“Man Child in the Promised Land” Claude Brown By: Cory Drexel

Back Ground Brown was the son of two poor southern sharecroppers. His parents moved north bound to New York City after the Great Depression with the hopes of tapping into its “limitless opportunities”. They expected to find a Promised Land but instead found themselves in a Slum.

Back Ground (cont.) This Slum is the environment in which Brown grew up, a realm in which many others could never escape from. But Brown was lucky. With the right influences he was able to escape from the drugs and violence of the streets of Harlem.

Back Ground (cont.) “There was a tremendous difference in the way people lived up north…too many people full or hate and bitterness crowded into a dirty, stinky, uncared-for closet-size section of a great city” (Brown 1965). Brown made his roots in Harlem and was sent away to Wiltwyck School for Boys, an interracial institution for delinquent boys.

Back Ground (cont.) After returning to the streets of his home city he sent away three more times to the New York Training School for Boys in Warwick, a secure juvenile detention center. While in Warwick Brown had the opportunity to interact with Superintendent and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen.

Back Ground (cont.) Having this first hand interaction with the Cohen's was a turning point in Browns life as they planted seeds in his mind that altered his thinking indefinitely. After returning to the streets of Harlem and realized that that place would lure him back into that web of crime again and again.

Back Ground (cont.) He left his home town and moved to the lower east side to get a job and go to school, both of which are required of parolees. He became a graduate of Howard University at age 28 and went on to become a lawyer and an active writer in the Civil Rights Movement.

Excerpt In the beginning of the story, Claude is sent away to Warwick for selling some stolen goods from his friends. After being up there he was assigned to work part time in Mr. Cohen’s, the superintendent, home. This is how he got to know Mrs. Cohen.

Excerpt (cont.) Mrs. Cohen say past his crime filled background and recognized that he had a “…good head on his shoulders.” She tried to convince Mr. Cohen to allow Brown to stay in Warwick and go to High School there. Mrs. Cohen would give Brown books for him to read, ones she believed had characters who would inspire him such as Albert Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Jackie Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson and Mary McLeod Bethune.

Excerpt (cont.) After reading all of the books that she gave him he would start asking for more books. Brown says eventually he “…started getting ideas about life.” He kept reading and he learned more and more from the life experiences of histories inspiring people.

Question #1 What had Claude done that resulted in his being sent to Warwick again?

Answer #1 He sold some stolen goods from his friends. But the only reason he got caught was because he gave a stolen fur coat to his other friend who foolishly tried to sell it in the same neighborhood from which it was stolen.

Question #2 Summarize the nature of Claude’s relationship with Mrs. Cohen. List specific ways in which she planted seeds of self esteem and awareness that enabled Claude to see a world beyond the streets.

Answer #2 Mrs. Cohen would tell Claude that he “…could be somebody, that I could go to school and do anything I wanted to, because I had a good head on my shoulders.” She tried to convince Mr. Cohen to allow Brown to stay in Warwick and go to High School there so he could get his diploma. Mrs. Cohen would give Brown books for him to read, ones she believed had characters who would inspire him such as Albert Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Jackie Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson and Mary McLeod Bethune.

Question #3 Nature vs Nurture: Based on this brief excerpt try to determine which factor has more of an influence on a person’s life. Base your answer in part on what you learn from this excerpt.

Answer #3 What do you guys think???

Question #4 Why do students who come out of terrible family or environmental situations flourish? And, conversely, why do some children coming from seemingly ideal circumstances fail to grow up and functional healthily?

Answer #4 What do you guys think???

Bibliography “Man Child in the Promised Land” by: Claude Brown https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/2000_5_ 1/pag2.html http://www.racematters.org/manchildinth epromisedland.htm