no place Like home
A Story About An All-Black, All-American Town
Paperback
108 pages • 5.5 x 8.5 ISBN 9781681791388 Retail Price $12.95 |
By Hannibal Johnson
Charlie's window on the world offers us a upclose 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 introduction of the doomed social experiment known as "Prohibition"; the continuation of unstable race relations 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 opportunity the town provided. Through Charlie's eyes, we re-visit the importance of self-esteem, of believing in oneself and one's unlimited potential. Through Charlie's eyes, we reexamine what it means to be part of a family, to have deep roots. Through Charlie's eyes, we re-discover some of the values that help create a sense of community: 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 highlight important lessons for our present lives and for our futures. About the Author
Hannibal B. Johnson, a Harvard Law School graduate, is an author, attorney, and consultant specializing in diversity and inclusion issues, human relations, leadership, and non-profit leadership and management. He has taught at The University of Tulsa College of Law, Oklahoma State University, and The University of Oklahoma. Johnson serves on the federal 400 Years of African American History Commission, a body charged with planning, developing, and implementing activities appropriate to the 400th anniversary of the arrival, in 1619, of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia. He is the education chair for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Commission. His books, including Black Wall Street, Up from the Ashes, Acres of Aspiration, Apartheid in Indian Country, and The Sawners of Chandler, chronicle the African American experience in Oklahoma and its indelible impact on American history. The 2011 National Black Theatre Festival showcased Johnson's play, Big Mama Speaks-A Tulsa Race Riot Survivor's Story. Big Mama Speaks has also been staged in Caux, Switzerland. Johnson has received numerous awards and honors for his work and community service. |