{"id":933634,"date":"2025-04-14T12:37:52","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T16:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?p=933634"},"modified":"2025-04-14T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T21:00:00","slug":"glaad-exclusive-hear-javontes-inspiring-story-on-pbss-the-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/glaad-exclusive-hear-javontes-inspiring-story-on-pbss-the-class\/","title":{"rendered":"GLAAD Exclusive: Hear Javonte&#8217;s Inspiring Story on PBS&#8217;s &#8220;The Class&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s hard to believe it&#8217;s already been 5 years since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 2020, on top of all the fear and uncertainty of a world on lockdown, the students of Deer Valley High School, just like many students all over the world, were on a mission to achieve their dreams of higher education.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-933648 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"763\" height=\"430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-450x253.jpg 450w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110751\/Split-Screen-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"The Class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/show\/the-class\/\"><em>The Class<\/em><\/a> is a powerful and timely limited docuseries executive produced by<strong> Daveed Diggs<\/strong> about the East Bay community of Antioch, CA, where six students face not only educational challenges and mental health struggles, but also the persistent inequalities many have had to overcome. With resilience and determination, they face obstacles head-on, inspired by their dedicated college adviser, \u201cMr. Cam.\u201d His guidance empowers them to overcome barriers and strive for a brighter future.<\/p>\n<p>Premiering Tuesday, April 15th, episode 5 will highlight a student named <strong>Javonte<\/strong>&#8216;s coming out story. Watch an exclusive clip here:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Class | Javonte&#039;s Story (Ep 5 Clip) | PBS\" width=\"788\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NXSgRDEM_qs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Javonte shared his story of coming out to his father who he has a complicated relationship with. He explains that he loves his parents, but this experience helped him realize he\u2019s \u201coutgrown it\u201d and that his views differ from theirs.<\/p>\n<p>Javonte spoke with GLAAD to talk about his journey and experience filming <em>The Class.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Javonte shared what compelled him to tell his story on\u00a0<em>The Class\u00a0<\/em>5 years ago, &#8220;Looking back on being 16 years old when the opportunity was first presented to me, I appreciated that it gave me a platform at such a young age to express myself and be seen by others nationally.&#8221; He shared candidly, &#8220;Additionally, being so young, I felt very cool saying out loud, \u201cI am a part of a docuseries that will be streamed and televised\u201d through media platforms\u2014a fake sense of fame and\/or popularity that many seek.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He talked about what he hopes viewers of the series take away from his story, &#8220;When viewers hear my story, especially teens and young adults, I hope they remember to always aim to position themselves for opportunities and success \u2013 whatever that may be for them. I could sit here and say something related to my story of queerness, but that isn\u2019t my identity, that is a part of my identity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He adds, &#8220;I am grateful to sit here and reflect on the understanding of my reality from five years ago, I have grown so much. When listening to my answers during the series, it\u2019s not what I said but how I said it. In hindsight, I was speaking about the lack of autonomy and agency I didn\u2019t have in my own life in some ways, and that is truly what I want people to take from my story.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He spoke about how his life has changed since filming for\u00a0<em>The Class, &#8220;<\/em>My life has changed because I have a better understanding of my reality and the way society has been constructed, not for my benefit. I am getting at the concept of ignorance, in particular. At 17 years old, I left California to continue my education at Morehouse in Georgia, ignorant of the way this world works. Today, I stand confident, continuing to position myself for opportunities that will aid in my further development of this complex world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Javonte talked about his expectations of college vs. reality, &#8220;When leaving for college, I went in expecting the unexpected in some ways. I didn&#8217;t know how to prepare for something that I had never seen or experienced before. Whether or not I researched others\u2019 experiences or advice and worked with college advisors and family, I knew that mine would inherently be somewhat different.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He said that his advice for incoming college freshmen &#8220;is to be open to new experiences and the fact that your understanding and perspectives may be challenged &#8211; allow yourself to learn from others, even if their views may differ from yours.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>To close, he offered a bit of advice to anyone who may be going through a similar situation in their own life, &#8220;My advice to LGBTQ teens with stories similar to mine is to accept that you may never fit in, and that\u2019s ok \u2013 your story is not the same as others. The sooner many of us understand this, the sooner we can shift our focus to embracing our individuality and the right people will find us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tune in Tuesday night to hear the rest of Javonte&#8217;s story.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-933650 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"731\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-450x253.jpg 450w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.glaad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/14110800\/Cheer-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>The Class<\/em> debuted on PBS on March 18, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__www.pbs.org_tv-5Fschedules_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=jl3liTnLkt-MZS6bFGOTT1GA-fr7JILejB4aPz011Zs&amp;m=R7kGwfHOj0cNX9MsM0TfVhKsU582wko4YAUl9Sa4sCXNcUKGtgua2rXofUxSPwd_&amp;s=Aki5Lmy-vzTGx-5BkjWjMHGjrvlvPniYah1j309C750&amp;e=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u%3Dhttps-3A__www.pbs.org_tv-5Fschedules_%26d%3DDwMFaQ%26c%3DeuGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM%26r%3Djl3liTnLkt-MZS6bFGOTT1GA-fr7JILejB4aPz011Zs%26m%3DR7kGwfHOj0cNX9MsM0TfVhKsU582wko4YAUl9Sa4sCXNcUKGtgua2rXofUxSPwd_%26s%3DAki5Lmy-vzTGx-5BkjWjMHGjrvlvPniYah1j309C750%26e%3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1744728183397000&amp;usg=AOvVaw16sa3fIvuBtTEoTouHWaqV\">check local listings<\/a> to watch. New episodes air weekly on Tuesdays and stream on the <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__www.pbs.org_pbs-2Dapp_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=jl3liTnLkt-MZS6bFGOTT1GA-fr7JILejB4aPz011Zs&amp;m=R7kGwfHOj0cNX9MsM0TfVhKsU582wko4YAUl9Sa4sCXNcUKGtgua2rXofUxSPwd_&amp;s=NlBoXMZydHK6_rt3BXy01vBR6nv9uEzcg6gk4Y1TMGs&amp;e=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u%3Dhttps-3A__www.pbs.org_pbs-2Dapp_%26d%3DDwMFaQ%26c%3DeuGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM%26r%3Djl3liTnLkt-MZS6bFGOTT1GA-fr7JILejB4aPz011Zs%26m%3DR7kGwfHOj0cNX9MsM0TfVhKsU582wko4YAUl9Sa4sCXNcUKGtgua2rXofUxSPwd_%26s%3DNlBoXMZydHK6_rt3BXy01vBR6nv9uEzcg6gk4Y1TMGs%26e%3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1744728183397000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rGGNmIEmLTEUdP8ahLIsJ\">PBS app<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Class | Official Trailer | PBS\" width=\"788\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G35ONKUlXog?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s hard to believe it&#8217;s already been 5 years since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 2020, on top of all the fear and uncertainty of a world on lockdown, the students of Deer Valley High School, just like many students all over the world, were on a mission to achieve their dreams of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":449,"featured_media":933647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138841,141944,138413,139171,138401,138411,138410,138408,138423,138415],"tags":[142824,140318,122142,142825],"ppma_author":[139069],"class_list":{"0":"post-933634","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advocacy","8":"category-black-voices","9":"category-people-of-color","10":"category-education","11":"category-entertainment","12":"category-family","13":"category-must-see-lgbtq-tv","14":"category-television","15":"category-together","16":"category-young-adult","17":"tag-daveed-diggs","18":"tag-docuseries","19":"tag-pbs","20":"tag-the-class"},"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.8.1.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It&#039;s hard to believe it&#039;s already been 5 years since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. 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