Professor Tom James Character Analysis

One of Cedric’s professors at Brown University. One of James’ strongest students is a Latino student named Franklin Cruz, who is adept at stepping in and out of his racial identity, like a coat he can put on and take off depending on his environment. James thinks that Cedric is nothing like this, as Cedric can’t get get the same kind of intellectual distance from his identity that Franklin Cruz can—a skill that James believes is essential to thriving at Brown and in the wider world.