The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride is the heartwarming memoir about James McBride and how his mother, Ruth McBride, helped to shape the man that he is today. Through this life long adventure, Ruth was not the only one to help shape James. Other family members and friends and the major events were also game changers in James’s life. Without his many trials and tribulations in life, he would have never discovered his true passion for music and journalism. His faith and belief in God also helped him in his discovery of self. “’In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.’ Proverbs 3:6” (Pg. 301) This quote helped James to push through all of his troubles and to grow up to become a husband,
…show more content…
The death of his stepfather changed James severely. James’s birth father died not long after James was born, so his stepfather raised him. Hunter Jordan was a man of phenomenal things. He was a true man of God, for he started a church in the Red Hooks Housing Project. Unfortunately, he passed away and this hurts James and his mother a tremendous amount. James’s involvement in the wrong clique made his life suffer. Stealing and shoplifting were one of the top things on their priority list. The boys also smoked weed and to drink alcohol. His grades slipped, where he failed everything and he would have to attend summer school. After he failed summer school, he would go to Louisville, Kentucky to see his sister. He would spend the whole summer there, smoking reefer and drinking alcohol with his sister’s husband on “the corner.” “They called me ‘New York’ and let me sit out there all day, practicing my flute and smoking all the weed I wanted.” (Pg. 147) There was a man named Chicken Man who was James’s, or New York as they called him, favorite man on the corner. The wise man taught James the way of the streets. He also gave him the advice that kicked James into high gear. “’If you want to drop out of school and shoot people and hang on this corner all your life, go ahead. It’s your life!’ I had never heard Chicken Man talk so severely and what he said didn’t really hit me, not right away.” …show more content…
Ruth picked up everything and mover herself, along wither all of her children that were still living with her, to Wilmington, Delaware. James was looking forward to the move. The fresh start that this move presented him, was an opportunity he could not refuse. “... I’d have to do an extra year of high school to finish. Plus I kept running into my old friends, who were getting into bigger and bigger trouble. I needed to see some new faces, a fresh start.” (Pg. 177) Within the completion of his senior year, James kept his grades up and found his true passion for music. Focusing on his music and studies and keeping his priorities in check, James was extremely successful. His musical training was excellent, for he played the tenor saxophone and trombone. “… ,but bow I kept away from the hang-out crowd and dealt with my music, focusing on tenor sax and trombone, which I picked up in order to play in the marching band.” (Pg. 183) His musical talents took him to Europe, where he played with the American Youth Jazz Band. The trip was extremely expensive, luckily the Dawson’s stepped in and sponsored James to go on the trip. His musician skills and incredible writing skills took him to Oberlin College in Ohio where he studied music. “By the time I began my senior year in high school, I knew I wanted to go to college and be a musician of some kind.” (Pg. 187) After graduating, he had
The death of his stepfather changed James severely. James’s birth father died not long after James was born, so his stepfather raised him. Hunter Jordan was a man of phenomenal things. He was a true man of God, for he started a church in the Red Hooks Housing Project. Unfortunately, he passed away and this hurts James and his mother a tremendous amount. James’s involvement in the wrong clique made his life suffer. Stealing and shoplifting were one of the top things on their priority list. The boys also smoked weed and to drink alcohol. His grades slipped, where he failed everything and he would have to attend summer school. After he failed summer school, he would go to Louisville, Kentucky to see his sister. He would spend the whole summer there, smoking reefer and drinking alcohol with his sister’s husband on “the corner.” “They called me ‘New York’ and let me sit out there all day, practicing my flute and smoking all the weed I wanted.” (Pg. 147) There was a man named Chicken Man who was James’s, or New York as they called him, favorite man on the corner. The wise man taught James the way of the streets. He also gave him the advice that kicked James into high gear. “’If you want to drop out of school and shoot people and hang on this corner all your life, go ahead. It’s your life!’ I had never heard Chicken Man talk so severely and what he said didn’t really hit me, not right away.” …show more content…
Ruth picked up everything and mover herself, along wither all of her children that were still living with her, to Wilmington, Delaware. James was looking forward to the move. The fresh start that this move presented him, was an opportunity he could not refuse. “... I’d have to do an extra year of high school to finish. Plus I kept running into my old friends, who were getting into bigger and bigger trouble. I needed to see some new faces, a fresh start.” (Pg. 177) Within the completion of his senior year, James kept his grades up and found his true passion for music. Focusing on his music and studies and keeping his priorities in check, James was extremely successful. His musical training was excellent, for he played the tenor saxophone and trombone. “… ,but bow I kept away from the hang-out crowd and dealt with my music, focusing on tenor sax and trombone, which I picked up in order to play in the marching band.” (Pg. 183) His musical talents took him to Europe, where he played with the American Youth Jazz Band. The trip was extremely expensive, luckily the Dawson’s stepped in and sponsored James to go on the trip. His musician skills and incredible writing skills took him to Oberlin College in Ohio where he studied music. “By the time I began my senior year in high school, I knew I wanted to go to college and be a musician of some kind.” (Pg. 187) After graduating, he had