Meads discusses dating rituals, disciplinary action at school, and race relations. Meads focuses on the conflicts between Caucasian and African American (“black,” “colored”) residents in Hampden and at the Chevy plant, including interracial relationships, violence, housing integration, and government interaction. He uses personal stories to illustrate his opinions.

Douglass describes in detail the work experience of both himself and his father. Douglass describes the school opportunities that were available to him growing up. He describes in detail his experience as an African American man living in Hampden and the racial divides in the neighborhood, and Baltimore City as a whole. Douglass describes seeing the Baltimore Fire. He discusses the development of his neighborhood and how he remembers it being.