The Hoopster, By Alan Lawrence Sitomer

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Recommended: Racism and literature

The Hoopster There lies a black teen in a parking lot, looking mentally and physically damaged. Andre is a black teenager who loves to play basketball. His best friend Shawn is white and his cousin Cedric, who is also black, are Andre’s teammates and are the people that he hangs out with the most. The Hoopster, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer, is an urban fiction novel that describes Andre’s life and his problems associated with racism. Andre is a gifted writer that is asked to write an article about racism for his local magazine, but little does he know, that he will be violently beat and fall into deep depression. Andre and Shawn arrive at the Cuckoo Clock Night Club to support Cedric in an amateure talent show that receives $500 as a prize. Andre is excited to see Cedric perform his comedy act, but quickly becomes disappointed when he learns of the context of the racist jokes and making fun of his own people. After the show, Andre confronts Cedric about his jokes. Andre starts to get up in Cedric’s face. While Cedric is collecting his reward, Andre walks away in utter disgust as he kicks a …show more content…

Pops, Andre’s father, commands him to sit down. Pops proceeds to tell Andre about how he lost hearing in his right ear. Pops tells Andre that his hearing loss is not from a work injury, but from being attacked by three white men at a college party. “Do not tell me you wore purple” Andre interrupted.” (109 Sitomer) Pops shot back with a stern look. “I look mighty good in purple.” (109 Sitomer) Pops was in the restroom when one of the white males had started to pee on his boot. Infuriated, Pops punched the man in the stomach and then hit him in the nose with a left hook. The two others, that were sitting in silence from all the blood on the walls, were standing still. On Pops way out of the restroom, one of the skinny white guys hit him in the head with a glass bottle and damaged his

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