Black And White

Black and White (2005) is a young adult novel written by Paul Volponi. It follows two teenage basketball stars, one Black and one white, who commit a robbery together and are caught when they accidentally shoot one of their targets. The novel then explores their different experiences of the justice system and in navigating the consequences of their actions. Volponi, an author, journalist, and educator, draws upon his own experiences teaching in the New York City prison system to explore systemic inequality in the justice system and how racial tensions affect urban youth. Black and White is the recipient of the IRA Children’s Book Award for Young Adult Fiction, the ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and the ALA Quick Pick Top Ten. Other works by Volponi include Rikers High (2005), Rucker Park Setup (2007), and The Final Four (2012).

This guide refers to the 2005 paperback edition published by Speak.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of racism and racial discrimination, as well as both anti-Black and antisemitic slurs.

Plot Summary

Marcus Brown and Eddie Russo are high school seniors and stars of their school basketball team. They are known as “Black and White” to their peers because Marcus is Black and Eddie is white; their close friendship transcends the racial tensions of their New York City neighborhood. When Eddie suggests that he and Marcus commit robberies in order to gain extra money, Marcus goes along with his plan. Eddie brings his grandfather’s gun and, during one of their stickups, accidentally shoots a Black man. Marcus and Eddie flee the scene, running to their respective homes. When the two meet up again, Marcus claims he recognizes the man they shot from somewhere. After several days with no news about the robbery, Eddie and Marcus assume the man survived and move on to thinking about their college plans and their potential basketball scholarships. However, Marcus is arrested not long after during one of their basketball games.

Marcus is taken in for questioning by detectives, who say that the man they shot recognized Marcus and was able to identify him. They pressure him to provide the identity of the shooter, but Marcus refuses to admit Eddie’s involvement. Meanwhile, Eddie, fearing the loss of his future basketball dreams, hurries to accept a scholarship at St. John’s and disposes of the gun immediately. Marcus’s bail is set at 20 thousand and he is sent to Rikers Island, where he experiences harsh conditions and notes that nearly all of his fellow inmates are also Black. His mother manages to bail him out after a few days. Detectives arrive at Eddie’s house to question him and his family about his potential involvement, but Eddie’s family is adamant that he is innocent. Nonetheless, Eddie is arrested. His family bails him out after his court hearing, and they hire a lawyer, Mr. Golub, who will fight his case if he is indicted.

Eddie’s sister Rose asks Marcus about what happened, but Marcus still will not admit that Eddie was involved in the robberies. Eddie returns to school the next day and says no one outside his family knows about his arrest, and that he and Marcus will be fine as long as they do not confess to anything. The basketball team leaves for a game at a nearby school, and on the bus ride there, they encounter a man shouting violent racist slurs. The team loses the game, and after, reporters try to question Eddie and Marcus about the charges against them. The next day, the local newspaper breaks the story about Eddie and Marcus’s arrests. Eddie is confident that his lawyer can fight his case, but Marcus’s lawyer advises him to plead guilty. Eddie opposes this, saying it could hurt his own case, but Marcus signs the plea deal anyway, which stipulates that he will need to serve 19 months in prison.

After signing the plea deal, the school principal Ms. Randolph notifies Marcus that, due to his conviction, he is banned from any extracurricular activities during his remaining time at school, including the basketball team. This is disappointing to Marcus and his coach, Coach Casey. Marcus, his mother, and his sister still attend Senior Night, which celebrates the parents of the student-athletes; during the ceremony, Ms. Randolph prevents Marcus from participating, sparking accusations of racism from onlookers. This incites a riot in the stands, and the police arrive to clear out the gym. Eddie remains to play in the game afterward, but the team loses again.

The next day, while Marcus is out playing basketball alone, he runs into Rose. The two spend the day together, and Rose buys a bouquet of flowers for Marcus’s mother. While Marcus prepares to go to jail, Eddie deals with his lingering fear and guilt even though his lawyer is adamant he can fight his case. In the two weeks before Marcus has to report to jail, he spends more time with Rose and the two acknowledge their romantic feelings for one another. He spends time with his family, and Coach Casey says he will always support him. He goes to the basketball courts to play and runs into Eddie; the two play together but Marcus notices that Eddie is slower than usual. Marcus reflects on the racial divide between them. He acknowledges that they may never be able to fully erase it, but that he wants to try.