Seven Character Analysis

Starr’s older half-brother, Seven is the son of Maverick and Iesha. He frequently stays at the Carter house, and attends Williamson with Starr and Sekani. Seven is fiercely protective of both Starr and his other sister Kenya, but has a strained relationship with his mother Iesha, whom he feels always chooses her boyfriend King over her son, and eventually kicks him out of the house. When Iesha fails to attend his high school graduation but shows up at his birthday party uninvited, Seven screams that he is ashamed of her before breaking down in tears. Even so, he feels it is his duty to protect his mother. Seven is a strong presence in Starr’s life, evidenced by the fact that he picks her up from school and plays basketball with her once a month. He drives Starr, DeVante, and Chris around on the night of the riots, and has, along with Starr, memorized the Black Panther’s Ten-Point Program. He is accepted to six colleges, yet wishes to remain in Garden Heights to look after his mother and sister. Maverick encourages him to take advantage of the opportunities he has been given.