SlayKiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the few Black kids at Jefferson Academy. At home she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role playing card game, SLAY. When a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, the game is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. No one knows Kiera is the game developer

their racial identities

where he endangered his job fighting for civil rights

I'm going to find a scary one

He's also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day

the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class

On a rainy day when the house smells like cinnamon and Papa and Luca are still asleep

God's not looking for somebody to give Him all the reasons why His plans can't happen

Americans have built an empire on the idea of "race

but this prank quickly turns into a very dangerous game and they are at more than one disadvantage as it looks like things could turn deadly

Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves

This is sometimes referred to as the country's original sin

cruelty and resilience that is the story--and the song--of America itself