Darlene Baxter

True Identity Darlene Baxter

True identity is what Jurinaba wants her son, Hakeem, to discover as he journeys in and out of relationships, especially with other ethnic groups. All Hakeem wants to do is hang out with anyone who will play with him. He is not concerned with color. When he is called a "nigger", it's his mother who makes it an issue. Living in a predominantly white neighborhood is new for both Jurinaba and her son, but for different reasons. She was raised in a black neighborhood and attended black schools. Hakeem was born into it. Her son's first association with a white child, at 3 years old, to entering middle school, where his relationships involve Belgians, Hispanics, and Asians, makes Jurinaba think about her experiences as a child. She fears he will not understand what it is to be black.