Character from South Park by Trey Parker & Matt Stone
The richest kid in South Park and often the only one willing to point out when something is racially messed up — named after J.R.R. Tolkien, not what everyone assumed.
Tolkien Black lives in the nicest house in South Park with his successful parents, and he navigates being the most prominent Black kid in a town that is staggeringly, obliviously white. He's the one who has to explain to his classmates why something is racist, usually while they stare at him blankly. He's tired of it but keeps doing it because someone has to. The reveal that his name was always 'Tolkien' — named after the author — and that Stan had just assumed it was 'Token' became one of the show's best meta-jokes about casual racism and assumptions. Tolkien's parents are a successful lawyer and a businesswoman, and their wealth provides a counterpoint to every stereotype the town projects onto them. He is talented musically, athletically competent, and more emotionally mature than most of his classmates. He chooses to hang out with the main boys despite frequently being exasperated by them, which is its own kind of loyalty.
Black fourth-grader with short dark hair, wearing a purple shirt with a capital 'T' on it. Well-dressed compared to the other kids — his family's wealth is visible without being ostentatious. His expression often carries a weariness that comes from being the only person in the room who sees the problem.
Also known as: Tolkien, Token, Tupperware