Racism

The author balances the major theme of racism with a complex discussion of history to convey the reality that racism remains an urgent crisis today. Sydney’s tendency to heft her emotional wounds around “in an urn I couldn’t stop sifting through” translates easily into her obsession with uncovering Brooklyn’s dark history of racial violence, which ultimately leads to her discovery of VerenTech’s sinister scheme (9). Through Sydney’s excavations, Cole links the historical facts, fictional plots, and emotional experiences caused by racism into a neat timeline leading directly into the present.

Repetition enhances the urgency of Cole’s message. Racist events of the historical past directly parallel fictional events, such as the blackout of 1977 and the blackout on Gifford Place. This direct correlation reiterates that racism has not been solved or subdued; it is a patient evil that continues to resurface when its...