This Is My America

Within the world of the text, what role do generational belief systems play in upholding racist ideologies?

What effect do Tracy’s letters to Innocence X have on the text? How does the epistolary form enhance your reading and understanding of Tracy’s story?

How do systemic and interpersonal forms of racism affect the execution of justice in the text?

How does Dean’s struggle with internalized racism shape and affect his relationship with Tracy?

To what extent does Tracy and Quincy’s shared past affect their present relationship? How does this change over the course of the text?

How does the fear and inaction of white characters like Mrs. Evans affect the experiences of Black characters such as the Beaumonts and Ridges?

After the racist attack at the Beaumonts’ house, Mr. Evans claims that things like this “shouldn’t happen in our town” (319). How does this statement fail to address the roots of racism that still have a hold on the Galveston community?

How does author Kim Johnson use real-world events and injustices to shape the events and themes of This Is My America?