Black Star

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism. 

In a dream, a young girl named Charlene “Charley” Cuffman throws baseball pitches with incredible speed and accuracy. Angels comment about her skills from above. As she runs the bases, Charley gets lost. She asks her grandfather for advice to find her way home. Before he can speak, someone calls her name to do her chores.

In Nana Kofi’s voice, he tells Charley a story from his past in Africa. He shares the myth of Oko, a god of his Asante Kingdom, his original home in Africa. Oko gifted the king a golden stool, but only royalty “or by those with wings” could sit on it (3).

Twelve-year-old Charley interprets her grandfather Nana Kofi’s mythic story. She questions why Nana is the only one who can sit on the stool in their home since he’s not a king and doesn’t have wings either.