Take Back the Block

Wes’s dad sends the kids to Wes’s room so that the parents can discuss whatever is upsetting them. The kids speculate about what the problem could be and hope that nobody has died. Mya accuses the boys of stealing and complains about how small Wes’s bedroom is. Brent argues that Mya’s comments are informed by her white privilege because she is of both white and Black heritage, whereas the rest of the group is Black.

The adults explain that nobody has died, but “Simmons Development Group” (50) has offered to purchase Kensington Oaks. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they will all have to move, but it could be a possibility.

Wes is upset about the possibility of moving, so to calm himself, he works on his new superhero puzzle from Mr. Hank. Wes’s parents do not want to move because Wes’s mom grew up in this house, and her father saved for a long time to be able to afford it. Back then, mostly white families lived in Kensington Oaks, but once Black families started moving in, white families started leaving. Wes’s parents want to protect Black history, which includes the neighborhood.