everything that rises must converge

This story seemed almost ironic to me in the sense that his mother is so claustrophobically terrified of accepting the freedom of black people in society, then this harmless, mother just like herself, sits on the bus wearing the same hat. She attempts to maintain her dignity but insults the other woman by offering the boy a penny. Who the heck wants a penny? How degrading. She should find a homeless man and give him the money, not a little black boy she thought was cute.

The title is something I want to try to understand more since you brought it up in the blog. The "everything that rises" part seems to point to the mother's ego and views of herself in society, her self-image. It could also mean rises as in surfaces, becomes relevant. The "must converge" part is tricky. Converge means to come together, maybe unite, sometimes even overlap. Come together is very reminiscent of The Beatles and their song, as well as the entire subject of race and uniting together despite the difference of color.

According to the author and her thoughts on writing and teaching, Julian is already a writer he just needs to start writing. I agree and liked what the author said about observing and how everything can inspire writing. Schooling doesn't make you a writer, it may help discover and mold the writing in you. Not everyone is meant to write and share those thoughts publicly, but I do think that many people possess more than one gift and shouldn't be criticized for expanding on those gifts.