Poverty
Born in the poor neighborhood of Newark, Robert's parents have to work extremely hard to make ends meet. His father is arrested and imprisoned, which forces Robert's mother to carry all the burden of the household. In this book, we get a clear picture of how African-American families lack the means to escape the trappings of poverty. It's not for a lack of knowledge that Robert couldn't escape his circumstances, but the systemic oppression and lack of opportunities for people of color that kept him grounded in his hometown.
Racial Disparity
Despite Robert's enrollment in Yale University and having the opportunity to travel the world, he's unable to escape his fate that seemed to have been sealed when he was born in a poverty-ridden family and neighborhood. Also, the fact that he is African-American deprives him of opportunities that he would have otherwise attained had he been Caucasian.
Robert might have escaped his circumstances and untimely death, had he been in a different city that wasn't designed with segregation and population control in mind. While writing this book, Hobbs is made aware of just how much privilege he's had throughout his life, while millions of African-Americans don't enjoy such privileges.
Murder and Violence
Piece had no other choice but to resort to the drug trade in the violent streets of Newark. Most African-Americans in cities like these have little to no options for a brighter future. The world of selling drugs is brutal and vicious. Someone like Robert who envisioned a more upright life was not suited for the harsh conditions that came with dabbling in the drug business. Due to a lack of a way out and the desperate need to make ends meet for his family, he resorts to selling drugs in the streets. Little did he know that this is where he would meet his gruesome and untimely death in a drug deal gone wrong.
