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The next morning, April Ofrahcalls to apologize for putting Starr in a dangerous situation, but also says she thinks Starr has a future in activism. Starr looks at the poster of Tupac on her wall, which was the first item she put up in her new bedroom because it felt like “bringing Khalil” with her. She says that all the rioting last night was because people were angry, and “it fucked all of us.” She decides it is time to “un-fuck” everybody. Hailey texts Starr to say that she is sorry—for the verdict and that Starr is upset with her. Starr understands this means she is not sorry for her actions, just for Starr’s response to them. Hailey also says she wants things to be the way they used to be, but Starr texts back that they never will be, because Hailey may never see how wrong she was. Remembering Lisa’s advice to weigh the good and the bad of a relationship, she decides to cut Hailey out of her life and deletes her phone number. Starr walks down the hallway, noting that she has yet to get used to the layout of their new house. Maverick is at the kitchen counter, clipping the rosebush he brought all the way from Garden Heights. Many of the roses are dry and dying, but Maverick sets the bush in a new clay pot and waters it. He says they are a little damaged, but the new soil will help them “reset” and bloom once again. Starr worries what people will think about them leaving Garden Heights instead of staying to fix it, but Maverickasserts they don’t have to live there to make a difference. Lisasays she will do extra shifts at the clinic. Later the family goes to see the remains of the store. Police block the entrance to Garden Heights, but when Maverick explains the situation they let them through without issue. Starr is pleased that she is able to remain calm throughout the whole encounter. The Carters begin to clean up. Neighbors voice their support, shouting for them to keep their heads up and some, like Tim, even coming by to help pick up the rubble. Kenya then apologizes to Starrfor always calling Seven “my” brother instead of “our” brother. She says she felt insecure about their relationship, fearing he really wanted to be with the Carters and felt ashamed of Kenya’s side of the family. She says it felt like Starr was ashamed of her too, having never introduced her to her Williamson friends. Starr seemed like she was ashamed of all of Garden Heights, in fact. Starr admits she may once have been ashamed, but is not anymore. Kenya asks what they will do next, and Starr says they will “rebuild.” Starr says the world called Khalil a thug, but she will remember him as a hazel-eyed boy with dimples.  She will never forget how he died, and will fight for a better ending. She has realized that the fight for justice is about more than Khalil. It’s about her entire family and community. She then lists the names of real-world black individuals killed at the hands of police, acknowledging there are many more. She says it’s about Emmett Till. People in communities like Garden Heights are starting to fight back. She promises she will never forget, never give up, and never be quiet.

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The group tries to get out the back door, but it’s locked, and Goon still has Starr’s keys. Smoke fills the aisles and they struggle to breathe. Mr. Lewissees them from outside and screams for help. Tim comes running and opens the front door, but the path to it is blocked by flames. Moments later Maverick shows up and rushes to unlock the back door. Everyone tumbles out of the store. Neighbors with buckets of water try to put out the flames, which have spread to Mr. Lewis’s store as well, but the fire is too big to control. King pulls up across the street in his gray BMW. He and other King Lords laugh and point at the fire. Maverick screams at King for starting the fire, but King keeps laughing and hides behind his King Lords. Mr. Lewis shouts that King burned down Maverick’s store—loud enough that the gathered crowd hears it. The police and a firetruck arrive. As the police order the crowd to back up, Mr. Lewis tells them that they need to be focused on King because he started the fire. King calls him a liar, but to Starr’s immense surprise, Maverick speaks up to confirm Mr. Lewis’s story. Starr is shocked that her father has “snitched.” But soon many in the crowd join in to confirm that they, too, saw King start the fire. An ambulance arrives and tends to DeVante. Starr and Chris hold hands, and Starr is grateful that they went through the craziness of the past few hours together. The firefighters put out the flames, but it’s too late: only a shell of the store remains. Starr feels like she is losing another family member. Maverick and Lisa ask where they’ve all been all night. Maverick is impressed when he hears that Starr threw tear gas, though he half-heartedly scolds her in front of Lisa. Maverick admits that Chrismust be brave to have stayed with Starr all night through the riots. He tells him to meet him at the boxing ring the following weekend, because you can “learn a lot about” someone by the way they fight. Starr understands this to be a step toward Maverick accepting her boyfriend.

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Seven tries to avoid the protests, but many streets are blocked off by the police. When his car runs out of gas on an unfamiliar street, the group gets out to walk to a gas station. As they walk, Starrpoints out to Chris her old apartment building and the Taco Bell she used visit with her family. Chris says maybe they can go to Taco Bell together someday, which makes DeVante laugh. Chris says he wants Starr to know he will go anywhere with her, no matter what neighborhood it’s DeVante clutches his side, and Seven asks if King kicked him with his boots. Seven notes that he did that to Iesha once, breaking her ribs. The group again hears police telling people to get off the streets, and realize that they have reached the street where Khalilwas shot. People there are chanting “a hairbrush is not a gun.” This is Starr’s first time at the street since the shooting, and she sees the whole scene play out in front of her eyes again. April Ofrah’s voice on a bullhorn snaps Starr out of her daze. She is leading the hairbrush chant as the police continue to tell people to disperse. The chant echoes all around them, and Chris, Seven, and DeVante join in. Starr eventually does too, screaming as loud as she can and putting her fist high in the air. Ms. Ofrah steps down and approaches Starr, who begs her not to tell Lisa she was at the riots. Starr says she had only been talking and joined because she wanted to do something. Ms. Ofrah says that talking is doing something, and reminds Starr that her voice is her most powerful weapon. Police throw tear gas at the protestors. Starr volleys it back and even more chaos erupts as everyone scatters. Starr manages to find Seven, Chris, and DeVante through the stampede, but they are all being choked by thick white smoke. They spot a gray pickup truck barreling toward them and realize it is Goon. He stops and tells Starr and her friends to climb into the back of the truck. Also in the truck are other protestors, along with a man Starr recognizes as a national news anchor with a cameraman. Starr can’t stop coughing from the tear gas.

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The car is silent as Seven drives to his grandmother’s house. Starr can’t understand what went wrong, or why Khalildidn’t matter enough for his death to be considered a crime. Kids around them start chanting “Justice for Khalil.” Seven slams the steering wheel in frustration and asks Starr if she wants to “burn shit up.” Starr says she wants to protest and riot. Chris says that won’t solve anything, but Starr snaps back that talking didn’t either; if the world doesn’t care about her, then she doesn’t care about the world. Seven drops Kenya and Lyric at their grandmother’s house as riots erupt in Garden Heights. Seven asks if Chris wants him to drive him home, as things are about to get “wild,” but Chris says he wants to stay with Starr and for everyone to know the indictment decision was wrong. The group asks DeVante why he walked off, and he tells them he wanted to visit his brother, Dalvin, in the cemetery. They arrive at Magnolia Avenue, where music blasts, horns blare, and people shout from the hoods of cars. Flames can be seen in the distance. They park at the Just Us for Justice office, which has been boarded up and had “black owned” spray painted over it so that rioters know not to target it. Chris feels out of place in the crowd, and realizes this must be how Starr and Seven feel at Williamson. They climb atop a bus for a better view, and see King Lords and Garden Disciples protesting together on top of a police car. The crowd grows more violent, with people screaming to flip the police car and smashing its windows. Starr recognizes that her anger over the verdict is shared by her community. Someone starts playing NWA’s “Fuck tha Police” and Starr shouts along with it; despite her love for Carlos, she has realized this is not about good cops like him. The riots reach a tipping point. People start smashing the windows of a nearby McDonalds, the same one Starrremembers eating at with her parents. She screams for them to stop, but the building bursts into flames. As flames pour out of other businesses’ windows, Starr thinks of Maverick’s store and all the memories it holds for her family. The crowd cheers for the buildings to burn, and though Starr recognizes their anger, she thinks this is not the right way to change things. A line of police officers in riot gear arrive, telling protestors to get off the streets because this is “not a peaceful assembly.” People start throwing rocks and bottles at the cops. Someone throws a Molotov cocktail, and the group runs back to Seven’s car to drive away from the riots. While in the car, DeVante defends the rioters by saying peaceful protests haven’t worked, and echoing Starr’s words that because the world doesn’t care about them, they shouldn’t care about the world. Starr fears what will happen if the rioters reach the store

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Thirteen weeks have passed since Khalil’s death. The Carters have moved into their new house, and Starr notes that in her new, safer neighborhood she can just tell her parents she is going for a walk “and leave.” The house still doesn’t feel like home, however, and Starr misses seeing the familiar faces of Garden Heights. Needing to feel “normal,” Starrtexts Chris, who quickly picks her up in his Benz. They drive to Chris’s house, which is a mansion full of statues, oil paintings, and chandeliers. There is even a separate unit for a butler. Chris’s room is enormous, with a flat screen TV and leather couch.Looking at all the finery, Starrfeels more than ever that they should not be together; their backgrounds are simply too different. She says Chris should be with someone like Hailey. Chris tries to comfort Starr, but she feels he just doesn’t understand and drops it. The two begin to make out, and Starr insinuates that she is ready to have sex. Chris says he does not want to take advantage of her in this moment, and instead holds her and lets her cry. Seven calls, demanding to know where Starr is. He then says DeVante is missing. Starr’s stomach drops, and she and Chris agree to help find him. Seven pulls up to Chris’s house while on the phone with Kenya, who is clearly distraught. The three get into Seven’s car and speed to Iesha’s house. Starr realizes this is Chris’s first time seeing Garden Heights, and worries about what he thinks of it. He does not say anything, however.  They arrive at Iesha’s house, which is dilapidated from the outside but “five-star-hotel nice” on the inside. Shoes dangle from a utility line out front, signaling that drugs are sold there. A big group of King Lords sits drinking, smoking, and dancing with women in the backyard. As the group rushes out, Starrnotices Iesha dancing in King’s face and pushing him down seductively when he tries to stand. The whole time she is also looking towards them to make sure they have left, and Starr realizes she is distracting King to help them. Seven is deeply hurt until he realizes this too. Kenya points out that with everyone else gone, Iesha knows King will take his anger out on her instead. Seven swerves to turn the car around, saying he is supposed to protect Iesha, but Kenya reminds him that she has lasted this long, and to let her do this for them.

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Ten weeks have passed since Khalil’s death. Carlos hosts a barbeque for Memorial Day at his house that also serves as a joint birthday/graduation party for Seven, who has just turned eighteen and finished high school. Maverick cried when he saw his son get a diploma. The atmosphere is joyous, as the kids play in the pool and the adults dance to old-school hip hop music. Kenya flirts with DeVante, who happily says that Carlos and Pam have agreed to let him live there for his senior year of high school. He has even bonded with Nana over their shared love of the card game spades. When Maya and Chris arrive, Starr feels her Garden Heights and Williamson worlds colliding, and worries about acting too “black” or too “white” for either group. Things are slightly tense at first as the two groups greet each other. Chris and DeVante slap palms. Kenya introduces herself to Chris and then compliments Maya on her sneakers; Maya jokes about never running in them, and she and Kenya laugh. When Kenya asks where “blondie”—a.k.a. Hailey—is, Maya excitedly launches into the story of Starr’s fight. Kenya eats the story up, and agrees when Maya says, “minorities have to stick together.” Much to Starr’s relief, everyone is getting along. Starr is eating in the kitchen when a call comes through from the security guard ofCarlos’s gated complex: Iesha is at the gate. She did not attend Seven’s graduation, and was not invited to the party. Seven walks to the gate, followed by Starr, her parents, and Kenya. Seven greets his grandmother and little sister Lyric. Iesha, wearing a tight pink dress, angrily confronts Seven about not inviting her and scolds Kenya for keeping her brother’s party a secret. Starr is grateful again that Lisa, and not Iesha, is her mother. Seven explodes with hurt and rage, telling Iesha he is so ashamed of her that he has never even told his Williamson friends that Lisa is not his real mother. He confronts her about never showing up to things, putting him out of the house, and for always choosing Kingover her son—even when King hits her. His voice cracks as he tells Iesha that all he “ever did is love” her, and she couldn’t even love him back. Iesha is hurt, angry, and embarrassed, and turns to leave. She asks Maverick if he’s happy for turning her son against her, and says she can’t wait for King to get back at them all; he has had it out for them ever since Starr snitched. Back in the house, Seven is sobbing uncontrollably. Lisacomforts him, and Maverickinstructs Kenya and Starr to go back outside. Starr realizes how awkward it is to be sitting with Kenya, whose father wants to kill her. Kenya apologizes on behalf of Iesha, saying she wishes she would leave King. Starr sympathizes, saying Iesha might be too afraid—just like Starr was too afraid to speak up until Kenya called her out for her cowardice. Though they bond over this fact, Kenya says they should go back to her brother. When Starr corrects her by saying “our brother,” Kenya walks away without responding.

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It has been two weeks since Starr talked to the grand jury and eight weeks since Khalil’s death. Seven drives Starr to school, and appears on guard even at Williamson; he has grown more protective of Starr following her dry-snitching on King, whom Carlos has said the police are watching closely. Starr sees Maya and Haileytalking outside Hailey’s locker. Hailey has a smug expression on her face and calls Starr a “liar” when she approaches. Hailey then hands Starr two photographs of Khalil. The first, said to be the image the news has shared, is what Maverickcalls Khalil’s “thugshot,” in which he holds a bunch of money to the camera. The second is from Starr’s twelfth birthday party, and shows her, Khalil, and Hailey eating cake. Starr recognizes what the photos don’t show: a poor kid happy to finally have some money in his hands, and eagerly eating cake because there was no food at his home. Hailey calls Starr a liar for pretending like not to know Khalil, and demands an apology for being called racist. Mayadefends Starr by pointing out that Hailey has, in fact, been saying racist things—including her Thanksgiving cat comment. Hailey dismisses her concern, saying that was so long ago that she shouldn’t be upset. She then says that Khalil probably would have been killed soon enough anyway, and that the cops did the world a favor by ridding them of a drug dealer and gangbanger. Starr punches Hailey in the face, and a fight ensues. Other students laugh and pull out their phones to record it. When Hailey’s brother Remy gets involved, Seven jumps in. Starr notes that they both know how to fight, Maverick having often taken them to the boxing gym after school. A school security guard breaks up the fight, and the four get suspended. They are not expelled, because the headmaster takes pity on Starr“given the circumstances.” Lisascolds Seven and Starr, saying they behaved in the way the world expected them to.  Starr finally lets her anger about Khalil’s death out, shouting that he didn’t deserve to die and she’s tired of listening to people acting like it was okay that he was murdered. Lisa rubs her back and lets Starr cry. Later the Carters’ house is filled with both King Lords and Garden Disciples. Mavericksays that regardless of the indictment verdict, they can’t let riots get out of hand and have people burn the neighborhood down; though people are angry, destroying their home won’t fix things. Tim, Mr. Reuben’s nephew, says they all need to get more organized and avoid targeting black-owned businesses. Maverick agrees, and urges the gangs to put territory wars aside together for the sake of Garden Heights; infighting has only given the cops more power to do whatever they want. Much to Starr’s surprise, the different gang members slap palms.

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The next morning Starr wakes up to the smell of bacon. Lisaand Pam have cooked breakfast for the King Lords, who gobble everything up quickly. Lisa tells Starr to bring a plate to her father and uncle outside, and finds them sitting on the back of Maverick’s truck. Carlos motions for Starr to sit in between them, and much to her surprise, they appear to be getting along—joking with one another about the characters of Garden Heights. Carlos insinuates that they worked through their issues, their shared love of Starr being much more important than any qualms they had with each other. The King Lords drive the Carters to the courthouse. Starrflashes back to many years earlier, when Carlos drove her, Seven, and a sobbing Lisa to the courthouse to say goodbye to Maverick before he was taken to prison. He came outside in his orange jumpsuit, but could not hug her because he was handcuffed. For the next three years Starr hated the courthouse because it took her father away from her. In the present, a media circus has surrounded the courthouse. A security guard leads the Carters through, but Starr must go into the courtroom alone. Before she does so, Lisa tells Starr how proud she is of her and that she is brave. Starr bristles at this word, but Lisa asserts that being brave doesn’t mean she is not scared. Maverick hugs Starr in support. Though Starr has to go into the room alone, she feels as though her parents are with her.Starr is sworn in and begins her testimony in front of the grand jury. She gets off to a halting start, and the judge tells her she must speak up so everyone can hear what she says. The judge says they are going to discuss the details of the night of Khalil’s death. Part of Starr is terrified, but another part of her remembers that her parents are watching her, and that Khalil needs her.  Strengthened by this thought, she says she is ready to speak

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Maverick and Lisa take Starrand her brothers on a “trip.” At first they think they are going to Carlos’s house, but they pass his neighborhood. They eventually stop in a similar neighborhood, though there is no gate and there are more people of color. They stop in front of a brick house. Inside smells of fresh paint. The kitchen has granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. As Starr, Seven, and Sekani look around with wonder and confusion, Lisaannounces that she got the job at the hospital and that this will be their new home. Though Maverick has complained about the fakeness of life in the suburbs, he says the realest thing he can do is protect his family. Lisa says they hope to get settled before Seven goes off to college, so that he has time to make his room his own. Seven reveals that he wants to go to Central Community, a junior college in Garden Heights, to stay close to his mother and sisters. Maverick and Lisa think he can’t be serious; Central Community is “Garden Heights High 2.0” and lacks many of the opportunities of the other schools Seven applied to. Maverick insists Seven is not responsible for his sisters, and deserves to take advantage of the chance to go to school wherever he wants. That night—the night before Starr testifies in front of the grand jury—the Carters watch a basketball game together back at the house in Garden Heights. They tease each other over competing alliances and superstitious game-day traditions. Then the happy atmosphere is abruptly destroyed by gunshots and a brick shattering the living room window. Maverick screams for everyone to get down, and Lisathrows her body on top of her children. Maverick grabs his own gun and shoots at the attackers’ car as it screeches away from the house. Lisa calls Carlos, who rushes over and insists they call the police. Maverick refuses, fearing crooked cops could be behind the attack; he believes it is no coincidence that it took place the night before Starr’s testimony. He argues with Carlos, who defends the police and says many want justice in Khalil’s case. Maverick angrily says he is not a fool and won’t pretend that some cops don’t do “dirty shit”—like the ones who made him get down on the ground just because they could. Starr shouts that she refuses to testify anymore. In response, Maverick makes her, Sekani, and Seven recite lines from the Black Panthers’ Ten-Point Program that call for an end to police brutality “by any means necessary.” Given these teachings, he asks Starr how she can be quiet. Starr mentally notes that speaking up didn’t end well for Black Panther leaders Huey Newton and Malcom X. Soon a group of King Lords, led by Goon, arrive at the Carters’ door. They are “Cedar Grove” King Lords, signifying that they are part of a different “set” than King is. Maverick says they will be providing security for the evening. Carlos is outraged at the invitation of gangbangers to the house, saying King Lords may have been behind the attack in the first place. Maverick accuses him of not wanting to protect Starrbecause he is scared about how working with gangbangers will look to his fellow cops. Carlos screams at Maverick, pointing out all he did to raise Starr and Seven while Maverick was in prison. Every time Ieshadropped Seven off, often for weeks, he bought clothes and food, and provided shelter. He says Maverick must not ever insinuate he doesn’t care about the children. Maverick goes silent.

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The interview proves one of the most watched in the network’s history, and there is an outpouring of support for Starronline. Kenya texts her approval, but also says King is angry that Starr effectively snitched on him. The Saturday of prom arrives, and Starr is sitting in a Rolls Royce with Chris. He behaves coldly towards Starr, answering her questions “robotically” and barely looking at her. Loud music greets them as they arrive at the ballroom, and Starr notes how different Williamson and Garden Heights parties are. For one thing, the people at Williamson can’t dance like those at Big D’s. Starr feels less hesitant here, however, because being black makes her “cool by default.” She could make up a dance and everyone would think it was a new trend. Maya finds Starr and says that she asked Hailey about the “cat” comment, but Hailey refused to apologize. Hailey has stopped speaking to both of them, in fact, and both Maya and Starr express anger at themselves for letting Hailey get away with her comments in the first place. Starr is thankful to have Maya in her life, and they dance with their other friends from the basketball team. Chris continues to behave coldly towards Starr all evening, however, to the point that Starr storms out of the ballroom and back to the Rolls Royce. Chris runs after her and tells her he watched the interview and recognized her voice; he knows she is the witness. He is heartbroken that she kept that, and so much more about her past, from him. Starr explains that she feels she can’t share that part of herself with his world because people “use it against her,” treating her like a charity case from “the ghetto.” Chris begs Starr to open up to him. Unable to keep up the charade of bouncing between her two different personas, Starr relents. Still in the car, Starr opens up about her life in Garden Heights, as well as witnessing Natasha’s death and later Khalil’s. She tells Chris about living in a smoky, rat- and roach-infested apartment in the projects. Maverick, who struggled to get a job as an ex-con, had to use food stamps to buy clothes. She admits her guilt over not being there for Khalil. She calls Chris her “normal.” They say “I love you” to each other. Seven and Layla tap on the car door, and the four go back inside the prom. Chris gets up in front of the crowd and raps The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airtheme song for Starr. They dance the night away, and Starr doesn’t think about Khalilor Natasha. She calls it “one of the best nights of her life.”

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Five weeks have passed since the shooting, and April Ofrahhas arranged for Starr to do an interview with national news anchor Diane Carey. A limo picks the Carters up from Garden Heights, and as they drive away Starr is heartened to hear her neighbors shout words of encouragement. Lisahas made everyone dress up as if they are going to church, and instructs them on how to speak at the studio. Chris texts Starr asking what color her prom dress is, but Starr has been too distracted to think about that; Ms. Ofrah has had her prep for her interview every day after school. Starr has also been helping at Just Us for Justice, and listening in on their staff meetings to learn more about police reform and protest tactics. The Carters arrive at the studio, and the producers film some clips of Starr walking and talking with Diane Carey. Starr feels odd, remembering watching Carey on the news every night as a child. The interview itself takes place in a large, fancy suite. Carey asks Starr about the Khalil sheknew, and Starr gives a heartfelt account of Khalil as a big-hearted, normal kid. Though Ms. Ofrah had warned Starr not to go into too many details, and in spite of King’s threats, Starr hears Kenya’s voice in her head and decides to tell the world why Khalil sold drugs. She brings up Brenda’s drug addiction, and says Khalil only dealt to get his mother out of debt with the most powerful drug dealer in Garden Heights. To the shock of her parents and Ms. Ofrah, she has dry snitchedon King; anyone watching from Garden Heights will know exactly who she means. Starr continues, telling the world that Khalil was not in a gang. Thinking of DeVante, Starr asserts that even if he were, that does not make his killing acceptable.  The media has been treating him unfairly, she says, effectively putting him on trial for his own murder. Starr goes on to detail the night of Khalil’s death, asserting that there was no gun in the car, that she and Khalil posed no threat to One-Fifteen, and that the officer pointed his gun at her after killing Khalil. She says she does not hate cops, but is tired of them assuming black people are dangerous. These assumptions are what killed Khalil. Remembering Ms. Ofrah’s words that speaking out is the way Starr can fight for justice, she ends the interview by wondering whether One-Fifteen wishes he had shot her too.

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The following morning Lisatakes Starr to IHOP, but Starr barely touches her food. Lisa expresses her anger about the previous night’s interview, saying a grown man could not possibly been afraid of “two children.” People on the internet seem to agree, Starr has noticed, and people she has never met are calling the interview “BS.” Starr starts to open up about the tension with Hailey, though she leaves out the specific details. Lisa says she never liked the way Starr always let Hailey have her way when they were children. Lisa encourages Starr to make a list of the good and bad parts of her relationship with Hailey. Bringing up Nana’s alcoholism, she says she learned early on that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if your love for them outweighs that. Lisa stayed with Maverick after he cheated on her with Ieshabecause she decided that the good in their relationship outweighed the bad. She advises Starr to think the same way about Hailey, and decide whether the relationship is worth saving. If not, Starr should let Hailey go. Later that day Starr meets the DA, a white woman named Karen Monroe who apologizes for taking so long to meet. The meeting is relatively quick, and Starr is grateful that she “doesn’t ask any stupid questions about Khalil.” While explaining the details of the shooting, however, Starr vomits. Maverick and Starr head back to the store together. There, Maverick asks Starr what she sees in Chris—and if she has a problem with black boys. Starr wants to know if Maverick has a problem with white people. He admits that his reservations about Chris stem from insecurity: he worries that did not set a good example for his daughter about black men. Starr responds that he set a good example of what a manshould be, and Maverick kisses the top of her head. King pulls up to the store in his gray BMW and asks for DeVante’s whereabouts. Maverick denies knowing where he is. King then says he knows Starr is the witness the news is talking about, and that she better “keep her mouth shut.” Since the police know Khalil sold drugs, digging deeper into his history could lead back to King. King makes a very thinly veiled threat against Starr if she says anything incriminating. Starr and Maverick pick up food from Reuben’s for dinner on the way home. At dinner Lisa casually mentions that she has a second interview for a job at the same hospital where Pam, Carlos’s wife and a surgeon, works. Pam recommended Lisa for the job of Pediatrics Nursing Manager, and thinks it is as good as hers. The job would mean a six-figure salary. Much to Starr’s surprise, Maverick says he and Lisa will look at houses near the hospital before the interview and that he is determined to get the family out of Garden Heights. After dinner, Seven tells Sekani that he won’t be leaving. He will go to community college to stay near his mother and sisters.

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Needing to clear her head,Starr leaves and walks to Maya’s house nearby. Maya is excited to see Starr, but Hailey, who is also there, remains cold. After a brief time playing video games, Hailey cuts the tension in the room and asks Starr why she is mad at them. Starr asks why Hailey attended the fake protest for Khalil, and Hailey defends herself by saying everyone else did it too. Maya apologizes for using a “tragedy to get out of class,” but Hailey refuses to admit she was wrong. Instead, she demands Starr apologize for calling her racist. Starr realizes that Hailey has always been a master of twisting situations so that she seems like the victim, but Starr refuses to fall for it anymore. Starr insists her fried chicken comment was, in fact, racist. Hailey still refuses to apologize, and they sit in tense silence while watching TV. Maya flicks through channels and lands on the television interview with One-Fifteen’s father. Pictures of a smiling One-Fifteen with his wife and children flash across the screen, bolstering the image of him as an upstanding family man. The program then shows images of the worst parts of Garden Heights, dismissing it as a neighborhood “notorious for gangs and drug dealers.” Starr is angry that none of the good parts of her neighborhood are highlighted, such as Mr. Reuben, Lisa’s clinic, Mr. Lewis, and her family. One-Fifteen’s father goes on to say that his son “loved” working in Garden Heights and “wanted to make a difference”—an attitude Starrcompares to slave masters thinking “they were making a difference in black people’s lives.” As he tells the story of the shooting, One-Fifteen’s fatherpaints a picture of Khalil’s death that is nothing like what Starr experienced. He portrays both Starr and Khalil as dangerous threats who cursed at One-Fifteen, resisted his orders, and conspired to take him down. One-Fifteen’s father says his son was “a good boy” who rightfully feared for his life, thought he saw a gun, and just wanted to get home to his family, yet the media is portraying him as a “monster.” His son’s life has been “hell” since the shooting, and a fellow officer even attacked him. Starrrealizes this must have been Carlos. In her outrage, she furthers notes that interview has “killed” a part of her—the part afraid of speaking out. After the interview Haileyexpresses sympathy for One-Fifteen, asserting that “his life matters too.” Starr is appalled by her sympathy, believing it rightly belongs to Khalil’s family. She angrily points out that white lives always seem to matter “more.” Hailey refuses to cede the point, saying Starr is in “bitch mode.” Starr asks why she unfollowed her Tumblr, demanding to know if it was because of the Emmett Till photo. An outraged Hailey accuses Starr of calling her racist again, and storms out of the room. After Hailey has gone, Mayasays that Hailey was lying: she did unfollow Starr’s Tumblr because she was tired of seeing, as Hailey put it, the “black stuff.” As Maya names civil rights activists Starr posted images of, Starr is impressed that she has been “paying attention.” Maya says she had said nothing to Starr out of hope that Hailey would come around, but feels ashamed for not knowing better; Hailey had said racist things before. Maya tells Starr that after Thanksgiving their freshman year, Hailey asked Maya, who is Chinese, whether her family “ate cat.”  Maya says Starr had looked horrified at the moment but neither of them said anything. When Hailey laughed, they joined in. Starr is deeply ashamed, wondering if she felt that she “had” to laugh in that moment. Starr says they cannot let Hailey get away with her prejudice. Maya smiles and suggests the two of them form a “minority alliance.” Starr walks back to Carlos’s house, where she finds her uncle having a beer outside. She can tell that something is deeply wrong; Nana was a violent alcoholic, so even one beer is a big deal to Carlos. Starr notices the bruises on Carlos’ knuckles and puts things together: Carlos is on leave because he punched One-Fifteen in the face. The idea of her uncle fighting makes Starr crack up with laughter. Carlos smiles too, saying that as someone from Garden Heights, he “knows how to fight.” Starr is touched, but also worries about Carlos losing his job. Carlos says he loves his family more than the force, and that Starr is the reason he became a cop in the first place. Starr asserts that they need good cops like him. Carlos admits that the interview with One-Fifteen’s father made him rethink his earlier dismissal of Khalil as nothing more than a drug dealer. He is angry with himself for trying to rationalize the death of a boy he watched grow up. Whatever Khalil’s background, Carlos says, he should not have been killed for “opening a car door.” He also asserts that had he been at that traffic stop, he would not have shot Khalil.

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Back at the store, the Carters find a badly beaten Mr. Lewis, his eye swollen shut and cheek slashed. He says five King Lords attacked him, and is proud of putting up a fight. Lisa andMaverick note that he is lucky to be alive; with King Lords, snitches do not simply “get stitches”—they get “graves.” Mr. Lewis scoffs at their concerns. He says they were really after DeVante—that Kingwill kill him when he finds him, and that King also knows Maverick is hiding him. Maverick furiously grabs DeVante by the neck, slams him against a freezer, and asks what is going on; he knows King would not want DeVante dead unless he had done something very bad. DeVante tries to brush things off as not being a big deal, but suddenly bursts into tears. DeVante reveals that Kingwanted him to kill the men who shot Dalvin, which would only lead to Garden Disciples coming after him. As such, DeVante stole $5,000 from King in order to get his mother and sister out of town. His mother refused to let DeVante come with them, fearing he would put them all in danger.  Realizing how unsafe he is in Garden Heights, Maverick, though angry, softens, and brings DeVante to Carlos’s house—a move that surprises Starr, since Maverick never goes to Carlos’s house with them. Upon arrival, Starr is surprised to see Carlos at home in sweats in the middle of a workday. DeVante is impressed by the size of Carlos and Pam’s home, but worried about staying with a cop. Carlos reveals that he was put on leave, and Starr immediately knows it was due to her. Carlos explains the rules of living in his house to DeVante: no guns, no swearing, and he must go to school. Nanarudely says she won’t live with a “murderer,” but the others shoo her away. Starr hears a familiar laugh at the front door, and sees Chriswalk into Carlos’s house; he saw the Carters’ car in the driveway and wanted to see if everything was okay. As the others greet Chris warmly, Maverick realizes he is not a new presence in Starr’s life. Maverick grows furious to learn not only that his daughter has a white boyfriend, but that he was the last one to know about it. He is especially angry that Carlos knew before him.

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Tanks rumble through Garden Heights. A curfew has been implemented, and Maverick is home with the family. Everyone feels safer with him around, and the mood is lighter in the Carter home. Maverick tends to his roses, which he fears are dying. He and Lisa have made up, and Maverick watches his wife as she works on the computer. Starr assumes she’s on Facebook updating her out-of-town relatives, but wonders how she could post positive news without mentioning everything that has been happening. Maverick asks Starr to get her old laptop to give to DeVante for school. Back in her bedroom, Starrchecks on the new Tumblr blog she has started called The Khalil I Know. It includes photographs and stories about Khalil that contradict and complicate the image the media is painting of him. She sends the Tumblr link to Kenya. Though this isn’t speaking up on the news, Starr feels that she is still doing something for her friend. Soon, hundreds of people have liked her photos and begin posting their own memories of Khalil. Someone posts a video of Tupac explaining “Thug Life,” and Starr finally feels like she fully understands what it really means. Starr brings her old laptop to Seven’s room, where he and DeVante are playing video games. She notices the Slytherin blanket on Seven’s bed and notes that they all wanted to be Slytherins when they were little because they associated the Harry Potter house with being rich—which, when you are living in the projects, she says, is “the best thing anybody can be.” Starr also notices the black trash bag of clothes next to Seven’s bed, and Seven tells her that Kingmoved back in with Iesha and officially kicked him out of the house. Starr tries to comfort Seven, but he insists he is okay. Starr hears Lisa speaking in her “other” voice on the phone. She is speaking to the District Attorney about Starr coming in to talk. Maverick does not like the idea, but Starr thinks it will help Khalil, and agrees to do it. The next morning Kenya finally texts Starr back about the Tumblr, saying simply “its aight.” Starr is happy, knowing this is a compliment coming from Kenya. She wonders if Kenya took a long time to respond because she was dealing with the fallout of King, who beats her and her sister in addition to Iesha, moving back into her house. Starr knows Kenya won’t open up about that, but tells Kenya she will be there for her if she needs her. Lisa take Starr to the Just Us for Justice office, which occupies an old Taco Bell. Maverick used to take Sevenand Starr there right after he got out of prison and did not have much money; he often had to go to the cash advance building next door, which was the first indication to a young Starr that necessities do not simply “show up” but must be paid for by someone.

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The next day at Williamson things are eerily quiet. Starr asks what is going on, and Hailey reveals that her brother, Remy, is starting a protest for Khalil simply to get out of class. Making matters worse, Hailey says it is messed up that they’re protesting a “drug dealer’s” death. A disgusted Starr tells her that should have nothing to do with it and tells Hailey to leave her alone. She decides she is “done following Hailey.” Five minutes into class students start chanting “Justice for Khalil” and students walk out of the classroom. Only Starr and Chrisstay behind. Later in the lunchroom, Starr is happy to see that Jess, a friend from the basketball team who is white, refused to join the protest as well.  She, Starr, Chris, Seven, and Layla joke that they are protesting the “Get Out of Class Protest.” After school, Starr sees Mr. Lewis standing outside Maverick’s store and preparing to give an on-camera interview. Maverick says it is in response to some cops getting jumped around the corner. Starr mentally begs the news crew not to put Mr. Lewis on live TV, but the interview begins. Mr. Lewis bluntly tells the interviewer that thugs have been terrorizing Garden Heights for years, and he will “name one right now they can come and get.” Much to Starr and her family’s horror, he then snitches on King. Maverick calls Mr. Lewis crazy after the interview for snitching on television, insisting he is “a dead man walking.” Mr. Lewis asserts that unlike the rest of the neighborhood, he isn’t scared of King. He reveals the prosthetic leg he got from the war as well as a scar on his stomach he got “after some white boys cut me ‘cause I drank from their fountain.” Compared to all that, he says, King’s “games” are nothing. He says King is still controlling everyone in Garden Heights, including Maverick. A police car with two officers shows up and they approach Maverick and Mr. Lewis. An officer named Larry, who is black, accuses Maverick of harassing Mr. Lewis, a claim both calmly deny. Starr notes that Mr. Lewis has his hands by his sides, and must have had “the talk” too. She also thinks they have targeted her father because of his baggy clothes and tattoos. Larry asks for Maverick’s ID, which he very slowly hands him, not wanting to make any sudden movements. Upon seeing his name, Larry forces Maverick to the ground and thrusts his knee into his back. A crowd of familiar neighborhood faces, including Mr. Reuben’s nephew Tim, has formed at this point; the officers tell them to leave, but they insist they this “is their business.” Larry begrudgingly lets Maverick up. Before the cops leave, Larry tells Maverick he will “keep an eye on him.” After the incident, a shaken Maverick and the others go inside the store. Maverick slams his fists on the counter in anger. Mr. Lewis, no longer at odds with Maverick, tries to comfort him, while Sekani asks his siblings why the officers treated “daddy like that”? Seven comforts his little brother. Tim says that the officers humiliated him in order to scare Starr off from speaking up; news had spread that she was the witness. Kenya overhears this and calls Starr a coward for not speaking up more on behalf of Khalil. She says that if Khalil were from Williamson, Starr would be have defended him, and further accuses Starr of abandoning both Khalil and her for the bougie world of her private school. Kenya insists Starr has a chance to help the entire neighborhood, and that Khalil would have spoken up for her.

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Lisa and Starr spend the night at Carlos’s to avoid the riots, but protests continue to fill the streets when they drive home the next morning. Starr is terrified when they have to pass throughout a police checkpoint, and grips the door handle. They make it through without issue, but Starr does not let go of the handle until they get home. Back at their house, Maverickasks Starr to hang out with him that day, promising her ice cream and the chance to  watch Harry Potter. Starr relays her father’s theory that the Hogwarts houses are really just gangs; they wear the same colors, never snitch on each other, and some (the Death Eaters, at least) even have matching tattoos. Starr gets into the car with Maverick, who plays Tupac as he drives. Starr lightheartedly mocks him for showing his age, but Maverick insists Tupac cared about uplifting black people. Starr tells Maverick what Khalil told her about Tupac’s definition of Thug Life. Maverick asks what Starr thinks Tupac meant, and she replies those at the “bottom of society” “get the short end of the stick,” and are also feared the most by society. Maverick continues to push Starr to explain how drugs, racism, and a lack of opportunity trap communities like Garden Heights in a cycle of poverty and crime. He says that people become drug dealers because they need money and “don’t have a lot of other ways to get it.” He connects this to the lack of proper education in minority communities, drug industries, and a justice system that disproportionately punishes black people. After listening to her father’s words, Starr realizes that the protests and anger in her community are much bigger than Khalil. She decides that she cannot be silent if she wants the system of oppression to change, stating “my silence isn’t helping Us.” When Maverick and Starr arrive back at the store they find DeVante.  It becomes clear that he is trying to hide from someone; he finally admits he is trying to hide from Kingbecause King wants him to “handle”—kill—the people who killed his brother Dalvin. Starr realizes that the gunshots she heard at Big D’s party were the same that killed DeVante’s brother. DeVante wants advice from Maverick on getting out of the gang, since Maverick got out years earlier. Maverick says that his father was the “biggest drug dealer” Garden Heights had ever seen, effectively making Maverick a King from birth. Maverick had to “king” since childhood as a way to survive; people would have it out for him because of his father, but as a King Lord people would have his back. Once he had children, he decided the gang was not worth it anymore. He took a drug charge for King and went to prison for three years. There he reconnected with his father, who told him how much he regretted missing time with his own children. In exchange for protecting King, the latter let Maverick leave the gang. Maverick agrees to help DeVante get free of King, and says he can start by working in the store. While showing him how to put price stickers on items, DeVante opens up to Starr about feeling helpless as he watched Dalvin die—a feeling Starr knows all too well. Maverick allows DeVante to stay with the Carters that night. Later Starr overhears her parents fighting, Lisa angry with Maverick for putting the family in danger by bringing DeVante home, and more broadly for insisting they continue to live in Garden Heights. She says has made her choice and will do what she needs to do for her children.

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That evening, protests erupt in Khalil’s name throughout Garden Heights. Maverickspends the night at his store to protect it from rioters and instructs his family to stay indoors. Starr compares her neighborhood to a “war zone.” Upon hearing the sound of machine gunfire Lisa instructs the children to move to the den, where there are no windows. The family turns on the television to watch coverage of the protests, which have grown violent; police are tear-gassing protestors, cars have been set on fire, and people are running and screaming through the streets. The police appear on screen and say they have no reason to arrest One-Fifteen. To Starr’s anger, the news makes it sound as though “it’s Khalil’s fault he died,” alleging there was a gun in the car and calling Khalil a drug dealer and gang banger. Starr is not sure what to believe, but knows that regardless, Khalil did not deserve to die. That night, Starr has a vivid nightmare about Natasha’s death.  The next morning Seven bangs on her bedroom door,  reminding her that it’s the day of their monthly basketball game. Starr yells out to her parents that they’re leaving, and the two head to Rose Park—a large park filled with rusting playground equipment, broken beer bottles, trash, and cigarette butts. Still, the park holds sentimental value for Starr, who played there with Khaliland Natasha. Starr and Seven play basketball, but then two young teens in the colors of the Garden Disciples approach. They ask Seven if he is “kinging”—that is, part of their rival gang—and even though he says he is neutral, the teens demand he and Starr hand over their things. DeVante, a King Lord around Starr’s age sitting nearby, intervenes. He asserts that Rose Park is King territory and pulls up his shirt to reveal the gun in his waistband. The Garden Disciples leave. Maverick pulls up to the basketball court, furious that Starr and Seven left the house without telling him or Lisa. He rants as he drives them home, pointing out the danger of going to play ball when the neighborhood is so dangerous that the National Guard has arrived. Back home, Lisa is equally angry. She demands Starr and Seven hand over their cellphones, and says they are all going to Carlos’s house.
They arrive at Carlos’s house, which is in a gated community close to where Chris lives. Starrnotices how peaceful and safe everything is there, with joggers and kids playing in the streets. Nana, Lisa’s mother, greets them and immediately begins to complain about how Carlos’s wife Pam has started baking rather than frying her fish. Chris shows up at the front door unannounced, wanting to check on Starr following the riots and also demanding to know why she has been ignoring him. Starr angrily blurts out that he simply cannot understand what is going on with her because he is white. Chris insists he doesn’t care about their differences, and asks Starr to help him understand. Starr decides she has missed him too much and he is her “normal,” and they reconcile. She still cannot bring herself to tell him she is the witness in Khalil’s case.

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It is the day of Khalil’s funeral. The parking lot is packed when the Carters arrive, and Starr sees multiple people dressed in “RIP Khalil” t-shirts. The Carters wear suits and dresses. Starr feels uncomfortable in Christ Temple, which the family stopped attending years ago in favor of a more “diverse” church, where the service is led by a “white guy with a guitar.”Pastor Eldridge greets the family and looks at Starr with pity. Starr feels her legs trembling and a wave of nausea as her family gets in line to approach Khalil’s open casket. She counts down the remaining people in front of her with increasing dread, until finally the moment arrives. The Khalil inside looks like a mannequin of himself, lacking the spark and dimples she knew and loved. Starr flashes back to seeing Natasha in her casket years before, remembering her horrified screams for her friend to wake up.  A woman wearing one of the “RIP Khalil” t-shirt and exhibiting an air of authority directs people to their seats. Starr feels like a “phony” when her family is seated in the front row of the church, a place of honor for Khalil’s friends. She stares at the flower arrangements and photos of Khalil as she knew him, as the young boy who used to play with her and Natasha.  Pastor Eldridge leads a service for Khalil, framing the day as one of joy. The choir sings and nearly everyone except for Starr joins in. Friends of Khalil’s whom Starr has never met go to the front of the church to tell stories about him that Starr has never heard. She feels even more unworthy of her seat. The authoritative woman who led them to their seats then gets up to addresses the church. She introduces herself as April Ofrah with Just Us for Justice, an organization calling for police accountability. She tells the church that the police have no intention of arresting One-Fifteen, and that Khalil was unarmed at the time of his death. This latter statement in particular causes unrest throughout the church; confused murmurs are quickly replaced with people shouting that “this is bullshit.” Ofrah then invites people to join a march past the police station after the ceremony. King and Lesha and a group of King Lords suddenly enter from the back of the church. Iesha wears heavy makeup and a skimpy black dress, and Starr can sense the tension between her parents in that moment. Iesha, a prostitute, is the “Achilles heel” of their marriage; Seven is the result of a “for-hire” session between her and Maverick. The group walks to the front of the church and one of the King Lords lays a gray bandana across Khalil’s chest. A furious Mrs. Rosalie snatches the bandana and throws it back at King, calling him a demon and screaming for them all to leave. Iesha calls Mrs. Rosalie an “old hag,” and reveals that King offered to pay for the funeral. Mrs. Rosalie says she refused the “filthy money” and scorns Iesha for entering a church. The King Lords leave. Starr is appalled to think that Khalil could have become a King Lord, knowing how much pain and violence gangs and drugs have wreaked on Garden Heights. She is also confused; though King Lords “crown their fallen comrades” with a gray bandana, the inside of his car was green — the color of the Garden Disciples. Starr feels even more guilt for abandoning Khalil when he was alive, positing that she could have talked him out of joining a gang. She admits to herself that Khalil was her first crush, as well as one of the best friends she ever had, no matter how little they saw each other. After the funeral, protestors outside of the church hold signs demanding “Justice for Khalil”, “Am I Next?”, and “Enough Is Enough.” News vans have arrived as well. Maverick says he wants Seven and Sekani to be a part of the march, but Lisa insists on taking Starr home. April Ofrah approaches the Carters and offers to help Starr with legal representation. She asserts that the case is about to get national media attention, and she wants to help protect Starr’s privacy.

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khalil's name finally appears on the news, along with the title “Suspected Drug Dealer.” The news does not mention that he was unarmed, and says the police spoke to an “unnamed witness.” At Williamson, fried chicken is served for lunch in the cafeteria, much to Starr’s delight. In gym class, Starr sits between Hailey and Maya and scoffs at a girls vs. boys basketball game in which the girls mostly flirt instead of playing. Starr spots Chris on a bench, and looks at him as though she has suddenly “really, really” realized that he is white—a fact that feels like a “fuck you” to the black men in her life. She wonders if she is betraying Khalil by dating him. Hailey drags Starr and Maya onto the basketball court to play. Starr doesn’t really want to join in the game, and reflects that, without her noticing it, Hailey has somehow become the leader in their friend group. The game starts off well until Starr becomes distracted by Chris. To Starr’s shock and disgust, Hailey yells for her to “pretend the ball is some fried chicken.” They lose the game, and afterwards Starr calls Hailey out about “making a fried chicken comment to the only black girl in the room.” Hailey is utterly indignant at the insinuation that she could possibly have said something racist, insisting it was just a joke in reference to lunch earlier that day. Hailey and Maya ask if the Khalil they heard about on the news was the same Khalil who attended Starr’s birthday parties as a child, and if that is why she is behaving weirdly. Hailey dismissively refers to Khalil as “the drug dealer,” and Starr realizes that is all the world will ever see Khalil as. Worried what they will think of her, Starr denies knowing Khalil. She feels as though this is the ultimate betrayal. Hailey then asks Starr if she is upset because of the anniversary of Natasha’s death, reminding Starr that the anniversary of her own mother’s death was a few weeks earlier. Starr bursts into tears and the gym teacher sends her to the school shrink. Not wanting pity, Starr runs off before her classmates see her crying and think of her as a “the Weak Black Girl.” Starr goes to the headmaster’s office instead of the shrink’s, and fakes menstrual cramps to convince Carlos to sign her out of school. He takes her to get frozen yogurt, and, unconvinced by her act, asks what is going on. Starr says that because she had not seen Khalil in months before his death, she is worried about attending the funeral. She then pushes Carlos to explain why One-Fifteen has not been arrested yet. Carlos defends his colleague, saying one can never know how they will react in that sort of situation. He cannot say definitively whether he would have shot Khalil too. Starr confesses that One-Fifteen pointed his gun at her, too, and Carlos holds her. He repeatedly tells her “I’m sorry,” and that he knows “that’s not enough.”

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Lisa drives Starr and Sekani to Williamson Prep, passing by Carlos’s gated neighborhood on the way. Starr wonders if the gate is trying to keep people out or in. Upon arriving at school, Starr flips the “switch” in her brain to become “Williamson Starr,” the persona she inhabits to fit in with the posh, predominantly white world of Williamson. She avoids slang and “stank eyes,” and holds her tongue so that she won’t seem like a stereotypical “angry black girl.” Above all, she does not want anyone to think she is “ghetto.” starr enters the room and Carlos asks if she would be willing to talk to some detectives. Starr is scared of facing the police again but, with Carlos’s assurance that it will help Khalil, she agrees. starr thinks the real reason her father and uncle fight is because of Maverick’s insecurity and guilt about not being there for part of his children’s lives: Carlos took care of Starr, Seven, and Lisa while Maverick was in prison for three years, and is a surrogate father to Starr. Maverick tells his daughter that he witnessed people being shot and killed in front of him as well, and that he named her Starr because she was his “light in the darkness.”  He tells her to hold her own when speaking to the detectives, and to remember that she did nothing wrong. On Sunday morning Starr and her parents visit Mrs. Rosalie, Khalil’s grandmother who also helped care for Lisa when she got pregnant with Starr. Starr is flooded with memories of Khalil upon entering Mrs. Rosalie’s house, and reminisces about all the games they played together as children.  tammy and khalil 'swell-to-do aunt, is at the house as well. She and Lisa were very close when Starr was little, and Khalil used to say he wished Tammy were his mother instead of Brenda. Tammy says they do not know where Brenda is, and she hopes Khalil’s death will finally force Brenda to stop taking drugs. tells Starr that she was the best friend Khalil ever had, which makes Starr feel at once heartbroken and guilty for having lost touch with so much of Garden Heights. Mrs. Rosalie confirms that Khalil was selling drugs, but also says he wanted to talk to Maverick about how to get out of the game. Starr worries that the public will only see Khalil as a drug dealer, even though “he was so much more than that.” She looks around at Khalil’s family and notes that regardless of what he did, he mattered to them. Maverick and Lisa then give Mrs. Rosalie money to pay for Khalil’s funeral.

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Lisa reminds an extremely anxious Starr to breathe as they arrive at the police station for Starr’s interview with the detectives, Gomez and Wilkes. They pass Carlos’s desk, which Starr notices has pictures of her on it. Though Starr is terrified, Carlos says that she must talk to the detectives today if she wants the case to be handled properly. Lisa demands to go into the interview room with Starr. Knowing she is not alone, Starr feels ready to take on the interview. Upon entering the interview room, she repeats the teachings of “the talk” in her head and immediately feels her voice changing to ensure she does not sound “ghetto.” She remains hyper aware of her speech and gestures throughout the interview. Gomez and Wilkes ask Starr whether Khalil seemed “irate” after being pulled over by One-Fifteen, and assert that he was “hesitant” to get out of the car. Starr grows increasingly nervous, and feels as though the room is getting hotter. She recalls her father’s advice to not let them put words in her mouth, and counters the detectives’ assertions that Khalil was being difficult. The detectives continue to present Khalil as resistant to arrest in their questioning, and also ask Starr whether he was drinking, sold drugs, or was in a gang. Starr can no longer hold her tongue, and quips that Khalil “didn’t pull the trigger on himself.” Lisa asks why it seems like they are putting Starr and Khalil on trial instead of One-Fifteen. They leave the interview with the shared knowledge that “this is gonna be some bullshit.”

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overhears her parents arguing with Carlos, who is Lisa’s brother and a detective, about Khalil’s shooting. Carlos reveals that he is on the same force as One-Fifteen and defends his colleague’s actions, saying Maverick always makes thing “about race” and questioning why Starr was in the car with a “drug dealer.” Maverick argues that the officer only assumed Khalil was a “thug” because he was black. Carlos says Lisa needs to move away from the “poisonous” Garden Heights — something Maverick refuses to ever do.

Carlos complicates the notion that all police officers are bad, though he, too, has succumbed to rationalizing Khalil’s death as his own fault. Starr enters the room and Carlos asks if she would be willing to talk to some detectives. Starr is scared of facing the police again but, with Carlos’s assurance that it will help Khalil, she agrees. Starr thinks the real reason her father and uncle fight is because of Maverick’s insecurity and guilt about not being there for part of his children’s lives: Carlos took care of Starr, Seven, and Lisa while Maverick was in prison for three years, and is a surrogate father to Starr. Maverick tells his daughter that he witnessed people being shot and killed in front of him as well, and that he named her Starr because she was his “light in the darkness.”  He tells her to hold her own when speaking to the detectives, and to remember that she did nothing wrong. On Sunday morning Starr and her parents visit Mrs. Rosalie, Khalil’s grandmother who also helped care for Lisa when she got pregnant with Starr. Starr is flooded with memories of Khalil upon entering Mrs. Rosalie’s house, and reminisces about all the games they played together as children

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While waiting for her parents to pick her up, Starr notes that officials “leave Khalil’s body in the street like an exhibit.” The police rummage through his car and she doesn’t want them to touch his things, including his hairbrush. When an officer finally puts a sheet over Khalil, Starr worries he “can’t breathe” under it, and notes that suddenly she “can’t breathe” either.A distraught Maverick and Lisa arrive and take Starr home. They tenderly put her to bed. The following morning Starr wakes up and thinks about Natasha. At age ten, Natasha excitedly called for Starr to join her in running through a busted fire hydrant. While happily playing in the water, shots suddenly rang out. Starr dove into a bush of roses for cover, but Natasha was struck and killed. walks to the kitchen, nothing that the Carter home has pictures of Malcom X alongside Black Jesus on its walls. She calls her family “Christlims”—a mixture of Christian and Muslim — with Maverick following the Black Panther’s Ten-Point Program more closely than the Bible. At breakfast, Seven discusses how King, a major neighborhood drug dealer, has moved in with his girlfriend, Seven’s mother, Lesha. Maverick offers to let Seven live with the Carters, but Seven wants to be there to protect his mother and sisters,Kenya and Lyric—from King’s beatings. Seven asks why they shot Khalil, and Starr responds that she and Khalil didn’t do anything wrong, and that Khalil did not have a gun. Maverick notes that this will cause people in the neighborhood to “lose their minds.” Starr worries about what will happen when the world finds out she was in the car; she has seen “all hell” break loose in similar situations before, and always thought she would have the “loudest voice” if someone she knew were killed. Now, however, she is afraid to speak up. wishes she could stay home to watch her favorite show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which has many similarities to her own life. She also wants to talk to Chris, whom she has been ignoring. She wonders if she should call her other Williamson friends Maya and Hailey. Then she recalls inviting them to a sleepover years earlier, that Hailey’s parents wouldn’t let her attend because they didn’t want their daughter spending the night in the “ghetto.” That was the first moment Starr realized she had to keep her Garden Heights and Williamson worlds separate.

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Star remembers “the talk” her parents gave her when she was twelve about how to behave in front of police officers. Lisa, her mother, thought she was too young, but Mavrick, her father, said she was old enough to be arrested or shot. He emphasized doing exactly what she was told and speaking only when spoken to. Starr notes that if her loud-mouthed father said to be quiet, she knew she’d better listen. Back in the present, the officer approaches the car and Starr hopes Khalil has had “the talk” too. Khalil is immediately skeptical of what “this fool” wants. Remembering her father’s warning that if there were any contraband in a car everyone present would get in trouble, Starr anxiously asks Khalil is there is anything in the car. He says there isn’t. The officer shines his light in their faces and asks Khalil for his license and registration. Khalil asks why they were pulled over, breaking the “rules” of how to engage with law enforcement. The increasingly terrified Starr implores Khalil to just do what he says. Finding nothing, One-Fifteen angrily tells Khalil to stay where he is and not to move while he walks back to his patrol car. Starr mentally recites the lessons her parents taught her, including that it’s not smart to make sudden movements when an officer has his back to you. Khalil does this anyways, opening the door to ask Starr if she is okay.

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Starr attends Big D’s spring break party in Garden Heights. She feels like neither “version” of herself belongs there, and she feels out of place. People are dancing, drinking, and smoking marijuana, and the environment is loud and hot. Starr is there with Kenya, a childhood friend. Kenya tells Starr to go dance, because people already think Starr feels like she’s “all that” because she goes to Williamson Prep school. Kenya also calls Starr out on her clothes she’s wearing a hoodie from Kenya’s brother, Seven. Starr clarifies that Seven is both hers and Kenya’s brother. Kenya’s mom is Seven’s mom, and Starr’s dad is Seven’s dad.describes Kenya, who is beautiful and fashionable. She’s the only person Starr really hangs out with in Garden Heights, since Starr lost touch with her Garden Heights peers after transferring to Williamson Prep six years earlier. At the party, Kenya is glaring at her nemesis, a girl named Denasia. Kenya tries to enlist Starr to help her “handle” Denasia tonight, but Starr tries to back her way out of any drama. Kenya complains about Starr’s “bougie” white friends, saying they “don’t count” and so Starr is obligated to help her only real friend. Kenya.