Jerry Craft

Or, hey, you know, my kid has never been a reader before and he read your book three times. Like, that's what I'm used to. Love.

Or, hey, you know, my kid has never been a reader before and he read your book three times. Like, that's what I'm used to. Love.

So now it's like, hey, can you comment here in the BBC? I'm like, yeah.

So now it's like, hey, can you comment here in the BBC? I'm like, yeah.

Like, what is this?

Like, what is this?

The general books are, wants to live better, and our books, just wants to live. Your books, his father's king. Our books, his father's gone. Lives in a magical kingdom, lives in the hood. All the books with black protagonists were history or misery. No kid like me ever made it to the end of a book. There was no dad. There was nothing.

The general books are, wants to live better, and our books, just wants to live. Your books, his father's king. Our books, his father's gone. Lives in a magical kingdom, lives in the hood. All the books with black protagonists were history or misery. No kid like me ever made it to the end of a book. There was no dad. There was nothing.

The kids always lived on the south side of somewhere that was just really horrible. And it was gangs or slavery or civil rights or police brutality. And I'm like, can I just see a kid who the biggest problem of the day is whether he wants to play Xbox or PlayStation? And that's why I do what I do. I make those books that I wish I had.

The kids always lived on the south side of somewhere that was just really horrible. And it was gangs or slavery or civil rights or police brutality. And I'm like, can I just see a kid who the biggest problem of the day is whether he wants to play Xbox or PlayStation? And that's why I do what I do. I make those books that I wish I had.

So one person sent me the actual school board link that I guess they filmed the school board. And I just refused to watch that because, you know, like when I'm sitting for 16 hours a day drawing like humorous stuff for kids, I have to protect my own brain and my own psyche because I don't want, you know, my next book kids to be like, wow, Mr. Kraft used to be funny.

So one person sent me the actual school board link that I guess they filmed the school board. And I just refused to watch that because, you know, like when I'm sitting for 16 hours a day drawing like humorous stuff for kids, I have to protect my own brain and my own psyche because I don't want, you know, my next book kids to be like, wow, Mr. Kraft used to be funny.

Now he's so depressing, you know? So I have to be in a really good mental space for that.

Now he's so depressing, you know? So I have to be in a really good mental space for that.

Yeah, I did not want to go down that rabbit hole.

Yeah, I did not want to go down that rabbit hole.

The complaint that I saw was that I'm teaching kids critical race theory. So the college course that mentions things such as institutional racism and all these really heavy, deep things that they are studying and picking apart in college, I was now breaking that down for fourth and fifth graders, apparently. So... Oh, is that for me? Is that Katie Texas? Like, we want equal opportunity.

The complaint that I saw was that I'm teaching kids critical race theory. So the college course that mentions things such as institutional racism and all these really heavy, deep things that they are studying and picking apart in college, I was now breaking that down for fourth and fifth graders, apparently. So... Oh, is that for me? Is that Katie Texas? Like, we want equal opportunity.

We have to give an opposing viewpoint.

We have to give an opposing viewpoint.

Right, there you go.

Right, there you go.

There's a lot of it. I was the light-skinned African-American kid born in Harlem, grew up in Washington Heights. The house where Jordan Banks lives is a brownstone that is literally the house where I was born and spent the first 25 years of my life. My mom and dad did not want me to go to art school.

There's a lot of it. I was the light-skinned African-American kid born in Harlem, grew up in Washington Heights. The house where Jordan Banks lives is a brownstone that is literally the house where I was born and spent the first 25 years of my life. My mom and dad did not want me to go to art school.

I wanted to go to art school. So they sent me to a school in Riverdale. And here they send Jordan Banks to a school called Riverdale Academy Day School, or RAD for short.

I wanted to go to art school. So they sent me to a school in Riverdale. And here they send Jordan Banks to a school called Riverdale Academy Day School, or RAD for short.

The whole Vineyard Vines thing, that was like the unofficial uniform. So I changed it in New Kid to Grapevine Groves. It's like, wow, you kids sure wear a lot of pink here. It's like, no, it's not pink. It's salmon.

The whole Vineyard Vines thing, that was like the unofficial uniform. So I changed it in New Kid to Grapevine Groves. It's like, wow, you kids sure wear a lot of pink here. It's like, no, it's not pink. It's salmon.

being called the wrong name, you know, hey, DeAndre, I'm not DeAndre, I'm Drew.

being called the wrong name, you know, hey, DeAndre, I'm not DeAndre, I'm Drew.

Uh-huh. Right. That's the other one.

Uh-huh. Right. That's the other one.

Yeah, it literally is like based on what I actually see. There's nothing that I haven't lived myself.

Yeah, it literally is like based on what I actually see. There's nothing that I haven't lived myself.

And she reads and she's like, Jordan, you know, why are you so angry? It's like, I'm not angry, you know?

And she reads and she's like, Jordan, you know, why are you so angry? It's like, I'm not angry, you know?

Right, because he will complain about being called the wrong name or, you know, just different things like that or people touching his friend's hair. So she's like, Jordan, you're special. You know, like, you're here. And he's like, yeah, but Ms. Rowe, like, would you take a job at a school in my neighborhood so you can be special? And she like kind of gets on him.

Right, because he will complain about being called the wrong name or, you know, just different things like that or people touching his friend's hair. So she's like, Jordan, you're special. You know, like, you're here. And he's like, yeah, but Ms. Rowe, like, would you take a job at a school in my neighborhood so you can be special? And she like kind of gets on him.

He's like, so let me get this right. It's okay for this stuff to happen to me. It's just not okay for me to talk about it. And that sums up this whole thing that's going on now.

He's like, so let me get this right. It's okay for this stuff to happen to me. It's just not okay for me to talk about it. And that sums up this whole thing that's going on now.

Right? There are things based on my life and based on my kids' lives.

Right? There are things based on my life and based on my kids' lives.

I love how you said Jerry Banks because that is right.

I love how you said Jerry Banks because that is right.

You're right. It is Jerry Banks. We are one and the same. No, it's exactly the same.

You're right. It is Jerry Banks. We are one and the same. No, it's exactly the same.

It is, you know, Miss Roll found Jordan's sketchbook and said that it's a polemic and that it's angry. And this woman found my book and says it's a polemic and it's angry. And, yeah. Yeah.

It is, you know, Miss Roll found Jordan's sketchbook and said that it's a polemic and that it's angry. And this woman found my book and says it's a polemic and it's angry. And, yeah. Yeah.