Barriers In The Life Of Jerome Rogers 'Ghost Boys'

Several barriers perturb the life of Jerome Rogers in Ghost Boys, the 2018 novel by Jewell Parker-Rhodes—three of the most stalwart are social, economic, and historical barriers. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that Black students would have the ability to attend school with their White peers. This landmark decision led to Black pupils attending public school with fellow white pupils. Brown v. Board of Education slackened barriers throughout the United States and had an everlasting effect. Unfortunately, barriers often aren’t broken. My grandfather has not spoken to his parents and siblings for nearly 60 years. My grandfather reported his father for abusing the family members in horrific ways. When his church

Economic barriers come in various forms. Ordinarily, American children attend good schools and have access to healthcare and more. Jerome is not entitled to these privileges. Jerome’s family struggles with their financial stability. Lackluster financial stability will almost certainly influence his life in various ways, including decreasing his access to necessities and opportunities throughout his childhood. These fiscal challenges undoubtedly led to additional problems, including housing access, healthcare quality, and education. Jerome asserted, “Mama says we can’t afford it.” He dissected the family’s financial state and how it is relatively poor, limiting their access to social services. Jerome enjoys exploring the communities of Chicago, and as he stumbles through Sarah’s neighborhood, he notices several noteworthy disparities. He often remarks about the safety of the neighbourhoods and the houses. He declared, “I walked past Sarah's neighbourhood every day on my way to school. Her houses were huge, with big porches and real gardens, not just patches of dirt.” His words imply that residents of Sarah’s community are wealthy, an example of an economic barrier. The affluent typically do not associate themselves with those who are poor and low-income, primarily because they segregate themselves into different worlds and neighbourhoods.

Historical barriers are obstacles that are typically rooted in the past. The U.S. Supreme Court reviewed Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. They ruled in favour of John Howard Ferguson, a Louisiana judge. A mixed-race man, Homer Plessy, bravely boarded a white-only train car in New Orleans, Louisiana. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) led to many historical barriers, including in Jerome’s life. In addition, Black Americans spent hundreds of years not having the ability to drink from the same fountains as white people, use the same bathrooms, or even ride the same transportation. These obstacles have created intergenerational trauma for millions, including Jerome. Intergenerational trauma in Jerome’s life stems from the legacy of slavery and racial violence in the United States that affected his ancestors massively. Their trauma palpably contributes to the family’s struggles with poverty, racism and loss. In addition, Jerome and his family tolerate a lacklustre, underfunded education. Jerome remarks, "I'm always getting in trouble." They say I don't pay attention, but it's hard when you can't see the point of any of it". In this quote, Jerome speaks of the historical injustices that have impacted schools predominantly attended by Black Americans. For hundreds of years, U.S. state governments have intentionally held lower budgets for schools like Jerome’s to hinder Black education. The partial cause of Jerome’s death was cultural