Dear Martin
Justyce McAllister
Protagonist
A black teenage boy.
He has experienced police brutality.
Lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
He cares for those who are close to him.
Has a on and off girlfriend, Melo.
Goes to the Braselton Preparatory Academy and is a senior.
He was ranked fourth in his class.
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Melo Taylor
She is the on and off girlfriend of Justyce.
Is the daughter of an ex NFL football player and a Norwegian woman.
Has an alcoholism problem.
Drives a candy-apple red Mercedes Benz.
Is disliked by Manny, a friend of Justyce.
Did not do anything while Justyce was being handled by the cop.
After incident was practically traumatized.
Emmanuel "Manny" Rivers
Officer Castillo
Cop who brutally handled Justyce.
He was shot and killed by Quan Banks.
Decided to detain and treat Justyce unlawfully instead of diffusing or trying to understand the situation.
Is a smoker.
Is very rich.
His parents are both earning six figure salaries.
He is the cousin of Quan Banks, the kid who shot and killed Officer Castillo.
He is 17 years old.
Likes to play video games.
President of the debate club.
In the debate club.
Has a strong dislike for Melo.
Captain of the basketball team.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Dr. Jarius "Doc" Dray
Sarah-Jane Friedman
Jared Christensen
Has been friends with Manny since Kindergarten.
Kyle Berkeley & Tyler Clepp
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Goes to the same school as Justyce.
Is conflicted about what to believe and how he should respond to his lifelong friends about their hypocritical opinions.
Wants to ultimately fit in and wants to know how he can get his view out there while still being dignified.
His mother is a psychologist and his father is the VP of a company.
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Quan Banks
Manny's cousin
The 16 year old that killed Officer Castillo
Was labeled as gifted, but fell into the wrong crowd.
He is very straightforward.
A half-black middle aged man with a PhD.
Isn't fond of Justyce.
Does not like Justyce.
Determined to be right.
He is a hypocrite.
He is ignorant of situations that he wants to prove himself right in, yet he doesn't believe that certain subjects that he puts his input to deserve his time to fully comprehend.
A white teenage boy in the debate club.
She is the lacrosse captain and Justyce's debate partner.
Has a strong belief that minorities are still not being treated properly.
Mother is an attorney.
White teenage girl in debate club.
Both go to the same school as Justyce.
Are the other friends of Jared and Manny.
Agree with what Jared says and feels about race.
Mama (Justyce's Mom)
Has a fondness of reading.
Is not willing to learn or change his views.
Believes that one has to remain strong to achieve anything or to get something done that they want done.
Doesn't believe in fitting in, some people were made to stand out.
Racist views, doesn't want Justyce to come home with a white girl.
Insensitive to race and offensive views.
Insensitive to offensive views and race.
Likes Justyce.
Likes Sara-Jane.
Believes that everything is equal until something he believes is unequal happens to him.
Does not like Melo.
Going to Columbia.
Going to Yale.
Is naive in the racism aspect.
Realizes his mistakes after Manny's death
Wanted to see Justyce so he could talk about Manny's death.
Was involved in a shooting that occurred on the roadway, his arm was injured.
Received a watch from the Rivers.
Died in a shooting while at a stop light, Justyce was in the car with him.
Very wise and knows how to motivate or explain things to his students.
Wise and calm.
Civil rights activist
Was Tison's partner.
Lost his sense of identity
Realizes that being a thug is not the right thing to do to avenge Manny
Really helps Justyce understand some things
Tries to help Justyce realize his true self
Feels guilty and remorse for Manny
Believes that becoming a thug and using the stereotype to his advantage is the only way to survive
Julius Rivers
Wants Justyce and Manny to understand that things will happen and that it shouldn't be normal, but it is
Feels bad for not teaching Manny of racial issues earlier on in his life
Gives a watch to Justyce that was inherited in Rivers line that was meant for Manny
Loses job because of his presence at a rally
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Garrett Tison
Saw his partner, Castillo, get murdered by Quan
Shot at Manny and Justyce
Lies saying that they had a gun
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Blake Benson
Wore a KKK outfit on Halloween
Invited Justyce and Manny to a party at his house
House was filled with posters of a racist carnival show
Doesn't believe that he is racist
Thinks that everybody else is just too sensitive
Friend of Manny and Jared
Was punched by Justyce
Did what was right even though he knew he could die
Knew how to truly live instead of just survive
Sorrowful about Manny's death
Has racist views, but believes that they are not.
May have been influenced by events in past, partner killed in front of him
Ends up moving on account of losing job
Knows that Tison was Castillo's partner
Wants to keep what actual happened when Castillo died a secret
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Makes Justyce out to be a thug and explains how he was beat by him, probably to get revenge for the birthday party incident.
Realizes he needs to go to the people who will actually help him, instead of going to thugs or gangs
Is hypocritical when dealing with race
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Felt so guilty, he began to look at his actions more closely
Realized that he was racist
Takes the bait while on trial and feels like he messed up
Realizes he was asking the wrong question while doing the Martin project
Ends up getting killed while waiting for a retrial
Dating Justyce
Helped Justyce realize that he needs to be himself instead of like him.
Realizes that he always wanted to be himself, not just like Martin
Decided to major in Civil Rights law and minor in African-American studies
Began to forgive Jared for what he had done in the past at the end