Dear Martin

Manny has it all: both parents, each of whom has an impressive job, wealth, and an abundance of confidence. Manny is also kindhearted and cares for Justyce, as evidenced by his concern about Justyce's toxic relationship with Melo and his respect for Justyce's inability to talk about his arrest. However, Manny doesn't understand what it feels like to be racially profiled or why Justyce is so angry. Manny grew up in a bubble of affluence and has gone to school with white classmates his entire life. They have accepted him and said things like "I totally don't even see you as black, Manny!" (33), making him naïve about how pervasive racism remains. He doesn't point out their overgeneralizations, and he laughs (though often half-heartedly) at their use of race as humor. While Manny doesn't feel the need to call out his friends or require they change their behaviors, Manny's discomfort is notable when talking about equality in the student lounge and before going out with Blake in a Klan costume. Also, readers are privy to Manny's anxiety about attending Morehouse College, revealing that he does consider race and that for all the confidence he might exude, he is just as worried as Justyce about fitting in.

After Justyce calls Manny a sellout, Manny admits that Justyce was right and he has realized that "some of the stuff [he'd] always felt around those guys is legit" (110). Having repressed his feelings for so long, Manny resorts to his fists after Jared's subsequent racist joke. Manny embraces the animosity and anger he feels because his friends "couldn’t care less what it's like to live in [Manny's] skin" (109). The news that Jared's family is pressing assault charges against Manny pushes him over the edge, cementing in his mind the injustice that "Jared and [he] could do the same crime, but [Manny's] likely to get the harsher punishment" (116). With this anger and resentment, which Manny's father admits he should have exposed him to earlier, Manny rails against Tison's behavior, ultimately costing him his life.  

SJ is a strong-minded, outspoken character. The first time readers meet her is during a classroom discussion on equality during which she has no qualms about going to bat for those who have been the targets of racism. During the conversation, SJ shows her own self-awareness when she acknowledges her white privilege. She also shows a deep understanding of fairness when she apologizes to Justyce for speaking on his behalf.

As SJ and Justyce's feelings start to evolve, SJ lends a sympathetic ear to show her caring for Justyce, particularly after the Equality Brigade party. She's unable, and unwilling, to provide advice, but her ability to hear him out does help Justyce. Additionally, SJ provides enthusiastic support when she discovers Justyce has been accepted to Yale. However, when Melo steps in between SJ and Justyce during this celebration, SJ's enthusiasm is quick to devolve. Clearly, SJ is not one to linger where she isn't wanted. However, after clearing the air with Justyce, they resume their friendship, signaling SJ's willingness to be flexible and understanding despite Justyce's mixed messages.

However, when Justyce tries to kiss SJ, she avoids him, fearful of his inconsistencies and where he stands regarding Melo. SJ's avoidance of Justyce shows that while she has feelings for him, her most important priority is her own well-being. When Justyce comes to her house after leaving Martel's, SJ compartmentalizes her hurt feelings to provide a shoulder on which Justyce can share his feelings and cry. Regardless of whether they have a romantic future, SJ is willing to be there for someone who has been important in her life for years. However, when he his finished filling her in, SJ has no problem letting Justyce know that he is hard to read and she needs to know whether he likes her. 

Justyce's mom provides tough love to her son. When Justyce comes home with his arrest and his classmates' offensive comments weighing on his mind, his mother simply agrees with his assessments that the world is not fair for a young Black man. She pushes her son to realize that he has no choice but to push forward, regardless of what is happening around him. Her reaction should not surprise the reader, as Justyce mentions early in the novel, his mother had prepared him for much of his life to face situations in which the police treat him unfairly. Justyce's mother's perspective is that young Black men have to rise above and use education as a steppingstone.

Later, Justyce's mother is not portrayed in as positive a light. However, given her experiences and her perspective on how the world treats Black people, her stance makes sense. As Justyce reveals that he is dating SJ, his mother makes it clear that she does not approve. In fact, his mother laments having sent him to Braselton Prep, worrying that it has filled his head with dangerous things. Justyce's mother is wary of the world and lives on guard against racism. She worries that Justyce's experiences at Braselton Academy and with a white girlfriend will cause him to be less vigilant and will put him in more situations in which racism might rear its ugly head. 

Doc is a mixed-race teacher at Braselton Academy whom Justyce admires. Having grown up in an affluent family, Doc attended all white schools as a child and provides Justyce with insight into Manny's perspective. However, Doc can also relate to Justyce, as he attended a more diverse high school and dealt with the perceptions and expectations of both Black and white students about how he was supposed to act. Ultimately, Doc serves as a sort of living voice for Dr. King's teachings, stressing to Justyce that he be the kind of man he believes he should be, to take the moral high ground, and to not allow others to set him off course. 

Additionally, Doc's class provides a discussion space for issues that are pertinent in today's world but also in the lives of his students, including equality and affirmative action. The dialogue of his students and the voracity with which they pursue their arguments signify their comfort in his presence and the trust that exists in that space. 

Jared goes toe-to-toe with SJ on the topic of equality, demonstrating his inability to see beyond the world in which he lives. Jared is adamant that the world is equal for all, and he is unwilling, or perhaps unable, to wrap his mind around Manny's parents being an exception to the rule. Jared seems to truly believe that all people have the same opportunity, and those who try to prove otherwise offend and anger him. Readers see this animosity when Jared complains that Doc had "the nerve to suggest there's racial inequality to a classroom full of millennials" (30), and they see his privilege when he suggests he might "have [his] dad call the school" (30).

With his limited scope and clearly privileged viewpoint, Jared says and does things that are racially insensitive, including his Equality Brigade and his accusations regarding affirmative action. In addition to his actions and language being problematic, Jared can't see past his own privilege to really understand that what he's saying or doing is wrong. When Trey and the other Black Jihad members confront the Equality Brigade, Jared tries to explain the costumes and continues to interject in the conversation even after Manny has asked him to stop talking. Later, when discussing affirmative action, he finds it difficult to understand that some people's race or economic status might affect their access to education. As a student of privilege, he assumes that people should just do better and try harder. When faced with a challenge against his own inappropriate or racist comments, Jared can’t see any view other than his own privileged one.

However, Jared changes after Manny's death. At the funeral, Justyce is witness to his overwhelming grief. After the image of Justyce as a thug is released, Jared attempts to make amends by calling SJ, taking responsibility for the image, and promising to try and get the whole picture released. Jared seems to be doing penance not only for the stupidity of his Equality Brigade but also for the fight with Manny and the charges his family was going to press. Jared and Manny were close friends, and despite Jared's inability to see much beyond himself, he clearly misses Manny desperately. Manny's death also prompts Jared to see the world in a different light. At Manny's gravesite, Jared tells Justyce about the African-American studies class he took and how he wants to study "civil rights law instead of business" (207), indicating that Jared has gained the ability to see through a lens other than that of white privilege. 

Quan is Manny's cousin and grew up in the same neighborhood as Justyce. Quan has been imprisoned for allegedly murdering Officer Castillo, the same officer who arrested Justyce. During his conversation with Justyce, readers gain a sense of Quan's anger and frustration with a system and society that deemed him a criminal far before he identified as one. Quan also reveals that the Black Jihads offered him survival, and Martel served as "a big brother" (145). Quan tries to explain to Justyce that "it's hard out there by yourself" (145) and that the gang offered "strength in numbers" (145). 

Martel is the leader of the Black Jihad, a gang in Justyce's old neighborhood. He wears African attire and surrounds himself with symbols of African culture and pride. He is eloquent and inspires confidence in those who meet him. In fact, "there's no anxiety […] No pressure. No fear" (163) in his demeanor. He listens when Justyce speaks and seems to really understand him. These kinds of qualities make a young man wrestling with anger and frustration feel drawn to Martel. Justyce understands why "the neighborhood guys without dads flock to Martel" (163).

However, Martel is a criminal. He wears an ankle monitor, indicating he is on house arrest. Additionally, Justyce sees the "sawed off shotgun tucked beneath the edge of the coffee table" (162). When Martel questions whether Justyce is "ready to strike back" (163), there is an undercurrent of violence.