Class Act

Jordan Banks is the narrator of Class Act as well as its deuteragonist. He narrates the daily experiences of his best friend Drew, who goes through instance after instance of stereotyping, racism, and social segregation. Jordan is the youngest person in his grade but seems to be wiser and more mature than many of his peers. He is Black and lives in the inner-city of the Bronx with his parents. However, because his skin is lighter than other Black characters and his hair is finer, he is often left out of discussions surrounding race; people do not think of him when they think of ethnic minorities. For example, when Mr. Roche selects students for a sister school visit, Drew asks why he did not ask Jordan. Mr. Roche answers that Jordan does not look like the students who are visiting—in other words, he implies that Jordan is not “Black enough”. Jordan receives similar treatment from his neighborhood peers, who often tease him about his hair. He also suffers from an inferiority complex due to his age. He is desperate to grow up and begins the novel deciding that he will give up drawing comics because it is too juvenile. In the story’s conclusion, Liam and Drew compliment Jordan for his maturity and how he managed to get them to resolve their differences. Jordan takes the compliment to heart, reacting with a huge grin and yelling, “I’m not immature… I’M A CARTOONIST!!!” (246). In this way, Jordan’s character arc demonstrates the novel’s theme of Staying True to Oneself.

For Drew, Jordan is a key source of support and influence. Jordan is always ready with an empathetic ear, reserves judgment and tries to understand how his friends feel so he can help them. He reflects on Drew’s experiences with racism, drawing comics about them. In one such comic, Jordan writes, “While the Drews go through life honest, but poor… the Andys become dishonest, but rich” (225). In another, he notes the disparities between what Black people experience and how others view them, saying “That’s how I felt today when we watched [The Mean Streets of South Uptown]. Like people think we never have any good times… But I guess if that’s all you ever see in TV shows, books, and movies… Then that’s the only thing you’ll ever think we are” (205). These comics help illuminate the novel’s theme of How Racism Shapes the Daily Lives of Black Children in America. Because Jordan narrates, draws, and closely resembles author Jerry Craft in appearance, it can be assumed that Jordan represents the author himself and the experiences he had growing up.

Liam Landers is Drew and Jordan’s friend, who is white and far more monetarily privileged than them. He is a round character whose problems lie beneath the surface and who, like his two friends, is often judged for his background. Jordan comments at one point that Liam does not have many friends for this reason, and Liam’s family’s butler, Mr. Pierre, encourages Drew to see Liam for who he is rather than his parents’ wealth: “Liam is special. That boy has a good heart… Don’t let how you view Liam’s parents change the way you feel about him” (149). Liam’s life is not perfect, despite seemingly having it all; in fact, when Liam is first introduced, he is seen sitting at the breakfast table with his siblings and their parents nowhere to be found. His siblings ignore him, and he is tended to by a maid and butler. Liam is isolated in his own way.

When Drew visits Liam’s house for a sleepover, he is shocked to see how privileged Liam’s family is. Liam lives in a large mansion, has his own heated pool, and his family serves fancy food. Drew finds himself unable to relate or enjoy himself—he dislikes the food and cannot swim, standing by as Liam and Jordan have fun. When Drew is later given a ride home by Mr. Pierre, he asks how he can work for Liam’s family while his own family remains disadvantaged. Mr. Pierre sees the job as a means to an end and does what he needs to do. After the experience, Drew feels disconnected from Liam and unable to express how he feels. Several weeks pass before he is able to open up, but Liam points out, “If I was the one who stopped talking to you for that same reason… I’d be accused of being an elitist… If I don’t act like you’re beneath me, Drew, which you aren’t… You shouldn’t hate me for thinking I’m above you. Cause I don’t” (217). To reunite his friends, Jordan invites Liam and Drew over to his place. Liam has a great time with both Drew and Jordan’s family, and after Drew sees that Liam is not judgmental, he decides to reserve judgment. The boys show that understanding and unity can act as a Defense Against Prejudice.

Mr. Roche is a teacher at RAD. He is a static character who holds antiquated views of people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. Mr. Roche is white, and when he interacts with students who are Black, he seems to treat them differently and single them out. He seems unaware of himself, and although his intentions may be good, his clueless actions have the opposite effect. Mr. Roche is first introduced as the teacher who splits up Drew and Andy when they argue on the first day of eighth grade, but it is soon revealed that he holds a prejudiced view of the Black students at school. When Mr. Roche hosts a sister school visit for Cardi De Academy students, he asks Drew and another Black student to help him. Drew questions Mr. Roche, wondering why he did not choose Jordan instead. Mr. Roche’s excuse is that the other student “looks more like the kids who will be coming” (75). This offends Drew, who knows that Jordan would probably relate with them better despite having lighter skin.

When the Cardi De students come to visit, Mr. Roche finds it impossible to pronounce their relatively simple names and eventually gives up trying. He shows off RAD’s library and cafeteria, without considering how it might make the students feel. Similarly, Mr. Roche laughs in Andy’s face when he sees his green skin (as the latter dressed up as the Hulk for Halloween). The greatest irony occurs when Mr. Roche is chosen to host the “SOCK” (Students of Color Konnect) program. Drew and his peers are skeptical, but Mr. Roche appears to at least be trying; however, there is no clear evidence that he has actually changed, as he compares the students to a variety pack of donuts and encourages them to ask questions that lead to others feeling offended. In Chapter 12, Mr. Roche is drawn as Thanos from the Marvel universe—an evil overlord who wants nothing more than to crush everything beneath him. Mr. Roche’s character serves as an illustration of the novel’s theme of How Racism Shapes the Daily Lives of Black Children in America.

Andy is a foil to Drew and his friends. He is an archetypal bully who goes out of his way to antagonize Drew and make his life more difficult. Andy and Drew get in a small argument on the first day of eighth grade, laying the stage for future interactions. Like Mr. Roche, Andy has a prejudiced view of people based on their ethnicity. When he suggests that everyone dress as the Avengers for Halloween, he insists that Drew be Black Panther and could never be Thor. When Andy’s brother dyes his skin permanently green (for Halloween), Drew is elated and dances around, glad to see his bully finally suffering the way he does. Jordan does not share Drew’s joy, feeling empathy for Andy. When Andy points out that “it’s not cool to tease someone because of the color of their skin” (69), he reveals his lack of self-awareness in how he treats peers of color. While this could have been an opportunity for Andy to change, he instead uses it to garner sympathy and guilt. In the story’s conclusion, Andy is asked to join the SOCK group so he can learn more about diversity and inclusion. He complains the whole time, calling the program “a waste” (215). Andy embodies one of the novel’s themes (How Racism Shapes the Daily Lives of Black Children in America) being exhibited through secondary characters and their interactions with Drew and Jordan.

Alexandra is a flat secondary character who acts as a juxtaposition to Drew and other students’ insecurity. She is compassionate and always trying to help her peers feel better, viewing herself as a budding psychologist. She is first introduced on the first day of eighth grade when she playfully smacks Jordan in the nose with her puppet, Mr. Pookie Wookie. Alexandra explains that she is wearing her puppet “to make people happy on the first day of school” (22); she is always shown wearing a shirt with a happy face on it. Later in the novel, Drew is feeling downhearted about himself, his peers, and the way it seems as if “no one is happy just being who they are” (177). When Drew asks Alexandra how she can be so comfortable being herself, she emotionally explains that being liked by others is not as valuable as liking oneself. This interaction serves as a turning point for Drew, as moving forward, he makes an earnest effort to be more genuine and understanding of others. Alexandra is the personification of the novel’s theme of Staying True to Oneself.