Dear Martin

Chapter 11- Describe Doc’s story about transferring to the magnet school in your own words.  Why does he bring this up?

He wants to compare himself to Manny and how everybody saw him as black

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Doc wants Jus to grow up. He wants Jus to know that he had similar experiences. He tells Jus that growing up, he was the only person of color at his school. When he transferred to a magnet school in high school, he discovered that all the Black and white kids expected him to "act black" (103). He then tells Jus that the most important thing is for him to accept himself first—the things that kids like Jared say to him have no real bearing on how far he gets in life. Jus tells Doc that he tries to do that, but he gets so frustrated. Doc tells Jus another story: when he was in grad school, his PhD advisor was racist towards him and told Doc to his face that he would never succeed. Doc tells Jus, "'If I'd listened to him, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you'" (104). He then leaves Jus's room so Jus can get some rest.