How It Went Down

Tyrell is annoyed at T for not getting back to him, even though he sent T over a dozen text messages. He then hears news about Underhill, his neighborhood, on the television, which is weird because he’s listening to a national station. The news mentions a shooting and that a picture of the victim is now available to show. Tyrell goes to look at the news, thinking that he doesn’t have to get all his information from Tariq after all.

The next character introduced is Reverend Alabaster Sloan. He’s awakened by his assistant with news of an inner-city kid who was shot by a white guy. She thinks this will be “the one” (40) and informs him of her source, Moira. Sloan remembers Moira’s large breasts, and then asks for forgiveness from God for not seeming too concerned about the shooting. Black kids are killed all the time: why is this instance different? Kelly, his assistant, continues with the fact that the shooter has been released and that the entire thing stinks of race bias, but Sloan isn’t convinced that it’s worth his time.

Will, whose nickname is eMZee, hears from his stepdad that Underhill is on the news.