Junior, my childhood buddy, and I were each arrested for stealing. Despite having committed the same crime, there was no legal consequence in my case, but the book was metaphorically thrown at him. My mom asked the arresting officer how we could resolve the issue and offered to pay for the stolen items. He replied, “Sears is not pressing charges, but the boys had to be accompanied by an adult if ever again in the store.” She agreed, and we were allowed to leave the precinct with no punitive measures or fines. Further, the policeman gave my mother the four ice cream bars Junior and I attempted to rip off.

The police handling of my African American accomplice was entirely different. He was taken to juvenile hall that afternoon and held overnight pending arraignment. His parents were notified to appear in court the following morning. The presiding judge said Junior now had a criminal record for theft and was being put on probation. There was also a fifty-dollar fine. The magistrate warned, “Next time, the sentence will be much more severe.” Junior’s mother and father were livid upon discovering I’d been released from the police station with no charges whatsoever. Because I appeared White, I was given a get out of jail free card.