Black Brother, Black Brother

Black Brother, Black Brother, published in 2020, is a coming-of-age novel written by Jewell Parker Rhodes. It tells the story of Donte Ellison, a 12-year-old Black boy who is often assumed to be the cause of trouble at his mostly white private school. Donte’s brother Trey is light-skinned and able to escape the racism that Donte experiences. Donte takes up fencing to defeat his bully, the captain of the school’s fencing team. Over the course of the story, he learns confidence and contends with the stereotypes associated with being Black.

Parker Rhodes has written several novels in which race plays an important role, including Ninth Ward (2010), Towers Falling (2016), and Ghost Boys (2018). She has won many awards, including the Coretta Scott King Honor Award in 2011 for Ninth Ward, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Ghost Boys in 2018. Black Brother, Black Brother was a finalist for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens in 2021.

This study guide refers to the 2020 edition published by Little Brown and Company.

Plot Summary

The novel begins at Middlefield Prep, where Donte Ellison is waiting outside of the headmaster’s office. Donte is accused of causing trouble in class, and as always, he is blamed for something someone else has done. When he tries to explain this to Headmaster McGeary and is chastised, he becomes angry and throws his backpack down. He yells, “I hate being me” (9). The headmaster, upset by Donte’s outburst, calls the police. As Donte is escorted out, his brother Trey—who presents as white and has light skin in contrast with Donte’s darker skin—tries to speak to him. Alan, a boy who bullies Donte, calls Donte “Black brother,” a phrase meant to demean him.

Donte is taken to a cell at the police station and is fearful. His parents arrive as soon as they are able. The police speak only to his white father, not taking his Black mother, a lawyer, seriously. Donte is also suspended from school, and his mother is irate. Donte begins to plan his revenge; he decides to beat Alan at fencing, as Alan is the captain of the fencing team. Soon, Donte is able to convince Arden Jones, a former Olympic fencer and current coach at the Boys and Girls Club, to teach him.

Never having played a sport, Donte quickly comes to enjoy having a coach and a team. Two other students—Zion and Zarra—also join the nascent fencing team. Donte is grateful that Zarra does not react with shock when she learns that Donte and Trey are brothers, especially since so many are surprised to find that Trey presents as white. Coach teaches them to practice keen observation. At first, Donte applies this only to fencing, noticing the subtle movements of the blade. However, Coach gives him the same advice when Donte has an official hearing for the incident at Middlefield, since the school has decided to press charges.

Donte explains to the judge that he is not a troublemaker, despite his school’s insistence that he is. He points out that no one from the school even came to the hearing. Realizing that he can apply Coach’s advice, he begins to analyze the situation. He sees that the judge thinks that he caused trouble because of his race. Donte upends the judge’s expectations, pointing out his white father and light-skinned brother. He adds that he is learning to fence, pointing to Coach. The judge is surprised that his mother is a lawyer, and that Donte is able to attend a wealthy school like Middlefield without a scholarship. The prosecutor drops the charges, and Donte is grateful. However, he sees that the judge had certain expectations of him because he is Black.

At the team’s first tournament, Donte is nervous, and no one on the team wins their bout. However, Donte still enjoyed fencing and tries to bolster his teammates. Coach tells Donte that he is proud. They run into a member of the USA’s 1976 Fencing Team, on which Coach competed. The team member tries to bait Coach and upset him. Later, Coach explains that the man always behaved terribly to him because he is Black, and Coach once threw his bout so that he would no longer have to deal with the man’s treatment. He did not fence again until Donte asked him to be his coach.

Tryouts for Middlefield’s fencing team begin. The headmaster approaches Donte, asking if he is trying out. Donte planned to try out, but he realizes that the headmaster wants him to only because it would make Middlefield look good. He and Trey decide to stay with their evolving team and Coach Arden.

At the first regional tournament of the year, Donte faces Alan in the final. He defeats him soundly and makes Alan shake hands with him. Donte feels much more confident now because of fencing.

In the Epilogue, Donte marks one year since his arrest, and he and his brother now try to educate their fellow students about race. They alternate wearing shirts that read “White Brother” and “Black Brother” (233).