| Contents |
You don't have to cut my foot off, do you? -- Oh, man, you're in trouble again! -- Isn't that school in the ghetto? -- We're gonna jack us some icees from Jack's! -- How much do you need? -- Are you godzilla or king kong? -- Yeah, man. They say the driver's dead -- I don't even know anybody who went to college -- You kids are gonna get yourself killed --- What's up with that? You think you better than us? -- Sticky web of bright pink silly string across the astonished teacher's face -- I think we could all do this-three of us-together! -- If he dies, you get charged with attempted murder -- How do you plead? judge asked. guilty, your honor -- Not only had their sons survived, but they were heading to college -- It feels good, man. It's like doing push-ups with my brain! -- Boy's neck bent in an odd way, and his body fell limp -- Yo, yo, yo! check it out! check it out! -- For the first time since high school, the three of us won't be together -- Driving while black -- Sometimes you gotta fail in order to succeed -- To friends -- Shout-outs! |
| Abstract |
Making a pact to stick together through the rough times in their impoverished Newark neighborhood, three boys found the strength and determination to work through their difficulties in order to make their dreams come true by completing high school, getting through college, and attending medical school together. Sampson, George, and Rameck could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. They came from the tough neighborhoods of Newark, New Jersey, where survival, not schoolwork, was the priority. When the three boys met in high school, they recognized in each other the desire and ability to "beat the street." They made a friendship pact, deciding together to take on the biggest challenges of their lives: going to college, then medical school. Along the way they made mistakes, faced disappointments, and nearly failed, but by working hard, finding positive role models, resisting negative influences, and supporting each other at every turn, they achieved their goals, and more. Today Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt, who call themselves the Three Doctors, work in the same community where they grew up, helping the people in their neighborhoods. Sampson and Rameck are doctors, and George is a dentist. In We Beat the Street, revealing anecdotes from the Three Doctors' childhood, teenage, and young-adult years are brought vividly to life by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper. Honest personal remarks from the doctors at the end of each chapter provide context and advice. It is their hope that the compelling story of their extraordinary friendship will inspire readers to form pacts of their own and reach for the stars. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and graduated from Seton Hall University. Davis and Hunt received their medical degrees from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Jenkins his dentistry degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In addition to working in their respective medical practices in Newark, they run The Three Doctors Foundation, creating opportunities for inner-city communities through education, mentoring, and health awareness. Their adult book, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, reached the top of the bestseller lists and led to honors from Essence, Oprah Winfrey, and many others. Speaking to parents and teachers throughout the country, these charismatic men received numerous requests for a book that would make their story accessible to children at risk of falling victim to "the street," which led to the writing of We Beat the Street. |
