We Beat the Street: How A Friendship Pact Led to Success

By the eleventh grade, Rameck learns a lot about standing up for himself, and the correct and incorrect ways to do it. Unhappy with inadequate school funding and underrepresentation of minority groups in the school history textbooks, Rameck decides to stage a student protest. He teams up with fellow United Student Organization members at his own school and other city schools and the USO protest they organize is a tremendous success. Working in tandem with other high schools, Rameck and other leaders gain the attention of the superintendent, an assemblyman and a state senator, who praise their peaceful protest techniques. A committee is formed to develop a curriculum that more fully addresses African-American and Hispanic history. Rameck feels victorious.

His protesting techniques are less effective with his biology teacher, however. He tries to get her to see that he is bright and creative, even when not adhering to the letter of the law (such as writing on only one side of the paper, one of her immutable classroom rules). Frustrated by what he sees as petty rules he must follow, Rameck grabs some silly string from a junior high boy and sprays it in his teacher’s face. The punishment, he is soon told, is expulsion. Despairing, Rameck pleads for leniency at his hearing. He assumes the sentence will stick and he will be kicked out, another Newark dropout with nothing to do but get in trouble. To his surprise though, the teacher requests that he be given another chance.

By eleventh grade, George, Sampson and Rameck are thick as thieves and do everything together. Though Rameck doesn’t excel at athletics as he does with theater, he still plays baseball with George and Sampson after school. They pal around together, sometimes all three of them simultaneously getting into trouble. One day, their math teacher, exasperated by the sight of the three of them goofing around, tells the group of friends to head to the library, to hear a presentation given by a Seton Hall professor. The boys agree to go, fully intending to cut class and go outside. Instead, but they are stopped by the principal, who redirects them towards the library. Once inside the presentation, all three are intrigued. The speaker tells them about a Pre-Med/Pre-Dentist program that they can apply for. If they are admitted, all expenses will be paid, and they will be offered summer courses to help them prepare. Rameck and Sampson are unsure, but George is determined: they should apply, all three of them, and just see what happens.