REBEL WITH
A CAUSE

FRANKIE HEALY

Played by CELIA ROSE GOODING

ASPIRING POET, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF SMAAC (THE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND ADVOCACY COMMITTEE), PROUD BLACK WOMAN, BISEXUAL FEMINIST, PERENNIAL TROUBLEMAKER, REVOLUTIONARY IN THE MAKING

Frankie Healy stands out in Greenport, Connecticut. Part of this is unavoidable—as one of the only black students at her uptight, privileged school, Frankie acutely feels the differences between herself and her peers. But she has decided to take her isolation and turn it into action. She founded SMAAC, the Social Movements and Advocacy Committee, in order to raise consciousness about pressing issues, including feminism, gender fluidity, consent, and racial justice. At the moment, SMAAC only has two members—Frankie and her best friend/girlfriend Jo—but it doesn’t matter. Change has to start somewhere.

Still, Frankie has found that always pushing boundaries can lead to loneliness and misunderstandings, especially within her family. Frankie was adopted as a baby, and though her parents dote on her, she has never felt like a full part of their cookie-cutter world. She feels she cannot live up to her brother, Nick, the golden boy. Mary Jane and Steve have been so distracted with Nick’s achievements that they barely know what’s going on with Frankie. For example, they have no idea she is bisexual, that she has a girlfriend, or that she is exploring her sexuality. At family meals, Frankie butts heads with her parents; she feels she can never be “perfect” enough for Steve and MJ.

In addition to her confusion at home, Frankie finds herself lost at school. Her classmates mock her poetry and try to touch her hair. Jo is a source of comfort, but is going through her own struggles at home. Frankie finds a new friend in the doe-eyed Phoenix. Soon, Frankie is enmeshed in a messy, deceptive love triangle. When Jo—and then her parents—catch her in bed with Phoenix, Frankie’s response is to take flight. She packs a bag and runs off to New York City. At first, she feels the elation of total freedom. But then she finds that being alone in Manhattan at sixteen can be pretty overwhelming. Jo comes to the rescue, but not before telling Frankie how much her betrayal hurt.

Frankie’s journey is one of learning and resilience. While she makes mistakes in her personal life, she also advocates fiercely for Bella’s story, being the first woman to tell Bella “I believe you” and supporting Bella’s journey through finding justice for her assault. In the end, Frankie is still working through the big questions—Where does she belong? Whom should she love? What should she be fighting for?—but she no longer has to face them alone. She has her friends and her family standing behind her, and a bold future ahead.

“Of course they were blondies.
Even your brownies are
Caucasian.”