Sippi Summer

Jake Lee comes of age in the river town of East Saint Louis, Illinois, best known for a deadly 1917 race riot. At the youthful place, he is emerging into the harsh realities of race in the 1950's. Still in the twilight, knowing that something is amiss, dangerous, he remains age shielded from its rawness.
Caught in the lovely space of allegiance to friends and family, he is idealistic, and early teen pure; then he is crushed by a force that leaves him reeling. He struggles to put shape and language to this sinister power that has introduced such unfathomable rejection to his desire to help his greatest love – his mother.