When Hiram finally learns the truth about racism, it's closer to home than he'd have hoped for. His family was always progressive, at least in his experience, but as he gets closer to his grandfather, he realizes that not only is that man secretly a racist, he is also an active member in the anti-Black communities of Mississippi, and he participated in the lynching and murder of Emmett Till. The realization means that Hiram will have to decide who to be, in light of this.
In one way, he cannot change his origin. He knows that he comes from a long history of racists and murderers, and that comes with the terrible weight of identity confusion and existential crisis. How could these same people, who loved him and taught him right and wrong, be closet racists and violent murderers? Not only his family, either—he also has to face the evil of his friends, because R.C. and he were close, but R.C. is clearly full of hatred.
Hiram realizes that his father back home has been misunderstood by him. They haven't gotten along, but secretly, the issues are the same. The damage of violent hatred in the home is explored by Naomi's comments about abuse. One who can hate others who are different is hateful in general, it seems, waiting for people to offend him somehow. Black people were offensive to the grandfather by nature, but all free-thinking, progressive folks make him cringe. He even trades hateful words with Hiram, his own blood.
