Bearing aversion & dubiety for society, Mike Mose braved the culture of Detroit, Michigan in the 1990s. Even though the city became ravaged with poverty& violence, the calamity taking place within his home created his ultimate austerity. With a womanizing father who was imprisoned due to illicit business dealings, his mother was forced to raise five boys alone. She overcame extreme financial hardships& was able to move her family to the suburbs of Southfield, Michigan. The move guaranteed her children an opportunity to attain the spectrum of grandeur that she desired for them. In Mike Moses new environment, he was introduced to a class of African Americans he'd never encountered before. While in the suburbs, he realized that hidden quite agree with the belief systems that the kids there had developed about race & lower class blacks. Thus, he became entangled in an identity crisis; one where he struggled with his city roots and his new middle class beginning. Mikes closest friends in Detroit were involved in underworld criminal activity, running with gangs such as CS8 & the Motown Legends. However, he strived to fit in with a new crew in Southfield called PBC. PBC was a selective group of young black men in the area, who wanted Mike to forget about his friends in Detroit. As a young, light skinned African-American man, Mike was a constant victim of intra-racism, victimized by dark skinned blacks. He also witnessed dark skinned blacks fall victim to intra-racism as well. The intra-racism that he encountered was compelling, and brings to light this ugly secret that has been hidden in the African-American community. Throughout the book, Mike Moose remains stuck in the middle of two worlds, representing the unique position that many African-Americans, who move to the suburbs from inner cities, are placed in.
