For Ahkeem

Many individuals will tell us that there are two Americas. This film focuses on the black America of St. Louis and Daje Shelton, a 17-year-old resident who lives in the poorer section of town. We see Shelton's coming of age, first, through the alternate school she is sent to because she fights too much in her public school. She then falls in love for the first time, becomes pregnant, and gives birth. She works hard despite setbacks and a male partner who just can't get himself on his feet. In the end, Shelton commits to finishing school and making a better life for her son, Ahkeem. This is a quiet film in tone, which makes it all the more poignant. Shelton and her friends speak of their neighborhood acquaintances lost to gun violence as freely as they would speak about last Saturday night's party. With the 2014 riots in Ferguson not far from Shelton's home, viewers can understand more clearly how difficult life can be in black America.