Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City

Dasani has not talked to her mother in some time. In her new favorite class, law, many of the students ask “questions tinged with personal worry” (494). Avianna and Nana are living in an immaculate foster home with a swimming pool. Lee-Lee is separated from this family again. She goes to live with Auntie Joan with Maya and Hada.

Dasani comes home for Thanksgiving, and the family reunites at a supervised visit with some of the foster parents present, as well as the Foundling caseworker Linda. Chanel tries to be diplomatic with the foster parents, whereas Dasani is generally cold. After, Dasani says that she doesn’t want to come back again.

Khaliq participates in the “Knockout Game,” in which he sneaks up behind an unsuspecting person and tries to knock them out. Khaliq is also getting into trouble with his foster parents. They find a joint in his possession, which puts him at risk of being separated from Papa. Dasani feels responsible for the trouble her family members are having, feeling that she was selfish to choose Hershey. Khaliq is arrested for the first time in his life. He recognizes that he will now have trouble pursuing his dreams in the Navy, so he tries to make other plans to be successful. Two tablets go missing at his foster home, and Khaliq is accused of stealing and relocated to another foster home.

Avianna holds a bake sale, giving the proceeds to an animal shelter. Her act of generosity is reported in the same newspapers that also reported on Khaliq’s criminal behavior, though the papers do not connect the two as siblings. It is around Christmas, and everyone in the family is struggling. Dasani is at Hershey, mostly by herself, and is contacted by Avianna and Nana—the former seems to be drinking alcohol. At Hershey, Dasani’s new white roommate accuses Dasani of stealing, which results in an altercation. In January, she gets into a fight with another girl, which results in probation. At her house in Hershey, she waves a knife around at her housemates, which results in her being sent to a mental health facility overnight for evaluation. She is placed on “behavioral restitution” at Hershey (511).

The siblings live at four different addresses. Nobody seems to be keeping track of Khaliq, who often shows up broke and hungry at Supreme and Chanel’s home. Supreme and Chanel have fallen into drug use again and are depressed. Chanel runs into Miss Hester, who has been in the system of houselessness herself for a few years, saving up after being evicted so she can get a new place. She tries to be warm toward Chanel, but she is dismayed by her appearance.

A big snowstorm hits both New York City and Hershey. Ignoring her knee pain and lack of proper footwear, Chanel finds work shoveling the snow. Dasani is becoming more vulnerable and more willing to apologize and express gratitude. In Avianna and Nana’s foster care home, Mr. Byrd is abusive toward his wife, their son was recently arrested for cocaine possession, and a child recently drowned in Mrs. Byrd’s pool. She continues to run a daycare without a license. One evening Mr. Byrd and his son become violent toward Avianna and Nana until Mrs. Byrd intervenes before he strikes Avianna. This results in a call to 911, and the children are eventually moved to a different foster home that is very crowded. Avianna believes the new foster mother “just wants the money” (518).

Nana and Avianna talk with Dasani on the phone. They don’t discuss the situation with the Byrds, though they do indicate they are in a new foster home. Nana is being bullied at home, and she and Avianna accuse Dasani of turning white. She talks to her mother about coming home, but Chanel says that if she comes back to New York, she will enter the foster system. Her Black mentors at Hershey have tried to convince her that she doesn’t need to “‘be white’ to succeed” (519), but she is not so sure. She dreams of opening a music production business with her siblings.

In March, Dasani is temporarily being removed from the Akers house after another fight. She blames the school for not giving her enough support. The assistant principal, Tara, tries to convince her that she is better off walking away from an argument, but Dasani follows her mother’s advice when it comes to protecting her reputation. At the Akers’ house, she often seems sad and withdrawn. She worries about Khaliq. She is closer to Kali, who shares her generalized anger.

Khaliq has become more violent. He has assaulted strangers and gotten into fights at school. His foster mother is surprised by his behavior, as he is always helpful at home. He ends up in a juvenile detention facility, and Chanel tells his court-appointed lawyer to emphasize that his behavior stems from his family having been broken up by the system. Supreme tells Khaliq he should know better and that he must learn to walk away. In a few days, Supreme will enter another rehab program to get clean. The judge imposes a strict curfew but allows Khaliq to return to foster care.

At Hershey, Dasani signs an agreement to improve her behavior. Tara asks Chanel to talk to Dasani about this plan, hoping that her mother will be able to get through to her. Chanel is in a new methadone program and has lost weight, which always signals to Dasani that she isn’t doing well. She encourages Dasani to take advantage of her opportunity so she doesn’t end up like her mother.