Meet Webb Johnson

‍About Webb Johnson

Talking about high school point guard Webb Johnson on the court, coaches tend to say things like “lightning speed”, “clutch performer”, and “magician with the ball”. From that angle, he’s a promising candidate for an athletic scholarship.

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It’s true even for the ones who haven’t coached him. But there is another side to Webb that often escapes their notice. For one thing, he’s an avid reader. He also takes a keen interest in issues of the day, perhaps more than is comfortable for some people in Hartsend. 

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Appearance:

When you meet Webb, chances are you’ll notice his eyes. Their gaze is reflective, but he’s not in a hurry to share his thoughts. Webb is just over six feet tall, with a powerfully built frame. He always looks fashionable, wearing the bold colors and patterns that are popular in 1970. His parents insist that he keep his hair short, though.

Dialogue Style: 

Webb’s mellow baritone voice has an impressive range. He’s a soloist in his church choir. But when speaking, as a woman at church puts it, he’s a young man of few words. That’s true in public, anyway. He tends to be more relaxed with friends, who know to be ready for his pun-filled jokes and quotes from whatever book he’s reading at the moment. 

Personality traits: 

Ethical, inquiring, restless. Webb has a strong desire to learn and to make a difference in the world. Although he loves basketball, he doesn’t like being seen just as a basketball player. He wants basketball to be the first step in the accomplishments of his life.

Backstory: 

Webb is the son of two accomplished people. His father Michael is a civil engineer, and his mother Ruth is a math teacher at New Zion High School. Both get through college with little outside aid; the experience leaves them with a drive to help others seeking education. When lawsuits are filed supporting the desegregation of Hartsend’s school, the Johnsons give their full-throated support.

In the summer of 1970, Hartsend learns of a court-ordered plan to desegregate their high schools in the fall. New Zion, Hartsend’s Black high school, will be closed as a result. New Zion’s students will be sent to the two remaining schools, Hartsend High and Ford County High. Ruth Johnson loses her job as a result of the new arrangement.

The Johnsons receive a letter stating Webb will attend Hartsend High for his junior year. He’s not anxious to change schools, but Webb is glad to learn a couple of his friends from the team will be at Hartsend. Then another letter arrives, overruling the first letter. Webb will attend Ford High, where he feels considerably less comfortable. 

Michael and Ruth ask their friends whether anyone else’s son or daughter has gotten a second letter. No one has. This makes them uneasy. They try to encourage Webb, telling him to get ready for basketball season. People like you better when you help their school’s team win.

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Relationships:‍

Webb admires both of his parents, maybe a bit more than a teenager would openly admit. He likes his full name, Michael Webb Johnson, which is the same as his father’s. However, he doesn’t get to use that name around home. His family always called him by his middle name to avoid confusion, and the rest of Hartsend followed suit.

The relationship between him and Ruth is complicated, since he attended a school where she taught. It was a continuing sore point that Ruth knew his grades before Webb did. That’s one thing he won’t miss as a student at Ford.

Duane Haley and Louis Marshall are Webb’s best friends. Duane played power forward on New Zion’s basketball team. Most people know Louis as a football star, but he and Webb were also on New Zion’s track team. Duane and Louis will both attend Hartsend High in the fall.

Motivations and Goals:

Initially, Webb wants to settle in at his new school. A big part of that lies in meeting the coach and members of the basketball team to ensure his success that season. 

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But, once political tensions begin to increase, Webb’s priorities change. He becomes involved in protests, which jeopardize his position on the basketball team and relationships with classmates. Succeeding at Ford High simply doesn’t matter to him any more.

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Character Arc:

At the beginning of the story, Webb hopes to become a valued part of the basketball team at Ford High. But, from the beginning, he is treated like a troublemaker who has been palmed off on the school. He stops caring about ingratiating himself with his new classmates. The situation reaches peak intensity at the basketball game between Ford and Hartsend High.