It’s hard to believe it’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.
The Class is a powerful and timely limited docuseries executive produced by Daveed Diggs 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, “Mr. Cam.” His guidance empowers them to overcome barriers and strive for a brighter future.
Premiering Tuesday, April 15th, episode 5 will highlight a student named Javonte‘s coming out story. Watch an exclusive clip here:
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’s “outgrown it” and that his views differ from theirs.
Javonte spoke with GLAAD to talk about his journey and experience filming The Class.
Javonte shared what compelled him to tell his story on The Class 5 years ago, “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.” He shared candidly, “Additionally, being so young, I felt very cool saying out loud, “I am a part of a docuseries that will be streamed and televised” through media platforms—a fake sense of fame and/or popularity that many seek.”
He talked about what he hopes viewers of the series take away from his story, “When viewers hear my story, especially teens and young adults, I hope they remember to always aim to position themselves for opportunities and success – whatever that may be for them. I could sit here and say something related to my story of queerness, but that isn’t my identity, that is a part of my identity.”
He adds, “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’s not what I said but how I said it. In hindsight, I was speaking about the lack of autonomy and agency I didn’t have in my own life in some ways, and that is truly what I want people to take from my story.”
He spoke about how his life has changed since filming for The Class, “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.”
Javonte talked about his expectations of college vs. reality, “When leaving for college, I went in expecting the unexpected in some ways. I didn’t know how to prepare for something that I had never seen or experienced before. Whether or not I researched others’ experiences or advice and worked with college advisors and family, I knew that mine would inherently be somewhat different.”
He said that his advice for incoming college freshmen “is to be open to new experiences and the fact that your understanding and perspectives may be challenged – allow yourself to learn from others, even if their views may differ from yours.”
To close, he offered a bit of advice to anyone who may be going through a similar situation in their own life, “My advice to LGBTQ teens with stories similar to mine is to accept that you may never fit in, and that’s ok – 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.”
Tune in Tuesday night to hear the rest of Javonte’s story.
The Class debuted on PBS on March 18, 2025, check local listings to watch. New episodes air weekly on Tuesdays and stream on the PBS app.