My heart ached after I read this book. I am well aware that there is racism, gangs and violence in the world, but do things like this really happen? Could such a horrible, terrifying, racist act be done to a little, innocent girl on her walk home from school?
In the book, little Helene-Angel and her brother Mauricio are on their way home from school when they get attacked by a white gang called the Hawks. There is no other explanation for the cause of this besides for the color of their skin; Helene-Angel and Mauricio are African American. The gang beats up Mauricio and pours white paint all over Helene-Angel's face and neck. In addition to being severely humiliated, the paint burned the little girl's skin. The event had a lasting effect on Helene-Angel, as she locked herself in her room for days not wanting to be seen.
It wasn't until I started writing this entry that the thought popped up in my head: Yes, there is no doubt that what happened to this girl was terrible. But if you think about it, there are other things that are just as bad. For example, more subtle forms of racism are ignored all the time. It usually takes something extreme to happen in order for attention to be drawn. Is this ok? Sometimes it is the little things that can cause the most damage.
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