Shayla’s school, Emerson Junior High, is named after Ralph Waldo Emerson, the 19th-century writer who espoused the idea that significant change comes from individual self-awareness and action.

How does the work of Emerson underscore the core themes of the novel, particularly as they relate to Shayla’s character evolution? What does the novel’s setting in a school named after Emerson reveal about the themes of belonging and change? Reflect upon moments when Emerson is explicitly discussed in the text: How might he, even inadvertently, underscore alienation for Shayla?

Teaching Suggestion: Emerson, in many ways, inspires Shayla’s character arc as she moves toward the realization that embracing her Blackness and her individuality will lead to positive change. Embracing Emerson’s belief that change is dependent upon individual actions, Shayla eventually gains awareness of her true priorities as she shifts her focus from getting a boyfriend to protesting against systemic racism and, in doing so, starts taking action in the form of protesting at school. As her awareness grows, so does Shayla’s bravery. Her character begins by being deeply afraid of trouble, but by the end of the novel, Shayla defies her principal to distribute Black Lives Matter armbands, demonstrating that sometimes standing up for what’s right requires defying authority.