I had the pleasure to read Down These Streets in my minorities in literature class during my studies at Rutgers University. This is a powerful read, and even though written nearly thirty years ago, still resonates today. Down These Mean Streets by the late Piri Thomas, is a classical autobiography where Thomas documents his coming of age on the streets of Spanish Harlem. Thomas is a Puerto-Rican in English-speaking America, a dark-skinned morenito in a family that refused to accept him. Down These Mean Streets explores the deadly consolation of drugs, street fighting, and robbery – which ended when Piri was sent to prison for shooting a cop.
Piri recounts the journey of being an adolescent, being locked up in Sing-Sing, to overcoming these obstacles through faith, self-acceptance, and inner confidence.
Rate: 4 Stars
