Black and Navy Blue

Black and Navy Blue is a tense and unflinching coming-of-age novel set on the gritty streets of 1970s South Philadelphia. After being uprooted from the stability of life with his grandparents in West Philadelphia, thirteen-year-old Marty is thrust into a world marked by poverty, neglect, racial hostility, and violence.

As he struggles to survive, Marty faces encounters with abusive police officers, becomes entangled with a dangerous neighborhood crew, and is forced to make impossible choices between loyalty and self-preservation.

Searching for a path forward, he turns to the structure and promise of the U.S. Navy, hoping it will offer a chance at redemption and a better future. Instead, he encounters new challenges, including racism and hostility within the institution he hoped would provide refuge.

Raw, compelling, and deeply human, Black and Navy Blue explores the harsh realities of growing up Black in America while celebrating the resilience, determination, and courage required to overcome them.