Before the graduation party(happy, happy!) I read a bit of Cleage's Baby Brother's Blues, and I have to say that Cleage should have left Baby Brother a cipher, because she totally can't get inside his head. I guess it's because he is an urban legend come to life: "Wesley 'Baby Brother' Jameson had made an art form of avoiding responsibility. The sorry state of his life, to hear him tell it, was the result of racism, his father, his mother, his sister, his teachers, preachers, counselors, confidants and co conspirators of all kinds who spent their time making sure brother couldn't catch a break" You know I've never met a black person who had been like "Yea, I can't catch a break because of X, Y and Z" and totally abdicated all responsibility ever. Now, I've seen some people be a bit discouraged. Heck, I've been discouraged too. Any black person who has a momentary acquaintance with reality gets discouraged sometimes. People aren't less racist to me, just because I have my degree and try to mostly have a job when I can.

Now, later on, Cleage tries to emphasize more with the character and show a bit more of the situation, and all that, but it's still kind of clunky. She deals better with other characters who do wrong, such as Brandi, the stripper or Captain Kilgore, the cocaine selling policewoman, so it really stands out that Baby Brother is written so badly. It is strange because she usually writes so well. Then again, she seems to have written a lot, so it's not that every single book can hit the mark.