They do not see Jus. Sometimes it can end up there. 'Niggas gettin' shot for carrying candy and cell phones and shit. Long before shes swept up in demonstrations, her father Big Mav, a former gang member, diligently taught Starr and her siblings about the Black Panthers. Often, conversations about social injustice concentrate on its fatal consequencesand Justyces realization that his experience with the police could have gone even more awry resonates on that level. Incarcerated teen Quan writes letters to Justyce about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. Be like Manny and act like there's nothing wrong with a white dude asking his 'niggas' to help him exploit a black girl? When Rico sells a jackpot . He also reflects on Manny and his friends and reveals that he is annoyed at Manny for letting his "crew" slide with so many offensive comments. Jus is overwhelmed by the injustice that surrounds him. He goes back to his room and calls Manny, but there's no answer. They shift their conversation over to SJ, and conjecture that she has a crush on Justyce. He wonders what he should do; how he should respond to the threats that seem to be coming from every side. sentences. But Justyce has an alibi: He was with SJs family the night of the fire. Ive yet to meet a kid who made me feel unsafe in any way. Jus realizes that he has fallen asleep beneath his desk with his pants around his shins. How did Justyce refer to the attack from the policeman when he writes letters to Martin? Where I come from, resistance is existence, homie, Quan says. His upper body slams onto the trunk with so much force, he bites the inside of his cheek, and his mouth fills with blood" (7). Why did Officer Castillo handcuff Justyce? How did you handle it? LOREAL THOMPSON PAYTON: How does it feel to be at the forefront of diversity in YA movement? It is a stand-alone of Quan's experience and Justyce is a side character in the story. Apparently, while the tense feelings were rising in Jus, they were rising in Manny as well. Coming out of the crucible of the past few yearsduring which young people have been integral to pushing conversations about the unjustified killings of black men to the forefrontthe novels capture the many ways that teens of color cope with prejudice, whether through activism or personal accountability or protest. This idea that there can only be one spot at the table didnt come from us, so Im not going to perpetuate it. LTP: I also love how youre so supportive of other Black women writers. He reveals that he heard a white girl ask "'Why are black people so angry all the time?'" Blake tells Jus that "nobody owns words" and tells Jus that Black people always want to play the race card (91). He accuses Jus of trying to hurt Melo, thinking that she is a "pretty white girl" who had simply "locked her keys in her car" (8). "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone . When Justyces mother learns hes dating a white girl, she becomes upset. The news reports arson at Officer Tisons home. Before he can get his head out of the car, he feels a tug on his shirt and is yanked backward. Do what you would do. Castillo insults Jus, "'Don't you say shit to me, you son of a bitch. By the end of his letter, Jus realizes that "there is nowhere to run"the problems that he is dealing with will follow him wherever he goes (37). The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. This description sets a background of suspicion that would raise anyone's hair. Although it does have language, sexual content, and violence, this is the very real truth for children like Justyce. An unarmed black teen that was shot by a white cop in Nevada in June. In a letter he writes to the dead civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he explains his background academic achievements, and hopes for the future: "My name is Justyce McAllister. Responding to a call from Melo's concerned friend Jessa, Justyce walks a mile from his best friend Manny Rivers's house to help. When the police arrive, Officer Castillo misreads the situation and puts Justyce in handcuffs using excessive force. for a customized plan. At first, Justyces judgment is palpable. Meanwhile, his behavior makes Justyce and Manny uncomfortable. He tells the boys that he wonders if he did not prepare Manny enough for the harsh realities of this world. He also tells Doc about his "Be Like Martin" project and reveals a bit of his family history: his father, who passed away when Jus was eleven, had PTSD from the military and was a violent alcoholic. Stone began writing Dear Martin after the death of Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old who was fatally shot in 2012 when a Florida man fired several rounds into a car of teenagers during a dispute over loud rap music. Everybody should have someone who believes in them. He's on the debate team, has some of the best grades in his class, and is certain he's headed to Yale. Thomass 16-year-old narrator, Starr, is the sole witness to a police shooting that kills her friend, and struggles to defend him as her world becomes increasingly chaotic leading up to her grand-jury testimony. In the next chapter, Chapter 12, Jus notices that Jared and Manny are both missing from school. Free trial is available to new customers only. Who was at Manny's grave when Jus showed up. Jus tells Manny, "You're just as bad as they are." What are three examples of systematic racism in the book Dear Martin? What were the costumes in the Equality Brigade? He is the Debate team advisor and also the only half black man with a PhD that Justyce knows. And while Justyce is drawn to Kings teachings of resilience and nonviolence, he is put increasingly on edge as he observes the failures of the world around him. Can you imagine what woulda happened to me if I'd had my cell phone out that night? My biggest hope with Dear Justyce is that when people close that book, they look out the window and see the world in a completely different way that they come to recognize everybody is fighting some kind of battle. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Jus goes back to his dorm room without talking to Doc about Tavarrius Jenkins, and he's about to doze off into a nap when a sweaty post-basketball-practice Manny arrives. In Chapter 3, Jus is on his way to Societal Evolution class. Justyce finds himself torn between two groups when he gets to the party: his prep school friends and the people hes known all his life. It's well-written, honest, and a gut punch that leaves readers thinking about it for weeks after reading it. We see anger bubble to the breaking point in several characters over these pages, including the dispute over loud music between Manny, Jus, and the white man driving the Suburban in Chapter 13. In the months that follow, Justyce confronts injustices and micro-aggressions he experiences at his mostly White prep school and the fallout from his brief detainment. A series of rapid events impedes Jus from being able to help Melo: first, she throws up all over him; second, she slaps him in the face and then spits on him after he continues to try to help her; and third, a cop car pulls up behind them as Jus is strapping Melo into the back seat. Jus suggests that they turn the music down, but Manny says that he won't do what a white person tells him to do in his own car. Dear Martin author Nic Stone manages not only to maintain the characters' humanity in what could easily become a paint-by-number pulled-from-the-headlines story, but also breathes a realness into each character so they become just like people readers already know. In Chapter 1, Justyce (Jus) arrives to help out his ex-girlfriend, Melo Taylor, who is drunk and incapacitated in a supermarket parking lot. An active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women. Mannys parents give Justyce an heirloom watch in memory of Manny and tell him that Mannys cousin Quan wants Justyce to visit him in juvenile detention. This tension culminates in an act of violence (indicated by the sound of gunshots) that stands alone in Chapter 14: "BANG. After relating the story, Manny then thanks Jus for helping him open his eyes. Jared and Tyler walk up. BANG." I got a text message this morning from a teacher in Baltimore and he was lamenting that its great all these books are coming out with Black kids at the center. Why do you think Justyce looks up to Martin Luther King. Jus is left panicking before he is even fully sure of what is going on: "Jus's heart jumps up between his ears. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. It rotates between displaying the letters the main character, Justyce, writes to Martin Luther King Jr., class discussions written in script-like style, and media articles. Following the conversation that Jus overhears between Manny and his "crew," Jus writes his second letter to Martin. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Why do you think that sisterhood is so important to you? Refine any search. In Chapter 4, Jus is sitting in the senior lounge when Manny and Jared walk in accompanied by a group of their friends, Kyle Berkley, Tyler Clepp, and Blake Benson. Haunting look at killing of unarmed African American teen. Powerful story of police shooting of unarmed Black teen. Dear Martin Summary and Analysis of Chapter 1-Chapter 4 Summary In Chapter 1, Justyce (Jus) arrives to help out his ex-girlfriend, Melo Taylor, who is drunk and incapacitated in a supermarket parking lot. Nearly 50 years after Kings assassination, these novels force readers to grapple with the evolution of the struggle for civil rights, and collectively seem to question whether there ever wasor isa single right way to attain equality at all. In a final Dear Martin letter, Justyce talks about being negatively judged by his college roommate. He wonders what would have happened if Manny was in Jus's situation in Chapter 1 and worries that he did not prepare his son enough to handle that kind of run-in with the police. Justyce McAllister is a seventeen-year-old African American boy from a "bad area" in Atlanta, Georgia. He asks Jus if they could just drive for a while and Jus agrees. His frustration leads to a series of questions, which he cannot find an answer to: "What the hell are we supposed to do, Martin? What does he say to her? Jus is drinking as he talks about his worries with Manny, and his feelings escalate: "Jus grabs the flask and takes a swig. Justyce is finally released with the help of Mrs. Friedman, a lawyer and the mother of his friend, Sarah-Jane, or SJ. Blake, to make matters worse, asks Manny and Jus to talk him up to a Black girl who is at the party and uses the n-word. Jus reveals that he's worried something like that happened the night before when he blacked out. Before their conversation can continue, Manny's mom, Dr. Rivers, comes downstairs into Manny's room. Explain what it means and how this relates to Justyces life and the events in the book so far. . Manny confesses to being afraid of black girls because of his lack of exposure to them. In Chapter 11, Jus wakes up hungover in his dorm room after someone knocks on his door. Manny is extremely blindsided and upset: "'All those years that man has looked me in my face and called me his 'other son,' and this is what happens'" (116). Disillusioned, Justyce stops writing his Dear Martin letters. Instead, she asks him, "so whatchu gon' do? He tells Doc Chapter 11, "'ever since my run-in with that cop, I've been on high alert. The very first thing that Jus experiences from this character is his violenceJus is accosted before Castillo even says a word or Jus gets a chance to see his face. Part of the reason its scary is because it doesnt feel like enough. He takes several swigs of alcohol in his distress. Jus relays that he was not sure where he stood on the issue before his encounter with Officer Castillo. Teachers and parents! He was upset the Manny would always accept the racist stuff Jared and his friends say. After class, Jared continues his argument that racism no longer exists while he is alone with his friends, including Manny, who is Black. When it comes to mentoring, theres so much we can learn from young people and it keeps me from forgetting what it was like to be young. That things aren't as equal as folks say they are" (13). He has kept his life on the straight and narrow, despite the fact that he grew up "in a 'bad' area," because he wants to achieve his goals. Following Manny and Jus's reconciliation in Chapter 12, Jus writes his seventh letter to Martin. This passage reveals to us that Jus is an extremely hard worker with ambitious goals. SparkNotes PLUS A mutual fund manager has a 20 million dollars portfolio with a beta of 1.7. Nic Stones novelabout a teen who writes letters to Dr. Kingjoins Angie Thomass The Hate U Give amid a growing body of YA books exploring racial injustice and police brutality. Wed love to have you back! Manny follows him in his car, but Jus is mad at Manny as well. Dear Martin opens with a scene of police brutality, which is defined by a member of law enforcement using undue or excessive force against a subject. Justyce distances himself both from his classmates and from gang members. See where it gets me (Stone 13) What do you think Justyce means when he says he wants to live like Martin Luther King Jr. and do what he does? Manny teases the man, saying that he can't hear him over the music. Jewell Parker Rhodess forthcoming Ghost Boys tells the story of the ghost of a black boy who meets the spirit of Emmett Till after he is killed by law enforcement and enters the afterlife. Every item on this page was chosen by a Shondaland editor. In a final Dear Martin letter, Justyce talks about being negatively judged by his college roommate. Despite this, as Jus tells Dr. King, "during the wee hours of this morning, literally none of that mattered" (10). 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