Malik Character Analysis

One of Bri's best friends. His mom, Aunt 'Chelle; Sonny's mom, Aunt Gina; and Jay were all pregnant at the same time, so the trio of Malik, Sonny, and Bri are referred to as "the Unholy Trinity." Malik is extremely tall, and Bri has had a crush on him since they were ten years old, though she believes that he's not interested in her. Since the riots that happened in Garden Heights about a year ago, Malik has become very interested in social justice and the Civil Rights movement. Bri and Sonny refer to him as Malik X, since Malik loves the Black Panthers. An aspiring filmmaker, Malik often films events that happen to him and his friends in the white neighborhood of Midtown, such as being followed around in stores or treated with suspicion. He films the entirety of Bri's assault by Long and Tate. Bri begins to feel as though Malik is betraying her when she learns that he is dating Shana, a dancer, and when Malik and Shana ask her to help them by letting them put the video of the assault online. Their relationship becomes even more fraught when Malik kisses Bri and then accuses her of flirting with Curtis to make him jealous, and the damage worsens when, not even an hour after this, Bri seems to prioritize objects and money over Malik's wellbeing and safety. He also takes offense to Bri's song, “On the Come Up”; he believes playing into stereotypes, like he thinks Bri does in the song, is the wrong way to protest. The two make up when Bri finally admits how much her family has been struggling and Malik apologizes for kissing her and not having her back.