Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 2) Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "The Finkelstein 5"

[Haley Reading Groups Spring 2022]

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "The Finkelstein 5" is one of the most powerful, inventive, and scary short stories we've read for our online reading group.

The tale focuses on the outcome of a brutal and terrible racist situation where a white man was found not guilty, though he admitted killing black children. In response, groups of African Americans begin killing random white people in crazed acts of anger and vengeance.    

There's so much to consider with this story. The racist killing of black children. The violent acts of revenge. The racial profiling. The ways the main character considers levels of blackness. And more. 

What most captured your attention about this story? And why?

62 comments:

Mysaiah said...

I think the one thing that really captured my attention was ignorance. I understand that this man is off the rails, but what better is it for other innocent children to die because of the hurt they’re going through? Those children have parents also and I feel that two wrongs don’t make a right.

Anonymous said...

Taylor C. Said
There were several things that got my attention in this book, mostly the violent acts described and the fact that even though what happens in the book isn't real, these types of things still take place when people don't like other people's skin color. I mean just even in the past 5 years there has been many cases.

Willie D said...

I’ll say what caught my attention is what happened to those five black children. As I was reading this, I am a big brother myself and I am willing to protect my little brother at all cost. I think it is pure evil to do this children period. I always say to myself that my skin color will always a target to others. I hate to read that this happened to these five black children. It was really sad to read every word of the book and how it was described.

Willie D said...

I’ll say that caught my attention the most is the brutal murder of those five black children. I am a big brother myself and I am willing to protect my little brother at all cost. I think it just pure evil to do this to young children. It can really sad for a parent to go through that if that happened to their child. I also liked how Emmanuel took a stand and said the names of the five black children.

Kendall B. said...

Personally what caught my attention the most had to had been the brutal actions within the text. The text describes impolite/ bias people that treated others of color horribly. While reading I was very disturbed with what was going on no one deserves to be treat that way !

Tomia B. said...

The one thing that most caught my attention was the way Emmanuel answered the phone. He was expecting the phone call for his interview, and it was stated that he "turned his blackness down to 1.5". This caught my attention because being a young black woman, I can understand the meaning of that statement. Unfortunately, not everyone is over racial profile even today. Sounding "less black" could sadly give you a better chance at earning the job. The violent acts also caught my attention. As stated in the question this man killed several black children, admitted to it, and was still found not guilty. If the roles were reversed, this would have never been the case and the black man would have immediately been prosecuted.

Cidney C. said...

There was a lot in this story that caught my attention, but for me, it was how relatable the story was to current times. The jury allowing a murderer to be free with a substantial amount of evidence is common in cases like these, which is so disheartening.
Another part of the story that caught my attention, was how Emmanuel always talked about the level of "blackness" he should be at in order to be considered as a decent human being who's not looking for trouble. We are in a society where black people a lot of the time are considered "thugs" just for wearing black or having a cap backwards, just like what Emmanuel talked about.

Arieona B. said...

What captured my attention the most was the response from the group of black individuals and how everything played out in the end. I expected them to be upset but for them to go as far as they did caught me off guard. It caught my attention that they were carving 5’s into their skin that was a bit extreme in my opinion and it sort of gave me sacrifice vibes.

Them taking matters into their own hands and killing random white people while chanting one of the Finkelstein 5 names caught my attention. Also the fact that they were well dressed while committing these crazed acts. I say this because all of this is not the typical response to situations like the one that occurred.
Arieona B.

Anijah Barringer said...

After reading, what captured my attention about this story was the injustice of the trial. We have seen cases similar to this. For example the “Emmett Till” Case. The two stories have a connection. Black children were brutally killed by a white person and no justice was served.

Furthermore, there was fine print evidence with both of these stories. Yet, the murderers still walked. And even still to this day justice in the court system is very corrupt when it comes to black and white. It’s sad to see that these types of situations are still lingering in the world today.

Anijah B.

Layla Brooks said...

I think the thing that caught my attention the most is when Emmanuel was talking about his blackness. At first I thought he was talking about color just off the term but it’s based how a black person is perceived when they walk out in the world. Whether it’s talking, the way you dress or acting a certain way now matter where you are at. It feel relevant because as a African American in America you have to pay attention to certain details about you and not seem ghetto or aggressive to others especially white people.
Showing how they discrimination or racism in America for example the interview call he got explaining how they have too many people of color in their staff.

Anonymous said...

The acquittal of a white male in the murders of five black teenagers drew my attention the most in this story. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he was allowed to walk free. When I read stories like this, it irritates me because it demonstrates how broken the system is and how history keeps repeating itself. Imagine the pain and suffering of the parents who lost their children.

Shaquerria Cole said...

The thing that got my attention first was the turning down/up of blackness. To me this is kind of like when people say someone is going from 10 to 100/turning up. It's crazy when you think about all the different situations where black people have to not "act their color" in certain situations.

Shakyiah C said...

There was a lot the captured my attention. But I think what struck me the most is that the black community decided to strike back with violence. And I see the reason why, they decided to be as brutal as George, they decided to dress formerly as to show how white people see them differently depending on how black people dress; just like the children who were killed, they chose to wear the colors or similar pieces clothing to the victims, and the reason they chant the victims' names. But I was thrown off because they were attacking random white people on the street. Some of the white people that were beaten or killed could have seen that what happened with the Finkelstein 5 was horrible and was delt with terribly. However, on one hand, I see why they didn't care who they went to. It's because racist white people don't care what black person they accuse of stealing, looking suspicious, killing, etc. As the long as the black person looks like they could then it is most likely true.

Itangishatse Bujeni said...

The experience of blackness feels unreal at times. I assume that for all peoples who face oppression, the stages of its grief look very similar to what everyone in this story experiences. I am most captivated by the way this story approaches anger as a side affect to injustice, anger at its worst. While reading the story I had a battle within myself on what to think of the black people seeking vengeance for the Finkelstein 5. My immediate response to their actions was shock, I had no idea what to think or feel about the possibility of that level of violence. However, after reading about the incident through Emmanuel, and what it felt like for him, especially after the profiling he had experienced not just twice in that same day, but having to tone his blackness for his safety and white acceptance his entire life. Something about that scale, and the officers following made the rage feel familiar.In no way would I condone taking lives as a healthy response to the evil that is racism, however, even in Emmanuel’s final moments, what he wanted most was to be seen. For the lives of the 5 to be acknowledged, and in a way I can understand this. Part of the black experience in this country is to know when to hide your blackness, how to not scare white people and this, makes black people feel invisible. I think Emmanuel was saying “see us”, and “hear us” as we are, not as what you want us to be. Especially after the loss of five children. I also find the dressing up for the murder interesting. I wonder if it’s to say “not even our violence looks like what you paint”. All in all, wow.

Alexis D said...

The thing that caught my attention was all the violent acts like how black children were brutally killed by a white person and no justice was served, but that is how life is today. I don't understand how one can kill people especially children.

Chidi Anyamele said...

I think the thing that caught my attention was the "blackness scale". Every time Emmanuel would just do simple things such as wear a hoodie or turn his cap backward, the scale would go up. However, if he wore formal attire and did such things as not raising his voice and smile, the scale would go down. It's sadly a very real metaphor for how some individuals look and perceive black people in their day-to-day lives.
-Chidi Anyamele

Muhammed Aboderin said...

What captured my attention the most was the sentencing of George Wilson Dunn. I knew that racism was especially bad during this time, but I'm bewildered that he was found innocent for murdering 5 black children, arguing that he felt "threatened". It is clear to me that white people saw African Americans as less than humans during this time.

Airika Carr said...

What really captured my attention from reading this is the way he tries to tone down his blackness. I feel like many African Americans go through this a lot feeling as if they have to change who they are to fit into the world and get respect. Also, the fact that a man killed 7 Black teenagers. This really made me think about how things like this always affect the black community hard. Just knowing that it is someone out there targeting us for just being black. This whole story really shocks me just hearing about it and seeing how he has to change who he is just to fit in the world.

Maya Chapman said...

The thing that caught my attention the most was the white man who killed the five children while being unprovoked. Then him being let off by the court and saying that he was just a loving father trying to protect his kids. Sounds like a load of crap.

Also how detailed and gory the story was. Reading this made me feel a lot of emotions, brought me to tears actually. Honorable mention: when the man got stopped in his tracks in the store asking if he paid for his items when he was JUST at the register, all because of his appearance.

Justin Burns said...

The topic I found most interesting about this reading was the style of language used when describing black oppression. Rather than directly speaking about general racism, the speakers often describe in detail of stereotype(s). By describing what it feels like to walk as a "black" man rather than white the emotions speak for themselves. By doing so the author leaves the readers to put themselves in a colored person's shoes. This works very efficiently for me.

Ruth B. said...

After reading chapter 1 of Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's Friday Black, what mostly surprised me was how the Emmanuel tried to cover up his "Blackness" just so that he could feel safe. Although it was a lot of in this chapter that surprised me, this one was emotional. I believe that this still happens today, where Black Americans feel the need to suppress their "blackness" just to not feel afraid of what can happen to them. In the book, Emmanuel was only trying to stand up against violence and he didn't even commit a crime but still ended up get killed which was not surprising. The situation about the violence, and suppressing blackness is so true in the real world.

Jayda Adams said...

The way people of color are being treated is what caught my eye.

Starr C said...

What captured my attention was the violence towards the 5 kids. To know that it's been cases similar to this was disturbing. The acts of ignorance that still happen to this day were bone-chilling.

Jordan Brawley said...

What captured my attention is when the man killed the 5 children and was found not guilty because even though this is a book I feel like if something like this happened in reality the jurors would find a way to find him not guilty and try to justify it which is sad.

K Carter said...

What captured my attention the most is how much it correlates to the present day. White people still aren't being held accountable for acts of violence committed against black people. I feel like the story is showing what will eventually happen if things like this continue to happen in our society.

Unknown said...

What captured my attention the most, was how the defense was defending this gruesome murder by saying it was out of love for America. This bothered me extremely, because it just shows exactly what this country values. This country values the "white American dream", and will do anything to protect it. Even though this isn't a true story, those 5 children in the passage had to pay with their lives and that is too disturbing to even think about. It's sad that his actions were justified as love for America, but that is the exact reality of the country we live in. Us as Black Americans don't receive the treatment that we deserve, and it's been like this since the times of slavery.
- Camille Brown

Jordan L Allen said...

The defense of Finklestein 5 made a pathos choice in putting love against the law. Laws may try to rationalize the customs of America but emotions can get in the way of the standard. If a serious situation had nothing to do with you personally, then feeling for it can seem diffcult.

Amy descollines said...

The main thing that caught my attention towards black people was the amount of ignorance. As I was reading you could tell the similarities with what’s happening now in the real world. Everyday we see situations like this and everyday we fail to see any justice being done.

Harrison B. said...

What caught my attention the most was how much of this story is seen in the present day. Reading this book is just like turning on the television and watching today's news. These days anybody will try to justify what the white man does, especially if it is against the black man.

Marina Brown said...

It is interesting how we choose to justify certain things so that we can comprehend them, wrap our heads around senseless acts. I found it difficult to continue reading this story because of the vulgarity in the language and the passion in the story with Emmanuel.

kelly said...

The brutal treatment of those kids captured my attention the most. There no remorse or repentance yet the murderer was let off, not necessarily a unpredictable ending just a heartbreaking one. Amoya B.

kelly said...

The brutal treatment of those children is what captured my attention. The murderer got off without remorse, repercussion or repentance which was not necessarily an unpredictable ending just a heartbreaking one.
-Amoya B

Alex Childs said...

What captured my attention the most was how the "justice system" was attempting to rationalize the horrific murder. They knew the murder wasn't an innocent case but instead a foul crime committed by criminals. This shows how whites are not held accountable for their actions against blacks in society. This also correlates to present day as well because white still get away with "murder" and are never to be held accountable. This story shows how's society will end up if these people in society don't hold those accountable for their actions.


-Alex Childs

Erin Myers said...

Raven D.:

The acquittal of a white male in the murders of five black teenagers drew my attention the most in this story. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he was allowed to walk free. When I read stories like this, it irritates me because it demonstrates how broken the system is and how history keeps repeating itself. Imagine the pain and suffering of the parents who lost their children. (February 11, 2022 at 12:55 PM)

Damilola Adebisi said...

Damilola Adebisi
The story I thought was fascinating to me because I like how un-sugar-coated it was. It explained experiences black people faced even if it was uncomfortable for me to read. Another thing I found interesting in the story was he was constantly aware of his color. I also like that his characters are representation of what black people go through in the real world.

Erin Myers said...

Saniya Buck:
This story is very eye-catching, but what caught my attention the most is the violence that was going on. The way that it is described is frightening especially after reading the first couple of pages. I feel that this story is definitely based on real information that is very unacceptable, that's why it's great to know your history.

February 10, 2022 at 11:09 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/02/haley-scholars-group-1-nana-kwame-adjei.html)

Latavia Bryant said...

The acquittal of a white male in the murders of five black teenagers drew my attention the most in this story. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he was allowed to walk free. When I read stories like this, it irritates me because it demonstrates how broken the system is and how history keeps repeating itself. Imagine the pain and suffering of the parents who lost their children.
Latavia B.

posted this February 11th and it posted anonymously

Marlon C said...

What caught my attention the most was the way those five children died and the way they were treated. I couldn't imagine going through what they have gone through. I have a younger sibling and I will do anything to protect her and I hate to see her hurting. So, I could not imagine. I will protect my sister no matter what. Whenever she is hurting, I am hurting. I said that to say, I couldn't imagine all the hurt, pain, and suffering that these parents are going through.

Jordan Barnes said...

When I was reading this story there were several things that caught my attention. The first thing that caught my attention is what happened to those five black children, and what did they do to their young children. And I was really sad to read this part of the story.

Shelbe D said...

I think the one thing that really captured my attention was ignorance. I understand that this man is off the rails, but what better is it for other innocent children to die because of the hurt they’re going through? Those children have parents also and I feel that two wrongs don’t make a right.

Naomi B. said...

What caught my attention the most was the Finkelstein case. The brutal murder of the 5 black children really stuck with me. Even though this is fiction, I can't imagine hearing about someone committing a crime this brutal. Another thing that caught my eye was the terrible negative reactions the families received.
-Naomi B.

Elizabeth Alao said...

What caught my attention the most was the different levels of blackness that the main character was talking about. I was very confused when those numbers came up and he reduced his whole identity to a number, not because he wanted to but because he had to. It was very interesting to see the numbers change as the story went on and as he went about his day. His numbers weren't even whole numbers there were decimals which was also very interesting, why go as far as to input decimals instead of whole numbers which I found very interesting.

Deborah Adekale said...

What got my attention was how even though there was so much violence and unjust/ unfair treatment none or it was made to seem easier for the sake of the book. Everything was raw and honest and sad. It made me want to continue reading. -Deborah Adekale

Kambria C. said...

The horrific acts within the text had to have been what attracted my attention the most. The text depicts cruel people who treated people of color brutally. I was quite horrified by what I was reading since no one deserves to be put in that position.  the most striking aspect for me was how relevant the story was. In cases like these, the jury letting a murderer go free despite a considerable quantity of proof is typical, which is very heartbreaking.

Amy descollines said...

what I found the most interesting was how ignorant people are. It’s crazy how in the real world the same things are happening too, people are faced with unfair and unjust bias all the the time.
Amy descollines

Jasmine D said...

What really captured my attention from reading this is the way he tries to tune down his "blackness". I feel like many African Americans go through this experience alot because they feel like they have to fit in and change themselves around certain people just so they wouldnt get looked at differently. Also, the fact that a man killed 7 Black teenagers. This really made me think about how much black people are affected just because the color of their skin. It's scary knowing that i cant walk around in just any neighborhood without being aware of my surroundings . This whole story really shocks me just hearing about it and seeing how he has to change who he is just to fit in the world because it relates to so many people in todays time.

Arielle S. said...

Quite a few things caught my attention in the reading but the extremely detailed description of the murder was the most interesting. The details were almost chilling and my future career is crime scene investigation so I thought I would be fine. When it comes to pictures in class I'm usually intrigued but when envisioning it myself from the detailed descriptions it was a bit hard to read.

Corey Anderson said...

What caught my attention the most is how African American children were being beaten by white people and no justice was happing for what had been done towards them.

Kelan Branch said...

What caught my attention while reading this was the murder that took place. It had really caught me off guard while I read it, and then felt angry when the white man was not found guilty. It reminds me of similar violent hate crimes that happen to black people in America. How a murderer comes up with one good lie to the verdict and then walk home free, it's disgusting how poor the justice system is here in america

Unknown said...

I think the thing that caught my eye the most was the fact that the beginning of the story when the main character woke up from his dream about a girl whose neck was broken and he tried to help her. Right then I could tell that this was going to be a dark story and this was not going to be an easy story. Another thing that captured my attention was the fact that Emmanuel had to control his blackness on a 10.0 scale. I felt as though this is still relevant in todays world where there are some black people that think they have to keep their blackness in check in order to be accepted in this world and be successful.

Anonymous said...

I think the thing that caught my eye the most was the fact that the beginning of the story when the main character woke up from his dream about a girl whose neck was broken and he tried to help her. Right then I could tell that this was going to be a dark story and this was not going to be an easy story. Another thing that captured my attention was the fact that Emmanuel had to control his blackness on a 10.0 scale. I felt as though this is still relevant in todays world where there are some black people that think they have to keep their blackness in check in order to be accepted in this world and be successful. -THIANE DIOP

THIANE DIOP said...

I think the thing that caught my eye the most was the fact that the beginning of the story when the main character woke up from his dream about a girl whose neck was broken and he tried to help her. Right then I could tell that this was going to be a dark story and this was not going to be an easy story. Another thing that captured my attention was the fact that Emmanuel had to control his blackness on a 10.0 scale. I felt as though this is still relevant in todays world where there are some black people that think they have to keep their blackness in check in order to be accepted in this world and be successful. -THIANE DIOP

Erin Myers said...

Udochukwu Chikere said...
One of the many things that caught my attention while completing the reading was the violence and brutality shown towards the children. Shows how truly corrupt the justice system is, in what sense can someone who beheaded children ever be found not guilty. Race being the final determinator once again.
- Udochukwu Chikere

February 17, 2022 at 11:32 AM (Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/02/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei.html)

Erin Myers said...

Aaron Crawford said...
The thing that caught my attention in this story was how the white man got away with those murders. It caught my interest because I was able to relate it to current situations in real life. It just made me sit back and reflect on the system and how it has been broken for so long that we've gotten many accurate literature representations of it.

-Aaron Crawford
February 21, 2022 at 11:45 PM (originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/02/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei.html)

Charles R said...

What caught was the violence, how the Finkelstein five was murdered, how the court had ruled in favor of Dunn and acquitted him. This is relevant with the recent shootings of people of color in the U.S. Then Dunn using the excuse that he was protecting his family, his love America and how he believed he needed to protect himself and his family. " He goes to say in America we have the freedom to believe" The story explains the double standard America has when it comes to White men committing and getting away with Murder. Also, the racism and revenge killings were other things that caught my eye. Reading chapter felt all too real and close to home.

Tyler Butler said...

The story caught my attention in many ways, but for me, what stuck out was how relatable the story was to our current times. A murderer can often be freed despite a substantial amount of evidence, which is so terrible. My attention was also drawn to the way Emmanuel always talked about the level of "blackness" he should attain in order to be considered a decent human being who is not searching for trouble. In today's society, it is so crazy how things like this still happens it seems like every other day on the news.

Erin Myers said...

Chanel B.:

This story caught my attention in many ways. The first thing that caught my attention is what happened to them five kids that was cruel and brutal I feel so sorry for the family of the kids. The second thing that caught my attention is how they let the man just walk away with murder. He had all the evidence that led him guilty of that crime and still let him walk free. That caught my attention because it relates somewhat to the justice system in America.

Erin Myers said...

Abdixakin A.:

What captured my attention was how the white man was acquitted for killing 5 children by decapitating them. What is so troubling is that he said he felt threatened by children as an excuse to kill the young children. He goes on to continue living his life while 5 innocent children are murdered. What is also surprising is the judge believes that the man actually felt like he was in fear for his life.

Kevin Dillard said...

Kevin D

What captured my attention the most was the beginning of the story of how a white man cut off the heads of 5 black kids with a chainsaw. The second was the court saying he was within his rights to do so because he felt threatened. Being able to get away with it because of skin is sickening.

Erin Myers said...

Sheena C.:

The main component that caught my attention was the idea of avenging the deaths of others
when the justice system fails to prosecute their offenders/killers. Due to the injustice,
Emmanuel, along other protesters, decided to commit their own terrosim in retaliation to the system. Ironically, this is very much the opposite in real life. Where black Americans are aiming to be more peaceful despite the threat of violence. Emmanual decided to turn himself into the narrative in which the white majority normally subscribed to the black minority; that they are more prone to violence. Nonetheless, Emmanuel was forced to embody that narrative which proves the white assumption, and further blames the black community. What the majority fail to see is the terrosim they have caused to create this civil unrest. We as people must truthfully acknowledge not only the results of a violent crime, but the causes. Even though humans don’t present proportional cause and effects especially with social issues, we must come to an understanding why people must retaliate.

Unknown said...

What caught my attention the was the Finkelstein case. I find it crazy that some one can murder 5 young black children. I also realized that the families weren't supported the way they needed to be. Even though it isn't real, these type of things happen more often then you expect.
- Ivorie Arthurs

Erin Myers said...

Allana B.:

What captured my attention the most about this story was the violence towards the kids and to know that there are so many cases like this one is just heartbreaking, especially knowing that cases like this still happen to this day white people still are held to their full accountability for what they do to African American people.