Rufus feels that becasuse he is black and fresh out of jail he has no real chance. His first day out he gets into a fight with a gang called the gassers because his sister tells on them to the police. The only option, to join the rival gang the Moors.
Soon after being beaten into the gang Rufus fights, and beats the head Moor, Bantu, and becomes the leader. Because of constant fighting with the Gassers, a social worker named Alex Robbins is asigned to the Moors, with the intent to break up the fighting gang.
Of course Rufus and his Moors think they have Alex pegged out, but they don't realize the good he is actually trying to do. Alex finds out about Rufus' hero being Big Ernie Brown. Little does he know that Rufus' mother had lied and told Rufus that Ernie Brown was his father. So sure enough Rufus winds up getting humiliated in front of all his friends and enemies.
With Alex's help Rufus regains face. Him and the Moors but on a graduation dance and even make a profit on it. At the end Rufus starts to see that life can be made into whatever you want it to be. His feelings of being trapped because of his background and race start to leave and a positive aditude is left behind
