All American Boys: 3. Saturday: Rashad Summary & Analysis

As Rashad drifts into consciousness, he keeps hearing the word “custody” repeated over and over. His nose is broken and will never look the same, and the nurses have been applying ice packs to his ribs. Last night, a police officer stood outside his hospital room to make sure he didn’t run away. The officer told Rashad’s parents that he was caught stealing and that he could be charged with theft, resisting arrest, and causing a public nuisance. Rashad could hardly breathe and was thus in no position to try and explain the truth.

In the morning, Rashad wakes up to see his mother, Jessica, sitting at his bedside. He feels terrible, but is grateful to at least be alive. David enters, and Jessica asks Rashad to tell them, honestly, what happened. Rashad tries to explain that he didn’t steal anything and doesn’t know why he was falsely accused, but he suddenly feels overwhelmed with tiredness. David remains suspicious. A nurse, Clarissa, brings in Rashad’s breakfast. Rashad manages to tell the story of what happened in detail, but his father is still skeptical. He asks if Rashad’s pants were sagging, but Jessica interrupts to point out that Rashad has never been in trouble for anything.

David mentions that the police said Rashad resisted arrest, adding that he always told his sons to “just do what they ask you to do, and you’ll be fine.” Rashad explains that he tried to do that, but that it didn’t make a difference. David looks disappointed, as if he remains convinced that the incident was indeed Rashad’s fault. Soon after, Rashad’s brother Spoony arrives. Spoony and David do not get along well. Spoony wears his hair in dreadlocks, which David argues will make people think he does drugs. When Rashad tells Spoony the story of what happened, Spoony explodes in anger, saying: “I’m so sick of them treating us like we animals.”

Jessica tells Spoony to calm down, but this only angers him further. He recites statistics about police racism, which frustrates David, who Rashad notes always calls Spoony “a rebel without a cause.” Dr. Barnes enters, and tells the family that Rashad’s nose and ribs are healing well, but that he has had internal bleeding and thus needs to stay in the hospital to be monitored. There is a chance that Rashad will need surgery, which frightens him and his family.

Berry, who is Spoony’s girlfriend and English’s older sister, is at the hospital too. Rashad drifts in and out of sleep, watching TV when he wakes up. In the evening, Rashad wakes to find his parents asleep. He talks to Spoony, who tells him that Berry has been waiting to see if anything has been posted on the internet about the incident at Jerry’s––so far, nothing. Rashad is hesitant about the idea of being in the spotlight as a victim of police brutality, but knows there is no point in telling Spoony to let it go. Spoony is determined to fight back.