Fist Stick Knife Gun
A Personal History of Violence
Beacon Press · Print & ebook · September 28, 2010
A candid and riveting memoir from the founder of Harlem Children's Zone, taking readers through his Canada in which violence stalked every street corner.
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- Who it’s for
- A candid childhood memoir traces how street violence shaped life in the South Bronx.
- Themes
- Childhood violence, South Bronx neighborhood life, Changing street violence
- Genres
- Black & African American Lives, Activist Lives, Violence in Society
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A candid and riveting memoir from the founder of Harlem Children's Zone, taking readers through his Canada in which violence stalked every street corner.
Continue reading
Long before the avalanche of praise for his work—from Oprah Winfrey, from President Bill Clinton, from President Barack Obama—long before he became known for his talk show appearances, Members Project spots, and documentaries like Waiting for “Superman”, Geoffrey Canada was a small boy growing up scared on the mean streets of the South Bronx. His childhood world was one where “sidewalk boys” learned the codes of the block and were ranked through the rituals of fist, stick, and knife. Then the streets changed, and the stakes got even higher.
Growing Up Under Threat
A candid childhood memoir traces how street violence shaped life in the South Bronx.
Come here for
- A personal lens on violence and childhood in the South Bronx
- A grounded story of how the streets changed
Expect
- An unsparing account of fear and street codes
- A sustained memoir, not a policy primer
Where it sits
| Black & African American Lives | 65% |
|---|---|
| Violence in Society | 55% |
| Activist Lives | 45% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Cultural Heritage Lives
- Urban Life
- Violence in Society
- Authors
- Geoffrey Canada
- Publisher
- Beacon Press
- Published
- September 28, 2010
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Childhood violence · South Bronx neighborhood life · Changing street violence
- Reading lane
- Cultural Heritage Lives