Kraft's take on race and identity

 I had never read a comic book before, I never had the desire and they never really appealed to me. I did not know what to expect when I began New Kid by Jerry Craft. However, it reminded me of a more serious, deeper, and meaningful version of Diary of the Wimpy Kid. It reminded me of something my Bridges Student from Service Learning would like. She often shows me her drawings and loves to distract me by showing me artistic skills. She is also currently entering school as a new kid. Due to COVID-19, her in-person learning has just begun, she is just starting to be in person as a new middle schooler. It is April and she is currently learning where every classroom, cafeteria table, and locker is as a 6th grader. When I asked her if she ever got lost she held up the most detailed map, 6 pages long, a map for every class period, for every new classroom--similar to Jordan.

This text, New Kid, discussed race in a very clever and unique way. The role of race is often alluded to, for example, the students telling Jordan he will like the math teacher--a teacher of color. As the text expands it raises more questions of race and shows the reader a direct and upfront narrative. The text is written in a way that quickly indulges the reader but also feels for Jordan Banks and his experience. In little words and many pictures I felt I had insight into a whole aspect of Jordan’s life, I felt him dealing with many real issues--race, school, new beginnings, growing up, friendships, family, and identity. He is trying to find his own identity, he has emerged into a school where he is the minority and the school does not suit his passions as well. On-Page 26, Kraft introduced this idea of the Oreo, of being black on the outside but white on the inside. And it feels as if that is what could happen in this environment, their culture and identity are begin looked down upon causing students of color to lose themselves. The students of color constantly feel out of place as they are placed into a school being the minority. Jordan and Drew discuss student's eyes turning towards them when topics like Civil Rights, Slavery, or even Finical Aid come up in the classroom. Race is a very forefront subject at this school. The parents come back from Teacher Parent night and state, “And he kept asking if what he said was racist? That was weird” (Kraft, 95). Showing us the way in which this school, and society, functions. Kraft writes the piece in a very uplighting, bright, and fun manner but ties in deeper topics such as race and identity.