No Place Like Home

This story, set in 1920, revolves around Charles "Charlie" Jackson, a twelve-and-a-half-year-old from Boley, Oklahoma, one of America's best-known all -Black towns. Today Boley, once a thriving black mecca, is smaller and more subdued. Still, signifi cant historical footprints line her streets and alleys. Charlie's window on the world offers us an up close and personal view of this historic town during its heyday. In an era of great flux-the immediate wake of World War I; the dawn of women's suffrage; the rapid industrialization of America; the introduc tion of the doomed social experiment known as "Prohibition"; the continuation of unstable race rela tions and racial hostility, intimidation, and violence against African- Americans . . . Boley became a kind of cocoon enshrouding African-Americans ("coloreds" or "Negroes" at the time). They thrived, emboldened and empowered by the sense of openness and oppor tunity the town provided. Through Charlie's eyes, we re-visit the impor tance of self-esteem, of believing in oneself and one's unlimited potential. Through Charlie's eyes, we re examine what it means to be part of a family, to have deep roots. Through Charlie's eyes, we rediscover some of the values that help create a sense of com munity: love, faith, charity, hope, perseverance, and integrity, just to name a few. Charlie's experiences illuminate a little-known slice of American history. In the process, they high light important lessons for our present lives and for our futures.