Author(s): Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss

Teen and Young Adult

High school student Norman "Zebra" Smith, half British & half Ghanaian, lives at the crossroads of race and identification. In response to racial slurs from other students, Norman embraces hybridity and forms a Rainbow Alliance with other ethnic minority students against black & white judgements. Inspired to act by a colourful combination of Hip Hop, Shakespeare, his teacher Mr Neal and the US Civil Rights movement, Norman and his allies use the unlikely arena of a High School auditorium to expose the racist bully Goodwin and his henchmen. Choosing to own their "nicked names", Norman and his friends take centre stage, silencing their opponents and proving the power of words to unite us all.