Joelle Brooks

**Joelle Brooks** is an attending student at Winchester University, a member of the Black Student Union, and co-host of the radio show *Dear White People*. She was a minor character in the indie film *Dear White People* and a supporting character in the Netflix adaption series of the same name, portrayed by Ashley Blaine Featherson.

## Character

Joelle is an outspoken, sharp, ambitious, and loyal student who, like Sam, is proud to be a black activist. Although she is initially upset with Sam for hiding her relationship with Gabe, she forgives her friend and tries her best to support her. Joelle is generally uninvolved directly with relationship conflict, but listens to Sam and Reggie when they need someone to vent to. Often Joelle sets aside her own desires in favor of helping her friends.

Despite excelling high in her classes, Joelle commonly finds herself left second to her best friend, especially in terms of seeking a love life. Though she has expressed little about this, she fears engaging romantically with boys on campus would leave her for Sam.

## Story

### Early Life

Joelle Brooks was raised in a household to a father who was a doctor and a mother who was a laywer. Before entering Winchester University, she attended Woodall Academy, graduating valedictorian of her class.

### Early Day at Winchester

Seeking Winchester University as her college choice, Joelle was placed into Armstrong-Parker House as her dormitory. She also heavily engaged with the Black Student Union, following the lead of Reggie Green and Samantha White to press for action upon learning A-P would be integrating with other non-Black students.

Joelle supported Sam in becoming Head of House and joined the Union with protests, petitions, and rallies to keep the dorm predominantly black. She also greeted Lionel Higgins into A-P House upon seeing him in the cafeteria and officially transferred into the dorms.

### Dear Black People

Awaiting for the arrival of Sam in the halls of A-P, Joelle was prepared to return to her dorm room when Reggie disbanded the group. When Lionel, newcomer to the Union, informed them of a racist party at Garmin House, she, among others, joined to enter the dormitory and interrupt the festivities.

Pulling masks, wigs, and costume pieces off of some of the party attendees, Joelle was, soon, brought outside to a physical confrontation between Lionel and Kurt Fletcher, witnessing as the two boys kiss before Kurt slaps his opposition. Campus police eventually arrive and document the aftermath of the event.

### Black Caucus Meeting

Joelle joined Samantha White and other residents of Armstrong-Parker for a meeting, in which they spoke about how to address and protest the *Dear Black People* party a week prior. As Sam began to monologue on the lack of change and punishment for racists actions, Joelle is one of many to receive a message, linking them to an image of her topless friend from Gabe Mitchell hashtagged "Hate it when Bae leaves."

Approached afterwards by Sam, Joelle tries to dismiss the relationship, citing that she was happy for her best friend.

### Co-Host

Joelle, alongside Sam, critiqued a requested poster for the *Dear White People* show.

## Attendance

* *Dear White People*
	+ Volume 1
		- *Chapter I (Vol. 1)*
		- *Chapter III (Vol. 1)*
		- *Chapter V (Vol. 1)*
		- *Chapter VI (Vol. 1)*
		- *Chapter VII (Vol. 1)*
		- *Chapter X (Vol. 1)*
	+ Volume 2
		- *Chapter I*
		- *Chapter II*
		- *Chapter IV*
		- *Chapter V*
		- *Chapter VI*
		- *Chapter VII*
		- *Chapter VIII*
		- *Chapter IX*
		- *Chapter X*

## Quotes

*For the song lyrics, see Song.*

“*Suck it, Reagan. I'm still here. And please know that I will be showing up on McRib day in a Shirley Chisholm T-Shirt sans internal conflict.*”
—Joelle Brooks to Samantha White[src]

“*She's not afraid of the truth. Why are you?*”
—Joelle Brooks to Samantha White[src]

“*Why'd you look at me like that?"
"Like what? I just looked at you."
"No, no, no, that was a 'This white boy can't handle what I'm about to say' look."
"It's true; that was the look.*”
—Gabe Mitchell and Joelle Brooks[src]

## Trivia

* Though she is never referred to in dialogue as such and is not credited like so, Ashley Blaine Featherson reprises her role from *Dear White People* as **Joelle Brooks** in the Netflix televised adaption series of the same name.
* Joelle expressed a desire to lose her "sophomore 16" and be "waist thin and ass thick." She went about this by watching videos from "this white bitch in Texas," Marian Updike (founder of the "Think Slim" online course).
* Joelle admitted to have been "secretly streaming *The Cosby Show*" and felt guilty about it, but she praised Bill Cosby for being a comedic genius despite his sexual assault allegations.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *Dear White People: Volume 2: Chapter V*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Dear White People*
3. ↑ *Dear White People: Volume 1: Chapter II*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Dear White People: Volume 1: Chapter I*
5. ↑ *Dear White People: Volume 1: Chapter V*
6. ↑ *Dear White People: Volume 2: Chapter I*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 *Dear White People: Volume 2: Chapter IX*