80 pages • 2 hours read
Kwame AlexanderBlack Star
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Dreams and Determination
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, including enslavement and racist violence.
Through Charley’s journey, the author illustrates the importance of pursuing one’s dreams with resolve. More than any other character, Charley embodies this theme through her relentless ambition to become a professional baseball player. Despite doubts from her mother, she stays committed, as shown in her defiant thoughts after Momma says that she has “no future” with a baseball:
Do you have a crystal ball, can
you see what’s coming, where
my life is gonna go, how free
it would feel to just be
whatever it is I choose, including
a professional baseball player? (106).
Charley’s dream is bold, but she perseveres, refusing to stop playing the “rough” sport despite skepticism from Momma. Even Willie, who supports her, knows her dream is a long shot: “Maybe I’ll be the first girl pitcher to play professional. / Keep dreaming, Charley. / I will, Willie” (29). Charley’s straightforward response underscores the fact that she will keep striving for success despite skepticism. Later, the symbolic glove signed by L.G., a successful Black female player, strengthens her belief that she can succeed. During a time when both her gender and race create immense barriers, her determination never wavers.
The poem “Conversation With Mrs. Mary Bethune” further reinforces this theme. Inspired by Mary’s motivating presence, Charley feels safe enough to share her dreams of athleticism. When she asks if girls should be “allowed” to do anything they want, Mary supports her: “[Y]ou must have the courage and tenacity of your forebears who survived the brutal lash of slavery and fulfill your destiny, whatever that is” (200). This encouragement validates Charley’s ambitions and strengthens her confidence. Charley’s response to Mary shows that she understands that following one’s passion is fulfilling: “Maybe if there were more ball teams like those colored women up in Philadelphia who started their own, little girls might be / inspired, and have some hope that they can be whatever they want to be…in life” (201). When Mary gives Charley a standing ovation and calls her a “confident, ambitious, thinking woman” (202), the novel further reinforces the theme. Even Momma stops denying Charley’s right to pursue her dreams.
Ultimately, Charley’s journey demonstrates that dreams require both passion and perseverance. Her qualities of stubbornness, willpower, and passion for the sport fuel her. She’s also empowered by Mary’s positive encouragement, her signed glove, and her extreme enjoyment of the game. With these positive influences, Charley never wavers in pursuit of her goal. Her story embodies the importance of following one’s passion and purpose, regardless of the obstacles. It underscores that dreams, no matter how difficult, are worth fighting for—a foundational message of the entire novel.
Generational History and Self-Discovery Through Family Legacy
Based on real events, this novel explores generational history, grounding its narrative in the past and emphasizing its role in shaping identity. The racism and inequality that Charley faces can only be understood through history; Nana Kofi’s stories of enslavement serve as a vital link between that history and Charley’s self-discovery. His tales about Africa and his forced journey to the United States define not only his identity but also Charley’s:
First our enemies came…then the foreigners…Invaders intent on stealing our fortunes…our lives…Some among us tried to fight them off…tried to protect our rich land, our river…our people […] the heavens opened up…crashed into their death ships…Time was short before all their screams drowned…before our dreams died…swallowed by the ocean…but a few of us were brave…two cousins, Kofi and Kofi, remembering the way…and so we flew…until we could no longer (168).
Charley enjoys opportunities—such as education and her family owning land—because of the resilience and sacrifices of ancestors like Nana. As she confronts present-day bigotry, Charley draws strength from her family’s legacy, pursuing her dreams with the same determination that Nana displayed in surviving enslavement and overcoming tragedies like his brother’s execution.
Nana’s stories do more than recount history; they shape Charley’s responses to challenges. His narratives offer lessons in perseverance and resourcefulness, providing her with tools to face struggles: “Power concedes nothing without a demand […] // Look, we got this far by faith and work. We free, but some folks don’t accept it. They will, though. So, we keep fighting. And long after I’m gone, this will all be yours” (138). When Charley doubts her ability to form a team to play against Cecil, Nana tells a story that inspires her to craft a plan with determination. Similarly, before the big game, Nana offers wisdom about bravery, telling her that “an army of sheep led by a lion” can defeat any lions led by sheep (216). Charley takes this metaphor to heart, fueling her passion to win as a leader “lion” with an underdog team. Later, his lessons are most impactful after Willie’s house burns down. Wracked with guilt, Charley finds solace and perspective in Nana’s words: “One day you will have a grandchild, and you will tell her this story of you how you survived, how you / thrived, and that story will protect her” (367). Through his guidance, she processes the tragedy and carries forward with the resilience embedded in her family’s legacy.
Through Nana’s storytelling, Charley gains a deeper respect for her cultural and familial heritage while applying his lessons to her life. She admires Nana as both the patriarch of her family and her mentor, emulating his resilience and moral strength. This connection to her lineage helps Charley mature into a more purposeful, aware, and cautious person. She learns that her actions have consequences, experiencing the dangers of racism and the power of the Black community to fight back for equality (as Daddy and the UNIA men do). By the novel’s conclusion, Charley approaches her dreams of breaking barriers as a female baseball player and Black girl with newfound discernment and a greater appreciation for her family’s sacrifices. This theme of generational history illustrates that honoring one’s past is essential to forging a meaningful, empowered identity. Charley’s arc shows that the strength of those who came before can guide one to overcome adversity and realize one’s potential.
Courage Against Racial Injustice
This theme provides core conflicts and lessons about bravery and morality in the face of racial injustice. Set in the South during the Jim Crow laws—state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation from the post-Civil War era until 1968 and disenfranchised and denied Black Americans the right to vote, hold employment, education, and other opportunities—the plot highlights the impact of racism on Charley and her community. Though enslavement is illegal when the story takes place, Black people are still wrongly treated as lesser. Black families are barred from white-only spaces, such as crossing the bridge and athletic leagues, and face constant judgment and abuse. For example, Uncle Albert, despite his brilliance as a railroad engineer, experiences this systemic racism:
[T]he bosses didn’t want him
consorting with customers
because of the color
of his skin (61-62).
Though Albert is still successful, others are not as lucky; white people lynched a man named George for a perceived crime of “eyeballing” white girls: “[T]he men that were the little girls’ fathers, and / their friends’ fathers, tied him to the back of one of their mules and dragged him to the center of town, where they found a big ole tree and / hung poor George MacDonald from it” (152). The white members of Charley’s town lynch innocent people. George’s lynching is the most violent, foremost conflict of racial injustice described in the novel, followed by when white people burn Willie’s house. These offenses reveal the deeply ingrained prejudice of the Jim Crow law era. Whether enduring judgment, verbal abuse, or direct violence, Black people are not always safe in Charley’s environment.
The narrative also highlights real-life progress and courage through characters like Mary Bethune. Mary is a real civil rights activist who founded a Black girls’ school and advocated for racial equality worldwide. In Black Star, Mary faces racism with tenacity, fighting for equal education for women and giving speeches for their cause. She is stubborn and brave, never backing down from those who have doubted or questioned her fight for equality. Similarly, when white boys throw rocks at her or the bank owner mistreats her family, Charley draws strength from Nana’s lessons to act with thoughtfulness rather than fear. Nana’s bravery, shaped by surviving enslavement and the Civil War, inspires Charley to stand firm against adversity.
However, moments of direct conflict test this courage—most prominently in the novel’s climax. Daddy and the UNIA members defend Charley’s home fearlessly, further teaching her that bravery is essential in fighting systemic injustice. Though the pain of leaving home and Willie’s losses weigh heavily on Charley, she finds the strength to endure. Inspired by the resilience of her family and community, she finds the resolve to move forward. Like Willie, she must harness her inner bravery to not break down but instead have faith that they will find safety and hope in the North. Her journey reflects the unyielding hope and bravery necessary to challenge racism and envision a better future amid racist segregation and Jim Crow laws.
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