Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 Black Brother, Black Brother

February 8th, 2024

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Park Rhodes, 2020, realistic fiction, 272 pages

2021 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens Finalist

Donte Ellison is one of the few black students at Middlefield Prep and wishes he could simply blend in. With an older brother, Trey, who presents as white, Donte often finds himself labeled as the troubled "black brother." After being a victim of discrimination from his school administration and the racist fencing captain, Alan, Donte decides to take matters into his own hands. With the help of black former Olympic fencer, Donte decides to try out for the Middlefield fencing team to get back at Alan and find the true understanding of himself, community, and discipline along the way.

I chose to read this book because I was hoping it would make a good addition to our Exploring Different Perspectives unit in 7th grade language arts. This literature circle unit has students learn about perspectives and points of view that are different than their own in order to help create a culture of acceptance and tolerance at our school.  Additionally, Black Brother, Black Brother seemed exciting because it also revolved around a sport, combatting a middle school bully, and was at a lower reading level than other books in our unit. Hence, it is an engaging and accessible novel for some of our reluctant or struggling readers.

Teaching and Content Considerations:

Black Brother, Black Brother would work well as a whole class novel, literature circle novel, and for independent reading. For a whole class novel, I think this book would work best for a 6th-7th grade language arts classroom. The language is very accessible and, although the novel is 272 pages, it reads at an appropriate pace to fit into a novel unit. I do not believe it would be rigorous enough to read for 8th grade students and above (at least in a whole class novel setting). Black Brother, Black Brother would absolutely grab the interests of most middle school students from the start, especially students who are sports fans, athletes themselves, or who appreciate a good face down with an antagonist. 

Instructional Ideas

Black Brother, Black Brother is an excellent text to use as a launching point to explore topics of racism, discrimination, privilege, and identity with students. Teachers could pair non-fiction articles about the history of discrimination in education and sports while reading, as well as current Olympic fencers who are athletes of color. I think it would be useful for students to learn about fencing itself, as many schools do not have fencing as a sport in their building. Additionally, Rhodes does a fantastic job developing all of the characters in the story, especially Donte, his brother Trey, and Alan. Students can compare the different perspectives of each character, how they are characterized throughout the novel, and the distinct settings/communities. Furthermore, teachers could guide students in reflecting about how the settings (original birthplace, family structure, Boys and Girls Club vs Middelfield Prep, family history) uniquely influence the characters' actions and overall beliefs. There are also so many excellent themes to discuss in Black Brother Black Brother including family, love, identity, overcoming conflict, and perseverance. 

Possible Read Aloud Passages

•  Pages 3-4 (Kindle): "I wish I were invisible. Wearing Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak or Frodo Baggin's Elvish ring...it wouldn't matter to me. I'd be gone. Disappeared."
• Right at the start of the book, Donte explains how he stands out in his school as one of the few black students and the troubles it has brought him. With its well known allusions, students will not only be drawn in, but will be able to explore how Donte is both visible and invisible as the book progresses.
• Page 31-34 (Kindle): "Mom says "Being well educated is the best face to fight prejudice. Now I wonder. If I'm smart enough for Middlefield Prep (and I am) how come they still suspend me and had me jailed?"
• After being unfairly suspended and jailed, Donte reflects on how he is treated differently, and how he must act differently, because of his skin color. He despises people only seeing him as the "black brother." He also reflects on stories he has heard of other black kids being harmed or assaulted by schools due to their race. 
• Page 203-204 (Kindle): "'Why around here are fencers mainly white?' asks Trey." 
• Zarra brings a bunch of books to fencing practice about fencers of color. Donte, Trey, Zion, and Zarra begin to question Coach why they don't see many fencers of color in their competitions or in history in general. Both this passage and the previous passage would be a solid opportunity to pair non-fiction articles about discrimination and disparities in education, different communities, and sports.
• Page 209 & Page 212 (Kindle): "Fencing is physical, balancing form, distance, and precise moves..." and "I keep calm. (Or at least try to). I can feel my old worries, insecurities circling inside me."
• The first is an excerpt from "Rising to the Fencing Challenge." The second passage is during the final fencing tournament, where Donte will eventually compete against the horrible Alan. Teachers could have students analyze how Donte is feeling pre-competition compared what is implied in the excerpt on fencing.  

Thoughts and Reflections

I absolutely ripped through this book in a single day. I simply could not put it down! Jewell Parker Rhodes focuses on a unique scenario: how might two brothers be treated differently simply because of their race (how they present physically)? What privileges might one brother have over the other, and how can we see this reflected in their parents interactions as well? I loved getting an inside glimpse of Donte and Trey's tenacious bond and the impact Coach had on Trey as a mentor (navigating the fencing world, his sense of identity, and issues of racism). 

After reading this book, I'm curious to read articles about siblings in real life who have found themselves in a similar situation as Donte and Trey (presenting as two different races). I also would like to better educate myself on the (or lack thereof) representation and opportunities for people of color in educational programs and in different sports, especially in the running world (the sport I am passionate about).