The deputy and I exchanged glances. With his eyes and a nod, he told me to put my arms around her. Which I did.

Years ago, Professor Antoine told me that if I stayed here, they were going to break me down to the n***** I was born to be. But he didn’t tell me that my aunt would help them do it.

But I was not thinking about Jackie now, or Joe Louis, or the little Irishman; I was thinking about that cold, depressing cell.