We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success

by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt

Growing up on the rough streets of Newark, New Jersey, Rameck, George, and Sampson could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. But when a presentation at their school made the three boys aware of the opportunities available to them in the medical and dental professions, they made a pact among themselves that they would become doctors.  It took a lot of determination—and a lot of support from one another—but despite all the hardships along the way, the three succeeded. Retold with the help of an award-winning author, this younger adaptation of the adult hit novel The Pact is a hard-hitting, powerful, and inspirational book that will speak to young readers everywhere.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, School, Biography, Read For School, African American, Autobiography

194 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2005

About the author

Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt are practicing physicians, authors and the founders of The Three Doctors Foundation."

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

    This book was called “We Beat the Street.” The writers were the three doctors, Dr. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt with Sharon M. Draper.  It was about three kids that grew up in the “hood.” A rough part of town where they saw killing, drugs, and all sorts of things that you usually do not see to often. These three kids were one of the smartest in his class but people told them that they were not suppose to show it because it made them look ‘dumb’. They had goals though once they hit high school. 
I liked this book very much, I thought it was interesting and you wouldn’t know what would happen next, anyone that likes things where they can’t really guess what’s going on next would like this book. 
Three boys named Rameck, Sampson, and George all lived in the ‘hood.’ They saw drugs, killing, things that an Iowa wouldn’t see everyday. All three of their dads had walked out when they were just kids. They grew up with their mom working 14 hour days, barely making it. The three went to a different elementary school in Newark, New York. When they were kids they had been around kids that thought being smart was stupid, and being a runner (run for older people to sell drugs across town) was the right thing to when they got older. Some of them were already doing it. 
Rameck’s story was that he fought when someone would not do what he said, that put him in some trouble through his years. He was one of the brightest kids in his class, but he did not show it for quite some time. He hung out with people that had drugs, sold them, and did everything with them. He ran drugs for older people for a little bit even. 
George was a boy that stayed on the down low for most of his childhood. People around him thought the same thing about being smart, it was stupid. He liked his teacher because she took them places and she understood what he was in and knew he was smart kid. One day on the bus coming home from the field trip, he was sitting alone and the teacher asked to sit with him, he said yes. They started talking and she asked why he did not answer the questions that she knew he knew. He said then he would get beaten up from the kids because they would think I am better then them. She said, that is the most stupidest thing I have ever heard! She said that quite loudly because most of the kids stopped talking and looked her. The teacher said that he can do what he wants and she will watch his back. 

While George was getting older, he had crooked teeth that needed to be fixed, his mother took him to dentist and that was when his dreams opened. The doctor took out all sorts of tools and George would ask what it was and what it did. The doctor was very surprised how curious he was and told him everything with a smile on his face. He asked when he was coming back and the doctor told him about two to three weeks when he got the results, he told him he will be happy to see him and he can not wait. George was in the car going back home and he told him mom that he wanted to be a dentist when he got older. 
Sampson was another boy that had a dream but he didn’t know it. He had an older brother and he was going out to hang out with his friends one afternoon, Sampson told him to take him or he’ll tell mom and he’ll get grounded. His brother told him okay, but just stay out of the way if anything happens and don’t embarrass me. Sampson knew what to do. They headed to the park and were sitting on the bench. They looked around the park and saw how dirty it was and how people didn’t care. They decided to change that. They all started picking things up and putting them back. When they stumbled upon a cement bird feeder that fell they tried to lift it and put it back. The thing was close to about 180 pounds and when Sampson and his brother tried to lift it, they couldn’t. It fell right on his foot. It started bleeding through the shoe and his brother and his friends carried him home. His mother was angry at his brother for taking him out and doing things stupid like that. Sampson got to sit in his mothers bed and watch T.V for days while his brother had to do all of the different chores by himself. 
The three of them went to all different elementary and middle schools for the time when they were younger, but there was a high school that accepted kids that were good and that were really smart two years before, in seventh grade, Sampson and George made it when they were in seventh, but Rameck made it later when they were suppose too, in ninth grade. 
When they went through school they didn’t try their hardest, they messed around, sometimes did their homework. Trying to be the funny guy around the place. One day when the three boys were walking down the hall Rameck saw a boy with a bottle of silly string and took it and went up to the teacher that was giving him a hard time. As soon as she opened the door she had silly string in her face. They ran away knowing that they had crossed the line this time. They heard the office call their names and about five minutes later they popped their heads into the door and they called their parents and later that day the cops showed up at Rameck’s door to take them downtown. When the trial was going on the teacher said her story and how smart he was and he just had to think about his actions. He could go far if he did things that were right. The teacher didn’t file any charges on him and let him come back to school. Rameck’s, George’s, and Sampson’s attitude changed after that and they all planned to go to Seton Hall after a guy talked to them and said that it was a very cheap college and they could get what they wanted from school from there. Close to the end of school the three boys got accepted to Seton Hall and they went to become doctors. George as a dentist, Rameck has an emergency doctor, and Sampson as a regular doctor helping people from stomach aches to fractured skulls. 
When the three boys were in college they had rough times, they got into fights that came to a close call of them being kicked out, almost getting charged and they wouldn’t ever be able to come back. But they made it through and when they went up to get there certifications their parents were sitting there with a smile and some tears of joy. They were so proud of the their kids. Just before the graduation they had gotten letters that told them where their going to work. They got sent to three different places and they knew they wouldn’t be together forever. But when Sampson saw his he didn’t like where it was and he thought about his childhood, he looked on the internet and saw that his home town had a position that he could be an emergency doctor. He called them and they ask him to fax his information right away and there he goes, right back to the place where he was born, broke his foot, and where he would now work to keep the living going. 

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It bothered me a bit that these guys kept squeaking by each time they got in trouble. Some of the things they did were serious (like beating a homeless man almost to death), but each time they were able to find a way out of trouble. I'm not saying I begrudge their success, and they do try to show remorse for each of the things they did, but what message does it ultimately send to the children? Do what you want and as long as you're sorry, everything will be okay and you can become doctors. I know the hard work they put into their schooling, and that is precisely what the students (as we read this school-wide) needed to know. However, they never really mentioned how much actual work is really involved in earning a medical degree. I suppose it wouldn't have held the interest of its intended audience if all they talked about was how much studying they did or how difficult the coursework was, but that may be precisely the problem. The kids didn't see the reality, but the reality show version of their story. There's no way you can become a doctor just by choosing the right friends and hoping to get out of every scrape with the law. It's not a bad book, and it has a good message, but I don't think MY students benefited much from it.

[Heaven Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about three black men trying to make it through like all black men but these men makes something out of there life and become a doctor.

[Dimitra H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Beat the Street
The Three Doctors,
Sampson Davis
George Jenkins
Rameck Hunt
Nonfiction
194 pages

Growing up on the rough streets of Newark, New Jersey, Rameck, George,and Sampson could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. But when a presentation at their school made the three boys aware of the opportunities available to them in the medical and dental feilds, they made a pact amongst themselves that they would go to collage and become doctors. It took a lot of determination and a lot of support from one another, but despite all the hardships they faced along the way, the three friends succeeded.

I think for three black kids growing up in the ghetto, would be hard in general, but for them to grow up and all become successful doctors is amazing. This book inspired me becauseI want to be a doctor when I grow up, and if three black kids from the hood could graduate top of their highschool class, and go to med school, then so can I! If I had to rate this book on a scale from one to ten, one being terribal nd ten being awsome, I would give it a ten because of how inspiring I thought this book was.

[Godxkobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story We Beat the Streets by Sharon M. Draper is the remarkable true story of how three kids from bad neighborhoods that were just full of drugs, gangs, violence, and crime and how they banded together to overcome these disadvantages to become doctors. They made a pact to do well in school, get good grades, go to college, and become successful doctors. They did this by always being there for one another and supporting each other whenever they needed it the most. Without the support of one another, they each would probably not have accomplished their dreams and most likely would have just became another nameless victim of the streets where each of them grew up. My favorite parts was when Sampson gets caught stealing ice-es. Learns a major lesson not to steal and when All boys the boys are accepted to Seton Hall.

[Luisledezma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book We Beat The Street is a book that shows what people have to live with and I liked how the authors wrote the book by showing the new problems.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for school

[Omari]

"We Beat the Street" is a book about a friendship between the 3 main characters. Who are Sampson, George , and Rameck. The three of these friends go on many adventures some that become life changing like drugs, fighting with gangs, and getting to their dream this appealed to me because of their common goal to become successful and get out their neighborhood . All of the boys start off in a poor neighborhood and have to grow up fast in order to make it in there world. They must go through many trials in order to achieve their goals. They also must all do this together, i think the theme of the book was to work together and be careful of what you do because they must work together and keep form trouble . Throughout the book I was kept on edge about what these 3 friends would do and very excited about the book. I never saw the film but i can imagine it being just how i saw it in my head and in visioned it being very actions packed.Overall i loved the novel and thought it was a great representation of the struggles of a young poor African american boys because it showed realistic places, people, and lives. My favorite character in this book has to be Rameck because i felt like he had the most change and showed the most of all characters that hes not perfect.This meant a lot because of my book club conversation why Rameck is such a great person but in a sense complex character.Overall this book was full of adventure that kept you on your toes to the very end and i would again strongly recommend to other kids and teachers for more book clubs.

[Brooke B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Beat the Street is a book about three boys who became friends and overcame challenges together. Sampson, Rameck and George grew up in the inner city surrounded by fighting and drugs. Living in the inner city meant only one future, selling drugs, but the boys wanted more than that. They wanted to be successful and show that no matter who you are or where you live anything is possible. So the boys formed a pack; stay together, work hard and become doctors and that's exactly what they did.
I really loved this book. It showed the importance of friendship and that you have to work hard. Not only that but it inspires you and shows that it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from but how hard you work. This book teaches you to never give up and anything is possible. Each boy faces challenges before meeting one another. I really like how real this book is, how these guys were ordinary people, they made mistakes but despite it all they kept going.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot. The only thing I would say that I don't like is the style of the book. Each chapter is about one guys specifically, there are only like three chapters in the entire thing about all of them. In the start of the book I liked it because you got to see how each of them grew up and what they faced and learned but as they met one another I didn't like it as much. From there it was like the same scenario but told three times from each of the boys point of view. Other than that the book was amazing.
All in all this book is a must read. There really isn't an age limit on it because everything in the book goes on today. The difference is instead of just hearing it on the news you get to see it through three different guys who all experienced it. This book has the ability to inspire and give hope to everyone which is why its so great. I definitely recommend this book to anyone. Even though its nonfiction it still captures your attention and makes it all the better. After reading the book and knowing it was true it gives you all the more hope. This book really shows anything is possible.

[Chris Baez]

In this story three friends that where in high school where fooling around and they all got in trouble. They where the trouble makers, their names where George, Sampson, and Rameck. They where best friends that acted ghetto when they where outside of school. They all wanted to fit in the groups that were cool, they wanted to be gang members. One by one they all started to make good choices so that they can have a good future. They all decided to become doctors at the end and still have a friendship pact that led to success.

I think that this story was very inspiring because the the way that they started was very bad, but then in the future they showed that making good choices lead to a better future. They explain to us that making a bad choice can lead you to consequences that get you in trouble. In total I found the story very inspiring and interesting. My favorite character is Sampson because at the beginning of the story he was a non-friendly person but was a confident guy even though he wanted to become a gangster. But then he started to make good choices which inspired me to make good choices.

Overall, i think this story is amazing and highly recommend it to people so that they themselves, get inspired and will be able to know why it is good to make good choices in live. Im not expecting to read more about the authors books (Sampson Davis) because im more into sports and adventures in the outside world, im not saying its a bad book but i think people should read this book if they want to get inspired by three friends that made good choices.

[Dylan Causey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel “We Beat the Street” is an inspirational true story written by 3 men who grew up in a rough neighborhood and were influenced by gang violence and drugs. They created a pact that they would eventually become doctors and help give back to the community they grew up in. It is a very great life story and helps inspire you to set high expectations and goals for yourself.

When I was first introduced the idea of reading this book I was very intrigued. I found it astonishing how the 3 young men stuck together to become successful and fulfill what their parents wanted out of them. My favorite character in his novel has to be Sampson. He was the one who had gotten in the most trouble, but he was also the one who had really been the “leader” of the pct in helping them become doctors.

I would recommend this book to everyone. This book can help everyone in creating a high self-esteem and set goals in life to make a positive change in the world. I have been inspired by this book. I have set many goals for myself on a daily basis. I go into each day with something I want to accomplish. I have also made long term goals as well. Anybody who reads this will love and enjoy this book!

[Daran A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Beat the Street is a story about three young men growing up in a tough city in Newark, New Jersey and eventually beating all odds and becoming successful. Throughout the book, it changes to different points of view of the three main characters: Sampson, George, and Rameck.

The story is quite inspiring, and one factor that contributes to this is the fact that this is actually a real story. Seeing the trio accomplish their dreams definitely has the power to influence someone to make their dreams a reality as well. The book itself is captivating and keeps your attention as the book progresses, making you want to know what happens next to each character.

However, there are a few chapters that I just felt were generally unnecessary and they were just there to expand the length of the book. But there's only about 2 chapters that have this sort of feeling to it.

In all, I really recommend this book whether you like fast or slow paced books because this book feels like it's a combination of both, due to it's constantly changing points of view and time.

[Joeyc · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Beat The Streets is a very good book. They're are three kids that live in a very poor environment, Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins. They make a pact to work towards getting out of the street together. Then one day they listened to a presentation and it helped them a lot. Even with peer pressure and drugs the boys work hard towards their goal. Throughout the book they learn their own personal goals that help them along the way.
This book is great because its not too fast or too slow. It is also not boring either. It is fun learning about the rough lives of other people and seeing the same people succeed. The book was also really cool because it was real life. I learned a few things from this book about believing in yourself and you can do anything you want when you work for it.
In conclusion, I would recommend this to anybody because you can learn and improve on things in your own life. You can also learn how important friendship could be to your success. In all, you should read this book.

[Kyle Timko · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book We Beat The Street, the book is about how 3 kids, named George, Sampson and Rameck, live in the hood area or like the area for gangsters. These 3 kids are very smart and get in trouble most of the time. For instance, Rameck is one of the kids who is like a dog that is very wise and intelligent that gets in trouble do to the not so wise things Rameck does in school. These 3 kids are trying not to get eaten up by the streets.(this means like they don`t want to be drug dealers or do bad things) But in the end these 3 kids, George, Sampson and Rameck all become what they want to become. I can relate to this book because I was going through a hard time in school once, and was able to bring my grade up. I liked how the boys were able to not let the streets eat them up.

[Chris H · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, it shows how three friends, George, Rameck, and Sam, achieved their dreams and goals by becoming doctors. However, they didn’t do it with a clean record. These three friends, and others with them, has done some bad things. The friends learned from their mistakes and followed their own road to success, but some of the others continued to cause trouble.

I feel like the book is saying that you can achieve your dreams if you just really try. Even if you commit a crime or messed up on something, you can always just make it up and don’t do it again. Since these three friends lived in the "hood," they didn't have goals when they were young. It would be hard for them to become doctors, but they still achieved their goals. This book can be really inspiring to a lot of people, and it can show that anyone can achieve their dreams and goals no matter what your race or gender is.

[Austinl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a very good book about three kids who worked their way out of trouble in the streets and became really successful Doctors and people. While i was reading this book it made me think about how there are so many kids in the world who are being raised on the streets and how they a lot of the times dont fulfill their potential to be the best they can. There were many times in this book were i was like wow because of the way the characters arced towards the end** spoiler **
in this book there was a scene were the boys picked a fight and nearly got killed then about 20 pages later instead of fighting they protest their rights. If you are into hopeful and determinant books i would recommend this to you.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is true in many ways, even though I can't relate to everything that they talk about in the book on a more surface level this book is about working hard with what you've got and not giving up. You don't need to have all those hardships to try and hang with good people or work hard in school or other things that are important to you.

[Sophia Oppenheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel "We Beat The Street" is about Sam, George, and Rameck. Throughout the story, it explains the neighborhood of each character who lived in a dangerous and cheap place. I liked this book because it is about friendship and common issues in daily life. I recommend this book to teenagers that are going to university because they have various problems in school.

[Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about 3 black men overcoming Poverty, Racism, Gang violence, and too many drugs for the mind to comprehend even though they made mistakes along the way they decided that no matter what happened they would still try their best to get through their lives one step at a time.

[Addie Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good I like how it rotated story's from each of their child hood and how the story's told what kind of place they lived in. Also how they worked their way up to being a doctor and all the struggles they went through.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting, true to life, motivating and I hope inspiring to the young people who read it that think they have no hope of being successful.

[Acadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book with a lot of meaning, but I wasn't able to really get as interested in the book as I would have liked.

[KERAH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ill be honest. I think the writing style was a bit off but it is a kid's book so whatever. Other than that, the book has been a great influence for me and has given me motivation to focus on school.

[Michaella Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me this book was a pretty good book. The reason being is because the author of this book gives you details about how they lived in chronological order instead of jumping around.

[Pkhasria · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice

[Sarah Pence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rameck, George, and Sampson have a strong friendship pact. They work together through tough times, and even though they started out rough with the wrong types of friends they found the right people with the right goals. The three teenagers worked hard and achieved there goals. Sometimes people didn't believe in them but they kept trying.

We Beat the Streets was unlike any book I have ever read, it was full of drama, suspense, and about learning who you are as a person. Sampson, Rameck, and George all played a part in the book. The three authors really gave you their sense of personality and who they were with details and sensory image. It was not one of my favorite book but it was still a good read. I think that some of the details that were in the book were not at realistic, and didn't play out as it would have if it was happening in real life.

I would recommend this book for believers and people who like drama and suspense. This book is overall a great read and helps you believe that even if your from a poor town you can still make it big

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing all around

[Harsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very inspirational book that shows others that they shouldn't give up no matter what comes up in life.

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What it's about: The true story of three young boys from the bad part of Newark, NJ, who grew up to defy the odds and become doctors.

Middle grades and YA author Sharon M. Draper helped doctors Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt tell the stories of their lives growing up under some pretty severe conditions in the late 80s and early 90s in the inner city of Newark. Gangs and drugs and violence were the usual way of life, and most people they knew were unlikely to graduate from high school, nevermind college. Their prospects seemed bleak.

But all three boys each displayed some particular aptitudes for learning, and each had a supporting family that helped them push themselves to achieve. After getting into an academically challenging high school, the boys became friends. They also managed to accidentally find out about a program to support minority students in becoming medical professionals.

Their path was far from easy, but the three made a pact to support each other and drive each other to success. Although they had no role models for furthering their education, or for what it might mean to be doctors, they persevered and became practicing doctors and professors, as well as creating a variety of ways to give back to and encourage kids like they had been.

What I thought: I found this to be an engaging and inspiring story. It definitely read in places like the idealized version, the conquering heroes regaling their enraptured audience with their tales of derring-do.

But it was also an important reminder that so many kids do not see a path for themselves outside of the very proscribed ones they see in their immediate surroundings. Even moreso, it is a clarion call reminder that representation matters.

Why I rated it like I did: This is an inspiring story that lots of kids can learn from. It encourages teens to consider the consequences of their actions, to do their best to rise above their circumstances, and to find those with similar dreams and support each other as they go after their futures.

[Aditya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This inspirational biography is about how three kids from the poor parts of Newark, NJ grew up to become great doctors. I really liked this book because it was very inspirational. The authors (Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins) provide each of their experiences from their own point of view before and after they met up in high school. I had the unique experience of being in each of they lives as they encountered difficulty, good fortune, and many other events through the great vivid imagery.

The book starts off describing each of the authors as life when they were around ten years old. The authors artfully change to another one of the three in each chapter, which kept the story from going stale. However, like most biographies, there is no real plots or problems and solutions, which I prefer. The authors still manage to keep the story interesting by recounting their more fascinating stories from their past. Moreover, the authors explain how each event affects them, finally putting it all together into the doctors they are now. The book is very easy to follow along and understand how each person changes. My favorite character was George. He was kind of a static character compared to the other two, but he greatly impacts Rameck and Sampson. Without him, I feel like they wouldn't have been able to persevere in their goal of becoming doctors. George also didn't get in trouble as much as Rameck and Sampson, who were arrested as juveniles, but they quickly learned their lesson and never got in trouble after that.

Overall, this book is a good read if you are interested in an inspiring story. The three doctors' growth is apparent throughout the story. I would recommend this book to people who like biographies, but it's a little too slow-paced compared to a fictional book. I gave this book four stars because it was inspirational, but failed to maintain my interest completely.