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Uncle Rashon is Amal’s uncle and a father figure in his life. He is not an openly emotional man, and he refrains from ever hugging Amal until the day he visits him in juvie for the first time. Amal longs for his Uncle’s presence throughout the story, but it takes Rashon time to face seeing his nephew behind bars—and to face stepping into a prison as a Black man, himself. He had warned Amal to avoid the White boys’ turf in East Hills the night of the fight, but Amal hadn’t listened. An intellectual and activist, Rashon brings Amal books by Black thinkers like Carter G. Woodson, Richard Wright, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, reminding him that while his body may be confined, his mind remains free.
Uncle Rashon Quotes in Punching the Air
The Punching the Air quotes below are all either spoken by Uncle Rashon or refer to Uncle Rashon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Pages 189-231 Quotes
That’s what Uncle Rashon always says
That school teaches you what to think
not how to think and nobody raises
their hands except to give
the right answer
The teacher only
asks questions to hear
the right answer
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Uncle Rashon Character Timeline in Punching the Air
The timeline below shows where the character Uncle Rashon appears in Punching the Air. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pages 46-93
Family Portrait. Amal looks at his loved ones in the courtroom: Umi, Uncle Rashon, Shay, Dionne, Grandma. He notes the shades of concern, heartbreak, and hope in their faces.
(full context)
Pages 144-188
...like Kadon, who have fathers to come and see them. He asks Umi why Uncle Rashon hasn’t visited yet, and she says that he wants to, but he still needs some...
(full context)
Pages 232-286
...II. In the library, Amal tries to quiet his mind through reading. He wishes Uncle Rashon was here to guide him, to give him “the right books.” He sees the bookshelves...
(full context)
Pages 343-386
Father Figure. When Uncle Rashon—Amal’s father figure—finally visits, it’s the first time Amal allows himself to fall apart in front...
(full context)
Brotherhood IX. Kadon reads some of the books Rashon brought for Amal, and the two of them let the words sink in. They draw...
(full context)
