A young, attractive professional black man is the plaintiff in a sexual harassment case that challenges assumptions and prejudices.
Thurgood Marshall Jefferson, Thump to his friends and co-workers, is an African-American investment adviser on the rise. He’s just made VP at his firm, and if his new proposal works out, he might even make partner. But his new fiancée has made it clear to him that she expects total sexual fidelity – and his boss has made it clear to him that she expects continued sexual servicing not only for herself, but for important female clients. When he refuses, his new proposal mysteriously disappears just before a big presentation, and he’s fired without warning. His fiancée, meanwhile, finds out what’s been going on and leaves him, heartbroken. His only option is to redeem his name by suing the firm for sexual harassment – with a former judge who left the bench after making public racist statements. Can a well-built black male convince a jury that he, too, might have been sexually victimized?
This is a thoughtful book that makes some very poignant cultural statements, and not just from one perspective alone. Even Thump’s lawyer’s perspective on black male culture, while criticized, is treated with respect and consideration, and she is given a backstory from which her views flow naturally. In fact, even the harassing boss is given a backstory that, while not justifying her actions, at least establishes their root. The author’s choice of a protagonist who goes against the standard image of a harassment victim encourages the reader to expand their thinking about what constitutes harassment.
THUMP does get a bit preachy in places, and it’s sometimes less of a story than a sermon. The actual evidence presented in court does not feel all that strong; it might have had more dramatic closure if, for example, there was some solid evidence of who deleted the proposal file. As well, for a book that critically examines so many assumptions, the picture of Thump’s mother is pretty stereotyped, as the strong black mother pushing her son to excel.
THUMP is an interesting exploration of assumptions about sexual harassment, black males, and racial and sexual prejudice.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader