Byron
asked
Jeff Hobbs:
Jeff, I hope you received my question. I'm very interested in your answer regarding the nigger/brother analysis shared by Rob to you at Yale and how it speaks to young African Americans today. Thanks. Byron ?
Jeff Hobbs
Dear Byron -- I am so sorry for the incredible delay in responding. I am a luddite and didn't realize over all these months that these questions don't appear on my phone which is what I have been using to check goodreads. My deep apologies. As to your question, I really can't speak for Rob and his hypothetical judgments on others. I do think he understood, in a way that particularly most other college classmates did not, that these words, even the highly charged words, don't have much to do with the individual. If he saw kids on a bus, I'd guess that he'd want to know their individual stories. I think he understood that we all don't experience each moment the same way. And that understanding is incredibly important, particularly for white people. Sorry if that's a frustrating answer to your question. Best, Jeff
More Answered Questions
Christine Ouellette
asked
Jeff Hobbs:
Jeff - My book club discussion focused on themes of neighborhood, family, choices - all of which you explored. I keep going back to the theme of drugs. Was Rob just a drug addict and if he had gotten help for that would things have been different? You never mention other drugs - hard for me to believe that Rob didn't use/deal other street drugs. Any thoughts?
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