Friday, June 3, 2011

Book Review: "The Other Wes Moore"

"The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore is about two black men who have the same name, lived in Baltimore, but whose lives took very different paths. The author, Wes Moore, graduated from college, became a Rhodes Scholar and delivered a speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The other Wes Moore became a drug dealer and later was sentenced to life in prison for his participation in the robbery and killing of a police officer.

What is intriguing about this real life story is the exploration of how both Wes Moore's grew up in similar circumstances: single mothers, poor neighborhoods, disinterest in school, and brushes with crime. But, their lives turned out very different.  The book raises the age old debate about whether individuals' lives are shaped by genetics or environment or both.

The book reflects on choices that both men faced growing up and how they dealt with these choices, second chances and expectations. Both Wes Moore's are faced with choices about education. The author Wes Moore's mother sends him to a private school to escape the crime-ridden and underachieving public schools in the Bronx where the family relocated after Moore's father dies. However, he does not like the school and doesn't fit in. "I was becoming to 'rich' for the kids from the neighborhood and too 'poor' for the kids at school. I had forgotten how to act naturally, thinking way too much in each situation and getting tangled in the contradictions between my two worlds." Eventually he is kicked out of the private school for poor grades and misconduct.  In a drastic move, his mother sends him away to a military school in Pennsylvania to save him from the streets.  Meanwhile, the other Wes Moore, drops out of school, becomes a teenage father and starts selling drugs -- following in his older brother's footsteps despite his brother's effort to keep him out of the "drug game." Wes rationalizes his decision to become a drug dealer, stating "This game didn't require studying or exams. It didn't require a degree or vocational skills. All he needed was ambition. And guts. ... And an ability to live with constant fear."

The story alternates between each man's life and the choices presented to them and the consequences each one experiences as a result of his decisions. Another major theme of the book is second chances. Wes decides that he wants to do something more with his life than sell drugs. He enters the Job Corps, gets his GED, and learns carpentry skills. However, when he returns to his old neighborhood and is unable to find a job as a carpenter and is forced to bounce from one low-paying job to another, Wes reverts back to selling drugs. Another choice -- bad decision.

At the military school, Wes eventually embraces his new environment and is mentored by others who expose him to opportunities he probably would not have encountered in his old neighborhood in the Bronx. He graduates from high school, interns with the Mayor of Baltimore, graduates college and becomes a Rhodes Scholar. The other Wes gets involved in a robbery with his brother and two other men, gets arrested, convicted and is sentenced to life in prison.

With each page, you wonder about the influence of a person's environment on his or her future. Would Wes have graduated from college and became successful if he stayed in the Bronx? How much of who we are is determined by our choices and personal responsibility. There are many people who grow up in poverty and experience traumatic events, but overcome those adversities to become "successful" and don't end up in prison. While the other Wes may not have had as many opportunities, he did have a choice to not engage in criminal activity.

In addition to the debate of personal responsibility v. environment, there is also the question about expectations. Wes poses the question if they are "products of our expectations." Wes states "we will do what others expect of us. If they expect us to graduate, we will graduate. If they expect us to get a job, we will get a job. If they expect us to go to jail, then that's where we will end up too. At some point you lose control."

This is a very sad perspective on life which must be challenged and changed. Everyone should set high expectations for themselves and strive to be the best person they can be.  No one should be "controlled' by another person's low expectations for them. Sometimes, the only thing limiting a person's possibilities in life are his or her own expectations.

While the book takes a very limited view of these lofty social problems within the context of two men's lives, it sparks the reader to want to get involved to make a difference. The book is short on content (only 180 pages), but contains a vast resource guide of organizations aimed at working with youth.

I would recommend this book, particularly for young black males. Like another book, "The Pact" (by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt), it is an inspiring and important book that may change a teen's life.