“‘We are black males, and as black males there are certain things we have to deal with that others don’t,’ he told us once. ‘Just like every kind of person has problems that only they have to cope with. As black men, we have to carry that weight and stay strong and proud.’”

Through the voice of Eddie, Moore learns a valuable lesson that he takes with him to the moment he is attacked in Valley Forge. Eddie provides an example of dignity and self-respect as a Black man that the other Wes Moore largely misses out on in his youth. The other Wes Moore is taught aggression as a means to an end, whereas Eddie tells Justin and Wes to stay smart and to think before reacting.

“The older kids would pour out a little liquor or leave a shrine on a corner under a graffiti mural, or they’d reminisce about the ones who were locked up. But then life went on. The struggle went on.”

In the Bronx, Moore sees the aftermath of people disappearing from his neighborhood due to drugs, violence, or incarceration. It has become such a commonplace thing that many continue on without anything changing. There is an apathy and expectation for nothing good to happen in places where hopelessness and exhaustion are the norm.

“My mother used it as a hook into a deeper lesson: The written word isn’t a chore. It can be a window into new worlds.”

As Moore had struggled in English class, his mother sends him books while he is at Valley Forge. Moore begins reading non-fiction books about athletes and young adults his age achieving awards and breaking records. He also becomes interested in philosophy and biography books about important historical figures in America, like Malcolm X and Colin Powell. By learning more about topics and people he is already interested in, Moore falls in love with reading and learning in and of itself.