literally translates to "black land.") He then tells Jus that Black people have royal blood flowing through their veins. He continues, "'people across the diaspora have been treated as inferior for so long, most of us have habituated to the lie of white superiority'" (161). He tells Jus that their ancestors survived the transatlantic slave trade and "built this nation from the ground up," all the while maintaining a "semblance of humanity" (161). "Jihad," in Martel's eyes, is "the act of striving, persevering" (161). The persevering of their ancestors is every Black person's legacy. Jus relaxes as Martel talks to him and he knows that Martel understands how he feels. Martel asks what he can do for Jus, and Jus opens up about everything that he has been dealing with. Martel listens to Jus and brings him a glass of alcohol when Jus is done talking. Martel asks Jus if he is ready to "'strike back'" against his feeling of defeat by joining Martel's cause (163). Jus wonders if he is prepared to join the Black Jihad. Before he can answer Martel's question, Trey and the other guys enter the room with a news article. In the article, entitled "Justyce McAllister's Violent Past: A Former Victim Speaks Out," Blake tells the story of Jus beating him up at his birthday party. The gang celebrates the fact that Jus beat up Blake, which brings Jus to his senses. He excuses himself and leaves.
In Chapter 20, Jus goes to visit SJ. Mr. and Mrs. Friedman are excited to see Jus when he arrives at their house and reveal that they missed him over the months that SJ was ignoring him. He catches SJ off guard in her room, where she is listening to NPR and Carrie Underwood while studying calculus. Jus sits down next to SJ on her bed. SJ asks Jus why he came, and he answers that he came to see her and then pulls her into a hug. SJ touches Jus's wrist, and the familiar panic wells up inside him until he sees that her nails are still painted his favorite color. He tells SJ that he almost joined a gang. Then he tells her everything: about visiting Quan in juvie, about going to see Martel, and all of the frustration that has been welling up inside of him. He begins to cry and SJ comforts him. When he pulls away, SJ asks him if he likes her. She tells him that she has had a crush on him since the tenth grade. SJ continues that she doesn't know how to read Jus and would like to understand his feelings for her, because it's driving her crazy. Jus hesitates and SJ freaks out. He looks down at Manny's watch and tells her that he likes her. She doesn't believe him at first and he has to explain himself: he promises that he does like her, he is just feeling conflicted because his mom would never approve of their relationship. He then says that he doesn't care what his mom thinks anymore—he can't keep letting her opinions on his love life stop him from following his heart. SJ and Jus decide to start dating. SJ tells him that seeing him in the hospital was the worst moment of her life. She regretted all the time she spent ignoring him. They mutually decide to stop being stupid and to allow themselves to feel what they feel.
Following Chapter 20, we see a transcript from the nightly news from May 21. In the transcript, the news anchor says that an intentional fire was started at the house of Garrett Tison. The anchor then reveals that the police "have apprehended three teenage boys who were seen in the area on the night of the incident" (174). Tison's wife, Beverly Tison, sustained multiple second-degree burns, "leaving her in serious condition" (174). The anchor also says that Tison's trial is set for five weeks from that day.
In the next chapter, Chapter 21, Jus is approached by a pair of policemen during the commencement ceremony of his high school graduation. He had been expecting for his character to be defamed on the news for something else after Blake's accusations of Justyce assaulting him were largely ignored by the media. He reveals that soon after Garrett Tison's house was set on fire, the news started speculating that Jusyce was involved. As a result, he has been waiting for the police to approach him and ask him about that night. A male and female officer approach Jus. The female officer is Black and introduces herself as a detective. They introduce themselves to Jus and ask if they can ask him some questions. Jus's mother steps in between Jus and the officers and tells them that she doesn't give them her consent to interview her son. The detective informs Jus's mom that Jus is seventeen, which makes him an adult in the eyes of Georgia criminal law. Jus's mom pushes back against the police officers as they continue to insist to talk to Jus. She tells them that "people like them" have caused her son suffering. Eventually, Justyce pushes his mom aside to talk to the officers. She protests but he tells her, "if they wanna treat me like an adult, I'm gonna act like one" (177). The officers question Jus about the night Tison's house was burned down. Jus says he only knows what he's seen on the news. The officers step away to talk to each other for a moment and Jus's mother comes back. Jus tells her that he needs to speak to them; refusing to talk would make them think that he has something to hide. When the officers return, they tell Jus that they caught the people who committed the arson: Trey and two other members of the Black Jihad. They also tell Jus that they have named Jus as an accomplice. Jus tells them that he did not have anything to do with it. The officers say they are not inclined to believe them because they have lied about innocent parties in the past. They ask Jus a list of rapid-fire yes-or-no questions. When they ask if Jus has had contact with Trey and the other members in the past two months, Jus has to say yes. When they ask if he had contact with Trey or the others on the night of the arson, Justyce says no. They ask if there is anyone who can verify his whereabouts on the night of the fire. Jus's mom steps forward and says Jus was with her. Jus doesn't want his mom lying to the police. He tells his mom that she's "getting confused" and that he was with his girlfriend on that night (180). This is the first time that Jus's mom learns about SJ. After the officers leave, she stays silent the entire trip back home. When they are back at her house, she tries to get out of the car, but Jus locks the door and forces her to talk to him. She tells him that she can't approve. Jus tries to argue that SJ lifts him up and that she's not really white because she is Jewish. Mama doesn't buy it and starts to cry. She says that his life is hard enough without adding extra obstacles. She tells him that she will never be able to approve of his relationship with SJ and gets out of the car.
In Chapter 22, Jus is taking the stand during Garrett Tison's trial. The district attorney has just finished questioning him, and things are going smoothly. Mama, Doc, the Riverses, and the Friedmans are all in the gallery to support Jus. Despite this, Jus is having a hard time being so close to Tison. After the district attorney finishes his questions, Tison's defense attorney stands up to question him. As soon as he sees her, Jus "can tell she's out for blood" (185). The defense attorney asks Jus about the day that Manny was killed, starting with asking him about Manny's motivation for wanting to go on a drive. She has Justyce admit that Jared's father pressed charges against Manny. She submits the police report that Mr. Christensen filed against Manny as evidence. Jared stands up for Manny but is forced to admit that he wasn't there to witness the fight. Then Jus makes the mistake of admitting that he did know that Manny had hit Jared. The attorney connects Manny hitting Jared to the events of Blake's birthday party. She accuses Jus of picking a fight at Blake's party and assaulting both Blake and Jared. Jus gets worked up as he tries to clear the record. The lawyer moves on to ask if Jus had been drinking the night of Blake's birthday. She has Jus confirm that he was intoxicated and that he had punched Blake and Jared. She moves on: "'Mr. McAllister, now that we've established that both you and Mr. Rivers had a history of responding violently to perceived verbal slights, let's return to January twenty-sixth of this year. How familiar are you with the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances?'" (190). She has Jus read it aloud: "'Above certain levels, noise or noise disturbance is detrimental to the health and welfare of the citizenry and the individual's right to peaceful and quiet enjoyment. Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the city to prohibit noise disturbances from all sources'" (191). The defense attorney fires off a list of questions, asking Jus whether or not Manny turned the music up rather than down (yes), used foul language and made obscene gestures toward Tison (yes), whether Jus was aware that Officer Tison watched Officer Castillo get shot by Quan Banks (yes), whether Jus had contact with Quan Banks in March (yes), and whether he knew whether Quan Banks had ties to gang affiliations (yes). She ends her questioning.
Following Chapter 22, we are given a news article entitled "Garrett Tison: Murderer?" The article tells us that the jury found Garrett Tison guilty on three of the four charges. He "was convicted of two misdemeanors—disorderly conduct and discharge of a pistol near a public highway—and aggravated assault" (193). This means that Tison was not convicted for felony murder. The jury was "unable to reach a consensus regarding the felony murder charge" and a mistrial was declared (193). The article also describes Tison's testimony: he "testified that he feared for his life, citing 27 years of law enforcement experience in support of his ability to detect a genuine threat" (193). The article tells us that Jus's connection to known gang members, including Quan Banks, "cast a considerable pall over the proceedings" (193). There will be a retrial on the murder charge, and Tison will be sentenced on all of his convictions at some point in the future.
In Chapter 23, Jus and SJ are hanging out in SJ's basement, watching National Geographic. It is two days after the trial. Both SJ and Jus are caught up in thoughts about the trial and frustration about the fact that the jury could not reach a decision regarding the murder charge. Jus reveals that in two weeks he and SJ are taking a road trip up to Yale to move Jus into college. Then, they're going to New York City, so SJ can get settled at Columbia. Jus is frustrated that he will have to return back to Atlanta at some point in the next six months for the retrial and relive his trauma all over again. Jus gets a call from the district attorney and declines it. He does not want to think about the case for as long as possible. The district attorney texts Jus to call him as soon as possible and Jus deletes the message. Just then, Mrs. Friedman comes in from the kitchen with a phone to her ear. The district attorney has gotten ahold of her and tells her what he had been trying to tell Jus: there won't be a second trial because Garrett Tison is dead.
After Chapter 23, we get a transcript from the morning news. In the news segment, the newscaster informs the public that "Garrett Tison was found dead inside his cell at the Clarke County Jail" (198). The news segment also informs us that three men have been implicated in Tison's murder, two of whom were already awaiting trial for murder charges. Tison's attorney makes a statement to the police in which she alleges that Tison had called her scared about his safety and that the guards at the jail refused to isolate him from the other inmates.
After the news transcript, Jus writes his last letter to Martin. In the letter, he tells Martin that he has moved into college. SJ put up a picture of Dr. King over Jus's desk; it was a going-away gift from Doc. He admits to Martin that feels uncomfortable at Yale. He wonders what he was trying to achieve with his "Be Like Martin" project, which he started nearly a year ago. He feels grateful to Dr. King for all the change that he brought in the world. He also feels completely out of place at Yale. His roommate appeared on the first day in an incredibly preppy outfit and was oafish towards Jus. The roommate recognized Jus from the news. When SJ entered the room, his demeanor became especially anatgonistic. Jus understands that he is never going to be able to escape racial prejudice. Jus keeps thinking about what Doc told him when the picture of him dressed as a "Thug" broke on the news: "If nothing ever changes, what type of man am I gonna be?" (202). He resolves himself to figure out what kind of person he is and what he believes in. He signs off the letter with Martin, noting that he and SJ have a train to catch.
In the Epilogue, Jus is visiting Manny's grave. He is back home for winter break; it is Christmas Day. He sees Jared standing above the grave and greets him. Jared tells Jus that he misses Manny, and Jus tells him he knows how he feels. They talk a little bit about Yale. Jus tells Jared that he should join him the next time he goes to NYC to visit SJ. Jared says he would like that. They share a moment of peace.
Analysis
In these chapters, Jus continues to look for someone who will understand his frustration. He wonders how he is supposed to get by if the entire world is pushing him down. On top of this, Manny's father has lost his job because he was leading a Justice for JAM protest. In this section, we learn what really happened following the news article that covered Mr. Rivers's job loss in the section before. Instead of a "mutual agree[ment]" (155), there was an "ultimatum" (157). Mr. Rivers tells Jus what his employer told him came down to this: "Sever all ties with that so-called movement or clear out of the corner office" (157). In response, Mr. Rivers "calmly explained the meaning of civil disobedience" and started moving out of the office (157). At this point, Jus can't see the use in trying to succeed and act "good" if he is still going to get pushed down because of his race. He wants someone to talk to, someone who isn't Doc, because he knows what Doc would say: that Jus only has control over himself and he must simply be the better man. This leads Jus to go visit Martel, even though he knows it's probably a terrible idea.
On the way to Martel's house, Jus reflects that someone who does get how he feels is Deuce Diggs. Jus "has been listening to his music since he woke up with a best friend" (158). He has played one track on repeat since that moment, which contains the lyrics:
Turn on the news, another man slain.
They say 'It's okay. Save your voice, don't complain.
This isn't about race, so stop using that excuse.
Now look at this funny picture of Obama in a noose!
See how color-blind we are? You're not really black to me.
Underneath, where it matters, we both bleed red, you see?
So put away the race card; it ain't 1962.
There's no more segregation . . . Isn't that enough for you? (158).
In this song, Deuce includes the voice of a white person who continues to argue that race is not a problem in the United States—much like what Jared argued in Chapter 4. At the same time, this hypothetical white person makes racist jokes ("Now look at this funny picture of Obama in a noose!") and devalues the lived reality of race ("You're not really black to me"). Both Jus and Deuce Diggs see the disconnect in these arguments. Meanwhile, Black men keep getting killed, and their deaths are plastered all over the news.
At Martel's house, Jus feels automatically at home. Martel has covered his home with African relics in order to remind his fellow gang-members of "ancient Kemet"—in other words, the power of their ancestry. He tells Jus about this legacy. Martel looks back in time in order to understand the struggle that Black people face in the present day. He tells Jus, "The Europeans succeeded in denigrating and enslaving peoples of African descent, but there's royal blood flowing through your veins, you hear me?. . . People across the diaspora have been treated as inferior for so long, most of us have habituated to the lie of white superiority" (161). He tells Jus that their ancestors were powerful and they themselves are powerful: "never forget, your ancestors survived a transatlantic journey, built this nation from the ground up, and maintained a semblance of humanity, even when the very conditions of their existence suggested they were less than human" (161). For Martel, their ancestors' act of "striving, persevering" back then is the same as his gang activity today: it's a strike back against a system that works to hold them down. He asks Jus to join them, but Jus does not. After Trey and the others celebrate Jus for beating up Blake, Jus walks away. Stone is not fully explicit about why Jus decides to walk away, but one reading of the scene is that when it comes to "striving" and "persevering," Jus has another method in mind. He does not want any more violence—even if it is violence directed towards racists like Blake.
While the previous section's chapters prepared us for Tison's trial, these chapters show us the events of the trial and their immediate consequences. Jus must sit on the witness stand, which is incredibly difficult for him. The district attorney goes easy on him and presents an accurate picture of what happened: "By the time Mr. Rentzen finishes his questions, the court has heard the tragic tale of two college-bound African American boys, gunned down at a traffic light by an angry white man who used a racial slur and fired his weapon at them when they didn't comply with his demands" (184). However, the trial is not over: it is now time for Tison's attorney to question Jus, and she is "out for blood" (185). Tison's attorney tries as hard as possible to substantiate Tison's testimony that he saw Manny and Jus as a threat, and to bring Jus's character into question. She brings up Manny's behavior right before he was shot, mentioning the fact that Manny turned up the volume and "use[d] foul language" and made an "obscene gesture" towards Tison. She also mentions that the Deuce Diggs song they were listening to contains the words "wait for the sound of the gun." She also points out that Tison had recently witnessed the murder of his partner by a young man who is "physically similar" to Jus. All of these things support Tison's argument that he had been allegedly scared for his life when he shot Manny and Jus. She then moves on to denigrate Jus's character by bringing up his previous involvement with members of the Black Jihad. Not only that, but members of the Black Jihad also burned Tison's house down, and the attorney brings up the possibility that Jus might have been involved. The attorney's cross-examination of Jus has a considerable effect on the jury. After the trial, they cannot come to a consensus. This means that, had Tison not been subsequently killed in his jail cell, there would have been another trial to determine if he was guilty of felony murder.
Though Justyce doesn't have all the answers, in the following few weeks, he finds solace in his relationship with SJ. After seeing Martel, he goes to see SJ and ends up crying for a while about everything he has been going through. Being with SJ gives Jus a feeling of harmony. She has the power to make him forget, if only for a moment, all of his pain: "She touches his forearm just past his wrist, and the memory of handcuffs overwhelms him even all these months later. His eyes drop to her hands, and he feels a weight slip off his shoulders. They're chipped now, but her nails are still painted his favorite color" (168). This feeling extends to the memory of Manny, who he can imagine laughing at him in his head about taking so long to date her: "He can imagine Manny calling him a punk for letting her hold him while he cries like a big-ass baby, but instead of making him sad, the thought makes him smile—he can also imagine Manny saying Took you long enough, fool" (169). When Jus's mom protests his relationship with SJ, he tells her that SJ is a positive force in his life: "'All my life, you've pushed me to be and do my absolute best. That's what SJ brings out of me, Ma. She makes me better'" (182). While Jus's mom adamantly disagrees—"'I taught you a long time ago, only person can 'make you better' is you'" (182)—Jus is happy with SJ. He and SJ move in to college together, and he knows they will end up together in the long run.
SJ is not the only person who helps to alleviate Jus's pain. Surprisingly, the moment of reconciliation between Jared and Jus in the cemetery in the Epilogue has similar effects. As Jus and Jared stand over Manny's grave, "they settle into a comfortable silence, both staring at the headstone. A cool wind blows around them, and it's like Jus can feel the EJR on his watchband pressing into the skin of his once-swollen wrist" (208). Perhaps the connection between these two moments of peace is Manny's memory. Manny was never afraid to create connections with those who were different from him, and he generally chose to see the best in those around him. Now, his two best friends, Jared and Jus, come together over Manny's memory despite their tumultuous past.
Jus must decide how he wants to move forward. He has just arrived at Yale and is in a completely new world that he must now learn how to navigate. He realizes that his struggles are not over. He writes to Martin, "It never ends, does it? No matter what I do, for the rest of my life I'm gonna find myself in situations like this, aren't I? It's exactly what Mr. Julian told Manny and me, but there's a part of me that still doesn't wanna believe it" (201). As Jus reflects on the past year, he realizes that perhaps Doc had a point. His "Be Like Martin" project was less about finding out what Martin would do and more about who Martin was. He realizes that in all situations, Dr. King was faithfully himself: "nonviolent, not easily discouraged, and firm in [his] beliefs" (202). Despite the fact that Dr. King lived in a violent and hostile world, he stayed true to his values and worked to change the world as much as he could. Jus commits himself to learn the kind of man he wants to be. He knows it will take some time, but he also knows that it doesn't have to come quickly.
