The Tennelles had three children: DeeDee, Wally Jr., and Bryant. While all three were considered to be good kids, DeeDee and Wally Jr. did well in school, whereas Bryant, who suffered from attention deficit disorder, struggled. He “had abilities, just not academic ones,” such as his love for animals and his talent at building things (99). Wally and Yadira tried to work with him, and Bryant tried as well, but “[y]ear after year,” he ended up “scraping by in school, burning through his parents’ money for remedial help, falling behind, staying behind” (100). By the time he got to high school, his behavior was no longer an issue; however, academics still eluded him, and he eventually failed out of high school.

Wally Tennelle was aware of the dangers of the neighborhood, even as he steadfastly stood by his decision to raise his children there. He tried to teach his sons how to get by in South Central LA. Wally Jr., having “experienced South Central at the end of the Big Years as only young black men did,” was himself aware of the risks and much more cautious (104). However, Bryant, younger, had grown up in a time of relative peace, and as a result was much more fearless and dismissive of the precautions extolled by his father and brother.