Although Jesse was African American (Twig is Dominican American) and a short distance runner (Twig ran medium distances) there are many similarities between the two athletes, including intense training, record-breaking races, and challenging stereotypes. For this primary source pairing, invite students to examine an image of Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics. Twig is a runner who pushes himself daily to be the fastest he can be. In this story of friendship, success, and struggle, the constant for Darius and Twig is the support they have for each other. Darius is a writer who is finding himself and his voice. Together Darius and Twig face Harlem and its many challenges. The two friends must face down bullies, an abusive uncle, and the idea that they’ll be stuck in the same place forever.
But they are drawn together in the struggle to overcome the obstacles that life in Harlem throws at them. Darius and Twig are an unlikely pair: Darius is a writer whose only escape is his alter ego, a peregrine falcon named Fury, and Twig is a middle-distance runner striving for athletic success.
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