“My designation was Mitch. This seemed to have a variety of meanings, including: a naïve white man who could himself be exploited for loans of small change and dollar bills; a Jew who was going to make a lot of money off the stories of people working on the street; a white writer who was trying to ‘state the truth about what was going on.’” 

In summarizing the different ways that the predominately black, lower-income people perceive him on the basis of his race, religion, and occupation, Duneier highlights the gaps between himself and his subjects. He works to bridge these gaps through his participant-observer style of research. Here, Duneier implies the challenges inherent in the author-subject divide, as well as the importance of identity in this story.

“People like me are the eyes and ears of this street

Hakim recognizes his role here as a “public character,” in the language of Jane Jacobs. As such, his responsibilities—and those of other vendors—extend beyond bookselling and include keeping the sidewalk safe.

“It teaches you about yourself […] and it lets you know you have a self-worth in yourself.” 

Jerome derives a sense of self-respect through learning, in black books, about the history and accomplishments of people of African descent. These books run counter to the historical mainstream white narrative in America, which has marginalized the lives of black people.