Summary

In Chapter 59, Trask confronts Shayla at her locker. Shayla remembers how the principal made her take her costume off so Shayla is surprised when Trask only warns her she is going to be late for class.

In Chapter 60, the principal announces that the armbands violate the school’s dress policy. She warns the students that if they do not take off their armbands, they will face disciplinary action. A White boy in class demands that Shayla take off her armband, but Shayla refuses to do so.

In Chapter 61, as Shayla’s mother is combing tangles out of her hair, Shayla notes that the day has felt “as tangled as my hair” (313). Shayla’s father tells them that a Black woman selling incense has been shot and killed even though she was doing nothing wrong. The store owner said the woman was not causing...