Socially relevant issues in The Soul Brothers and Sister Lou revolve around racism. Long-standing tensions between abusive white police officers and black residents point up the need for effective communication and mutual respect across racial and civic lines.

Some readers may view Hunter's portrayal of the police officers who patrol the Southside as too harsh and consistently negative. But historical accounts of American race relations in the 1960s support Hunter's depiction.

Hunter does not mean to imply that all black-white relations were antagonistic during this period in U.S. history. In fact, she is careful to indicate the crucial role that Lou's white teachers play in exposing the police officers' abuse of authority. One of Lou's white teachers also volunteers to help develop activities for the teen-agers who come to the clubhouse after school.

Another important social concern that Hunter addresses in the novel is sexism...