This is My America by Kim Johnson

 

This is My America

March 15th, 2024

This is My America by Kim Johnson, 2022, Contemporary Realistic Fiction/ Mystery, 388 pages

2021 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults

Tracy Beaumont has a lot more stress on her shoulders than a normal teenager. For one, her family is one of the few Black families living in her small Texas town. Each week, Tracy also writes to an organization called Innocence X that helps represent individuals who are wrongly convicted for crimes. Why? Seven years ago, Tracy's father was put behind bars and given the death sentence for a murder Tracy is positive he didn't commit. He only has 275 days left before his time is up. When Tracy's brother Jamal is interviewed on The Susan Touric Show about his impressive athletic achievements in track and field, Tracy interjects to spread awareness about the unanswered questions of her father's case. The events that follow are quick and unexpected: Jamal is suddenly the main suspect for the murder of their classmate. Will history repeat itself all over again? Tasked with saving the future of both her father and brother, Tracy takes the investigation into her own hands. With each new piece of information uncovered, Tracy soon discovers the consequences of her small town's racist past. 

I chose to read This is My America because the idea that someone's on father may receive the death penalty for a crime he didn't commit (and due to his race) blew my mind. It made me wonder how often this happens in our country. From the summary, Tracy's character seemed incredibly fierce and a true advocate social justice--I wanted to get to know her better. Plus, the concept of Tracy trying to solve the mystery behind her father AND brother's supposed crimes had me hooked.

Teaching and Content Considerations:

This is My America could be used potentially as a whole class novel, a novel in literature circles, or as independent reading. Due to some romance and language, I think it would work better in literature circles over the whole class novel, especially if teachers were offer it as an option for a social justice unit. I believe this book would be more appropriate for high school students; as aforementioned, this book has adult language and centers around murder and hate crimes. Students who love a good mystery and are interested in expanding their views about the injustice of the justice system (and racism) against Black people would absolutely love this thriller. 

Instructional Ideas

Connecting to Real Life: This is My America offers a plethora of opportunities for students to expand their knowledge about current and past issues in the United States including: the death penalty, hate crimes, the KKK, Neo-nazism, Black Lives Matter, racism, and police brutality. While reading, students could read articles, watch videos, or listen to podcasts that provide background information about these topics. Students can draw connections between these events and their books, as well as explore music or poetry that also shares Tracy's sentiments. If students read this book in lit circles, I think keeping a digital journal or blog would be a wonderful way for students to share what topic/event they researched that week, their medium of research (song, article, documentary, etc), its connection to the novel, and perhaps the impact it had on their own outlook. This novel can be used as a solid launching pad to facilitate classroom discussions about racism and discrimination in America. 

Mock Newspaper: One of Tracy's biggest passions is writing in her school newspaper, usually to shed light on social injustice in the world. However, she is unable to write for the school paper after her brother Jamal becomes the number one suspect for Angela's murder. Hence, students could create a series of newspaper articles from Tracy's point of view, slowly piecing together the murder mysteries themselves, as well as spreading awareness about other topics Tracy comes across (i.e. KKK, Neo-Nazism, death penalty). On the other hand, a literature circle group of 4-5 students could create their own newspaper by researching and writing about the topics discussed in This is My America to share with the class. In a sense, they would become advocates in their community just like Tracy.  

Possible Read Aloud Passages

• Page 1: "Time runs my life. A constant measuring of what's gone and what's to come. Jamal's hundred-meter dash is a blazing 10.06 seconds...I'm not thinking about Jamal's record, though. I'm thinking about Daddy's time. Seven years-- 2,532 days served, to be exact."
• Right at the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to Tracy's biggest stressor: the dwindling amount of time her dad has left on death row before his execution. I suggest reading the entire first page until "the answer: death. Since then, it's ticktock."
• Pages 63-65: "I'm jolted awake by the shuffle of someone in the hallway. I rub my eyes, then realize what it is..."
• Tracy is awoken by someone using her bathroom in the middle of the night. When Tracy open's the bathroom door, she finds Jamal acting oddly and washing blood off of his hands. This is a GREAT passage to grab students' interest and have them make inferences of what Jamal has been involved with--and what might happen to him. 
• Pages 185-187: "'Safety is always first,' I say. 'You're not in a position of power, and it feels bad. You could be angry, scared, defensive. But that officer doesn't care how you feel. You're a suspect, until you're not. And in that moment, you're a threat."
• Tracy gives readers a glimpse into the workshops she runs called "Know Your Rights" for Black men in her community. In this instance, Tracy is talking through what to do if they get pulled over in the unfair circumstance that a police officer sees them as a threat. 
• Page 264: "Our front window is destroyed. Unsteady, I get to my feet to check on everyone Hold Corrine close. Still unsure what happened..I'm stuck staring. Confused why it's so bright outside. Until I realize there's a blazing cross, over ten feet tall, that's staked into our dry grass. The flames are catching the ground on fire. Bright and flashing."
• Tracy's family is in the middle of hosting Dean's family for dinner. Right after Dean's mother boldly declares some of her ignorant, racist thoughts at the dinner table, the living room window explodes. Tracy looks up and sees a gigantic flaming cross on her yard, reminiscent to the crosses used by the KKK. If students are not aware of the significance of cross burning before Tracy reveals it, teachers could have students read about hate crimes and acts of intimidations done by the KKK.

Thoughts and Reflections

It has been a long time since I've read a mystery novel--This is My America was so good I truly could not put it down. I appreciated how eloquently Johnson discussed topics like racism, police violence against people of color, and the power of social justice campaigns. Johnson does a great job helping her readers understand Tracy's rightful fear of the police, as well as the severity of the discrimination and injustice her family experiences throughout the novel. 

After reading This is My America, I would like to learn more about about the racial statistics of death row inmates in Texas, as well as the quality of life these individuals receive. The role that Innocence X plays in the novel also makes me curious about researching different organizations that help advocate for people who have been wrongly accused or sentenced based on their race, especially in the state of Texas.