Dear Justyce

Justyce is the protagonist of Dear Martin and Quan’s childhood friend. Justyce is highly intelligent and empathetic and shares a similar background to Quan’s. Justyce, like Quan, grew up with a single mother and lost his father at a young age. Both boys dealt with the trauma of having an unsafe home life: Justyce’s father struggled with alcoholism, and Quan’s mother’s boyfriend was physically and verbally abusive. However, Quan notes that Justyce had the support systems that Quan did not. Justyce’s mother believed in her son’s academic potential and sent him to an elite preparatory school, where he had access to the best teachers, materials, and opportunities. Although Quan shows the same level of academic potential as Justyce, Quan’s mother doesn’t believe that her son is capable of this level of excellence and does not foster his talents. Justyce represents everything Quan could have been if someone had believed in him throughout his life, which Quan is very aware of. Quan wonders, “How could you possibly understand the inner workings of a hood cat like me?” (117), pointing out how differently the two boys turned out.

Although Quan and Justyce drifted apart over the years, the two were always connected by Quan’s cousin Manny. After Manny is murdered in Dear Martin, Justyce stays in contact with Quan. Unlike Quan’s old friends who broke off contact with him after he went to prison, Justyce is different. For over a year, Justyce has invested time and energy into getting to know Quan through their letters. Justyce treats Quan like a brother and offers him advice. It is Justyce’s kindness and willingness to listen to Quan’s thoughts without judgment that change the course of Quan’s life.

Justyce’s letters are not shown in the first half of Dear Justyce, but Quan’s responses to them show us that Justyce is asking real questions about Quan and his story, forcing him to think through his journey so far in life. In Dear Martin, Justyce was forced to grapple with his identity as a young Black man and the systemic oppression that makes his life more difficult. Because of his experience with this type of reflection and anger, Justyce serves as a mentor for Quan. Just like Justyce found comfort and inspiration in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Quan is inspired by Justyce for his accomplishments and strong character. Although Justyce is only one year older than Quan, Quan admits that he has always looked up to Justyce. He believes that if only he could be more like Justyce, “my dad would be proud of me” (41).

Because of the lessons Justyce learned following the events of Dear Martin, he is determined to speak out against injustice and work to protect people like Quan who are wrongfully imprisoned, especially other young Black men. He “[doesn’t] want to see another African American boy wind up in prison, especially for a crime he didn’t commit” (229). Justyce is all too familiar with the feelings of shame and hopelessness that Quan feels in a justice system that feels stacked against him. Justyce is determined to speak up for Quan and stop the cycle of injustice that fills American prison cells with men and boys that look like him and Quan.

Quan’s father is only present for one scene in the novel, but his absence is felt throughout Quan’s childhood. Daddy lives in a very nice neighborhood, unlike Mama. Although Daddy is a drug dealer, he is depicted as a loving, caring father who only sells drugs to take care of his son. Quan tells Justyce that “my dad had been like the duct tape holding our raggedy shit together…he really was the reason I stayed out of trouble” (40), and when his father left, Quan’s life fell apart. Quan feels safe at Daddy’s house, and when Daddy goes to prison, he writes over a hundred letters to his son over the course of four years. Although Quan doesn’t receive these letters until much later in his teenage years (because Dwight hides them), his father’s devotion and love for his son softens Quan and reminds him that he was denied his father’s influence and guidance during his formative years.

On the night of Daddy’s arrest, his main concern is protecting Quan. He yells at the officers “Don’t hurt my son!” (29), and he tries to shout, “It’s gonna be okay, Junior!” (30). Despite Daddy’s absence in Quan’s life, Quan still tries to make him proud. Just like Daddy tried to protect Quan and shield him from dangerous or traumatic events, Quan tries to be like Daddy and protect Dasia and Gabe from Dwight. Quan works hard in school at first in hopes of making Daddy proud. When Quan finds Daddy’s letters, he writes a response and apologizes for letting his father down. After Daddy is arrested, Quan spends most of his adolescent years trying to recapture the father figure that he lost. This makes him particularly susceptible to joining the Black Jihad because Martel is the only Black adult man who shows any interest in Quan’s life.

Quan’s mother is an unexpected antagonist in his life. Traditionally, mothers are seen as supportive, caring, and warm towards their children. However, Quan’s relationship with his mother is different. Mama has a strained relationship with Quan’s father, although she relies on him to help pay bills at the beginning of the story. As soon as Daddy is arrested and he stops sending money to Mama, she has to make a choice. Mama likely knows that it is not a good idea to have her boyfriend, Dwight, in the same household as Quan, but she is so desperate to have help with her bills that she gives in and lets him move in with her. Mama, like Quan, can make poor choices with the intention of taking care of her children. Quan notices at a young age that “the men in his mama’s life—Daddy included—used money to get her to do what they wanted her to” (45).

One of the first times we see Mama in Dear Justyce is when she accuses Quan of cheating on his math test instead of praising him for his hard work, or even listening to his side of the story. Mama may know how to provide for her children financially, but she doesn’t know how to support them emotionally. When Mama is angry, Quan says she is like “a dragon whose hide was radiating heat because it was fighting hard to keep the fire in” (93-94). Her interactions with Quan become exceptionally cold and cruel when she believes he has done something wrong. As Quan begins his life of crime, her disappointment compounds until she disowns her son and seems to surrender him to the prison system with no fight.

Mama’s relationship with Dwight is a source of significant conflict in Quan’s life. Dwight is cruel and abusive and takes advantage of Mama’s resources. Instead of kicking him to the curb, however, Mama keeps Dwight around because she seems to think he is necessary for her family’s survival. When Mama cries after Dwight’s death, it’s hard to say if she genuinely loved him or if she is just panicking at the thought of losing the person who helped her pay bills. Like Quan, Mama seems to be seeking support and love in all the wrong places. Despite Mama’s flaws, she does care about her children and wants to hold them to some standards of behavior. She harbors a lot of insecurity as a parent (as seen when she interacts with her sister at the restaurant), and this insecurity could be why she is so ashamed of Quan’s arrests.

Dwight is Mama’s long-term boyfriend, the father of Dasia and Gabe, and the main antagonist of the novel. Quan has nicknamed him “Count Olaf” in reference to the villain in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the similarities are clear. Dwight is controlling, and he is verbally and physically abusive to both Quan and his mother. He has a history of lying, stealing, and manipulating the people around him. He steals Mama’s electronic benefit transfer card, hides the letters Daddy sent to Quan, and demeans Quan by calling him “delinquent junior.” Dwight seems to have few redeeming qualities other than the fact that he helps Mama pay the bills and frequently comes home “smashed out of his mind—and smashing things as a result” (45), meaning that alcohol can trigger Dwight’s outbursts.

Before Dwight’s death, Stone offers a small, fleeting moment of vulnerability for the otherwise villainous character. Quan witnesses Dwight “crying his eyes out at the kitchen table” (121). This is the only scene in which the reader (or Quan) sees the villainous Dwight drop his defenses. Although Stone never explains what would cause Dwight to cry like this, it is easy to imagine that he isn’t happy with how his life has turned out. Like everyone else in Quan’s world, Dwight likely harbors trauma of his own and perhaps learned his violent mannerisms from his parents. Trauma is a cycle, and it is likely that Dwight is still haunted by his own trauma and taking it out on the people who are close to him.

Trey is another young man from Quan’s neighborhood who, like Quan, has had numerous run-ins with the law. The fact that Trey and Quan’s first meeting is at the police station sets the tone for their friendship: Trey’s influence enables Quan to commit more crimes, and Trey is the one who introduces Quan to the Black Jihad. Quan was already making a few bad choices, but Trey’s arrival accelerates Quan’s path to prison. Trey is described as often smirking, and highly intuitive: “Trey could always tell when something was…off. Not just with Quan. With anyone. Dude had a sixth sense” (122). Trey also tells Martel about what has been going on at Quan’s house and indirectly causes Dwight’s death. Trey is a subtle character who has a significant impact on the trajectory of Quan’s life and is not a good influence on him. In fact, Quan admits that Trey “wasn’t no good influence, but he did…see me” (90). Because Trey is a few years older than Quan and takes an interest in him, Quan trusts Trey and follows his lead without question.

Despite Trey’s rough exterior, he is a kind person who looks out for the people he cares about. He took Quan under his wing, and he has a long-term girlfriend whom he cares about deeply. Trey, like Quan, has a complicated relationship with his mother. She kicks Trey out, “moved to Florida and wouldn’t take [Trey] with her” (103). She leaves Trey to fend for himself, tired of his constant trouble with the law. In the final scene of the novel, we learn that Trey is ecstatic to learn that he is going to be a father. Trey, like Quan, has a good heart. In fact, Trey’s character serves as an example of what Quan could have become in a few years: not a bad person, but a kid who ended up in over his head in a life of crime and gang violence. 

Martel is the leader of the Black Jihad gang and a weapons dealer in Quan’s neighborhood. Martel is educated, well-spoken, and self-assured, and he rules the Black Jihad with a firm hand. He has high expectations for his crew, correcting their poor speaking habits and threatening them with ambiguous repercussions if they step out of line or fail to do their duties to the gang. Martel is passionate about fighting back against the systemic racism that puts Black people at an obvious disadvantage in society, and he zeroes in on Quan’s anger and loneliness. He looks up to Huey Newton, the founder of the Black Panther Party, and he sees his organization as a way to help the community (just like the Black Panthers).

However, Martel also has a penchant for cruelty. Dwight’s death was “arranged” at his command, and he threatens members of his own group. He gives Quan’s mother money and support when Quan is sent to prison, but as soon as Quan severs his ties with the Black Jihad, Martel demands that Quan “pay up” and return the money. Martel’s help comes with strings attached. Still, Martel understands the value of education, being highly educated himself. Martel does want to better his community, which is why he wants Doc to help his guys study for their GEDs. Martel’s methods can be cold and extreme, but he is motivated by a desire to improve the conditions of his neighborhood and those affected by oppressive systems in society. Strangely, when Quan starts paying Martel back with checks, Quan notices that “not a single one [was] cashed” (291). Martel might be giving Quan a way out after all, perhaps hinting that Martel isn’t quite as vindictive as he once seemed. 

Doc is a teacher at Justyce’s preparatory school who begins tutoring Quan during his time in prison. Like Martel, Doc is highly educated and recognizes problematic systems that hinder the success of people of color in America. However, Doc is a foil to Martel. Although they are both motivated to help young and vulnerable people fight against these oppressive systems, Doc’s approach is focused more on empowering others through education. Like Martel, he uses historical figures and literature to teach Quan, but Doc seeks to inspire contemplation and productive action, not anger and resentment. He encourages Quan not to “undervalue [himself] by undervaluing [his] skill set” and teaches Quan to find the good in himself (291). Doc also expects nothing in return for helping Quan graduate on time and prepare for college. He is selfless, compassionate, intelligent, and willing to put in the time and work to better his community. Quan laments that if the boys in his neighborhood had someone like Doc, someone “who told us we could really do and be something, and who believed it” (160), they probably wouldn’t have fallen in with Martel.

Other than Martel, Doc is the only older Black man willing to invest time in Quan. Justyce remembers the powerful positive influence that Doc had on his life, and he wants Quan to benefit from Doc’s wisdom and mentorship like he did. Justyce and Doc both had profound effects on Quan and his decision to better himself with education and have hope for a life beyond his prison cell.

Liberty Ayers is a case management intern who is assigned to Quan’s case. Quan claims to be in love with her, and she is described as very beautiful, highly intelligent, and passionate about helping kids like Quan who come from a difficult family life. Like Quan, Liberty has a criminal past, but she turned her life around when her own case manager saw her potential and inspired her to go to school and get her life back on track.

Tay is Quan’s counselor who helps him process his past trauma. Quan needs help processing his thoughts and feelings, and Tay helps him work through his feelings of shame, inadequacy, and fear. Unlike with his previous counselor, Quan connects with Tay and uses his conversations with her to fight his negative self-talk.