This Life Ain't Gravy

This Life Ain't Gravy is a memoir that explores the relationship of an African American teenager, Justin, and his white mentor, Dylan. Justin's mother Natasha is raising four boys in the impoverished North Side community in Champaign without a male presence in her household. Meanwhile, Dylan is a computer science student at the University of Illinois who struggles to find his social niche in the college environment. Amidst eating, reading and playing basketball together, Justin and Dylan encounter the issues of racial profiling, Justin's fundamental illiteracy and involvement in the juvenile delinquent system. Without anyone to turn to in these unusual circumstances, Justin and Dylan find strength in a bond that provides both with something more powerful than their perceived individual limitations.