Essay Questions

What inspired Zetta Elliott to release A Place Inside of Me?

Interestingly, Zetta Elliott wrote the poem that became A Place Inside of Me twenty years prior to the book's release in 2020. A lifelong feminist and supporter of equal rights and justice, Elliott was interested in exploring the relationship between the police and communities of color, many of whom feel threatened by the police. With all of that said, Elliott was inspired to rework and ultimately release A Place Inside of Me after the 2016 killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castle, both of whom were unjustly killed by the police.

What does "a place inside of me" mean in the book?

For the unnamed main character of the book, "a place inside of me" is the place that holds all of his emotions - both negative and positive. The place inside of him is responsible for his happiness when playing with his friends; however, it is also responsible for his more negative emotions, particularly anger at the police who were oppressing the Black Lives Matter protestors.

What does A Place Inside of Me think of the police force?

A Place Inside of Me takes a very clear view on the police force: they are an oppressive force more concerned with quelling legitimate protests than doing what their jobs really are. The book particularly makes the point that the police force is more concerned with communities of color than with white communities.