A Change in Thinking In The Hammer Man, a young black girl learns about racial inequality through an event in her life. Realizing that being black is different than being white, she must change her way of thinking and acting in order to survive. The author, Toni Cade Bambara, wants to explain how racial inequality is not learned but experienced by black people because of their environment. The young girl grew up in an inner …showed first 75 words of 425 total…

…showed last 75 words of 425 total…because of their skin. She sees herself being shot by the cops. In the end, she does not get shot by the cops, but Manny is taken away to a mental hospital. This incident also makes her realize that she must change her image. She can not be a tom-boy for the rest of her life. By spring, she has changed. She not only acts like a young lady but is also dressing like one.