Character Analysis
While living with her racist grandmother, Jeannette makes friends with a black girl at her school. Jeannette doesn't do this to rebel. In fact, Dinitia and Jeannette start as enemies. Dinitia bullies Jeannette until she witnesses Jeannette doing a good deed.
The good deed is repaid when Dinitia invites Jeannette to the swimming pool. Ah, good karma is nice.
With this friendship, we can add a much-needed checkmark in the positive column of Mom's parenting skills. She teaches her kids not to be prejudiced, and she teaches them to look for the good in everyone. Here is one instance when it pays off.
Sadly, Dinitia is allegedly raped by her mom's boyfriend, and while pregnant with his baby, she stabs him to death. We never hear about her again.