Skip to content

Dear Martin (2017)

Author: Nic Stone
Type: Novel · Young adult contemporary fiction
FPS Group: Group 3 — Honors/AP
Era/Period: Contemporary — racial justice in 21st-century America
ELA Standards: 9-10.R.8 · 9-10.R.9
USH Standards: US.6_12.7 · US.6_12.4
Copyright: Copyrighted — excerpt only

What This Text Is About

"Dear Martin" is a powerful novel written by Nic Stone in 2017, addressing the challenges faced by Black teenagers in America today. The story revolves around Justyce McAllister, a brilliant and ambitious high school student from a working-class background who attends an elite prep school on scholarship. Despite his academic success, Justyce struggles with systemic racism, police violence, and the pressure to maintain respectability within both his community and the predominantly white environment of his new school. The book is deeply rooted in real-world issues such as racial profiling, code-switching, and the complex relationship between justice and personal identity.

Read It

Copyrighted — excerpt only.

Justyce McAllister felt a sudden jolt as handcuffs clicked around his wrists, cold metal biting into his skin. He looked up to see Officer Paul sitting across from him in the patrol car, his stern face reflecting the harsh reality of the situation. Justyce had been trying to help his ex-girlfriend, Manny, who was drunk and stumbling on the sidewalk near their neighborhood park. But instead of getting her home safely, he found himself arrested for a supposed assault that never happened.

Why me? Justyce thought as Officer Paul started writing in his notebook. What am I doing here?

He felt a rush of frustration mixed with fear, wondering what would happen next and how this incident could impact his life at prep school. Little did he know, this moment was just the beginning of a journey that would challenge everything he believed about justice and racial equality.

Full text available in most school libraries.

Why This Text Matters

"Dear Martin" is essential reading for students today as it speaks directly to issues of race and social justice that are prevalent in contemporary society. Through Justyce's eyes, readers gain insight into the complexities faced by young Black men who must navigate both personal aspirations and systemic challenges. The novel encourages critical thinking about how societal expectations can shape one’s identity and actions, particularly in light of historical struggles for civil rights.

By addressing topics like police brutality and institutional racism, Stone not only highlights ongoing issues but also offers a hopeful message that individual voices and efforts can make a difference. This book is especially relevant given the recent history of racial tensions and protests across America, providing context and perspective that resonate with young readers' experiences.

ELA Standards Connection

Standard Connection
9-10.R.8 Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. The novel uses parallel narratives and flashbacks to explore Justyce’s growth and the societal issues he faces.
9-10.R.9 Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare might draw on a medieval romance that uses the framework of chivalry and courtly love, how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare). Justyce writes letters to Martin Luther King Jr., engaging with his legacy and considering how to apply his teachings today.
9-10.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Students could write an argumentative essay addressing Justyce's decision to continue attending prep school after his arrest or an analysis of King’s influence on contemporary activism.

Social Studies Connection

"Dear Martin" connects directly to historical events such as the Civil Rights Movement and more recent incidents involving racial injustice, including the killings of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and others. Understanding these connections helps students contextualize the novel's themes within a broader narrative of social change.

The book also explores legal concepts like self-defense laws, which have been central to many high-profile cases involving African Americans in recent years.

Key Vocabulary

  1. Code-Switching: The practice of changing language or behavior when moving between different social settings.
  2. Respectability Politics: A concept referring to the belief that racial and other forms of inequality can be overcome by conforming to mainstream cultural norms and values.
  3. Stereotyping: Assigning traits, characteristics, or motives to individuals based on their membership in a particular group.
  4. Prejudice: An unfavorable opinion formed beforehand without knowledge of the facts.
  5. Racial Profiling: The discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual's race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

Studio Ideas

  1. Write an argumentative essay discussing whether Justyce should continue attending prep school after his arrest, considering both personal and community impacts.
  2. Create a historical timeline highlighting significant civil rights events from Martin Luther King Jr.'s era to the present day.
  3. Reflect on your own experiences with discrimination or witnessing injustice; write about how you would respond in Justyce's situation.

Pairs With

Why This Is Relevant Today?

"Dear Martin" is incredibly relevant today as issues of racial justice and police reform continue to dominate national conversations. Recent events like the Black Lives Matter movement and ongoing debates about policing practices highlight the urgency of understanding systemic racism and its impacts on individuals. The novel serves as both a historical reference point and a guide for current activism, encouraging readers to engage critically with these issues.

ELA Reading Library · SDA Commons · South High School