For the first time, he sees the systemic disadvantages that he has in life compared to his white peers. Quan notices a huge difference between how he was sentenced as a young Black man and how a young white man was sentenced for a far more violent crime. On Quan’s fourth arrest, he is sent to a juvenile detention center. He is arrested for stealing a deck of cards, and at the police station, he meets Trey, who becomes Quan’s literal partner in crime. Quan falls into a life of crime, starting with small thefts. Quan decides to stop trying to prove them wrong. He thinks that people expect the worst of him, including his own mother (“Mama”) and her abusive boyfriend. No matter what Quan does, he doesn’t feel like he is good enough. In his father’s absence, Quan tries to be well behaved and devote himself to his family and his schoolwork, but he struggles to fight the obstacles in his home life. The story is told through a blend of flashbacks, letters, and “snapshots.” When Quan is a child, his father is arrested for selling drugs, and Quan is traumatized by the event. Quan also uses these letters as a form of therapy to reflect on the factors that led to him sitting in this prison cell. Quan, a childhood friend of Justyce McAllister (the main character in Dear Martin), writes letters to Justyce revealing details about his life, his family, and the events leading up to the night of the shooting.

Dear Justyce tells the story of Quan Banks, a high school senior who is currently in prison for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer.

Dear justyce