Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, including enslavement and racist violence.



Charley is the 12-year-old protagonist and the narrator of every poem. She is a round character: She’s brave, smart, optimistic, curious, competitive, and sassy. Her determination empowers her to tackle challenges head-on. For instance, her courage shines in verbal sparring matches with Cecil and in leading her team during the baseball game against him. Charley’s sassy, competitive side also emerges in her interactions with Willie, Henry (Socks), and other friends, where she often chastises the boys for incorrect grammar, defends girls as equal athletes, and confidently leads their team: 

Wait, you ain’t gonna invite me in? 

Not so long as you AREN’T going to speak good grammar. 

Charley, you can be so uppity sometimes. I was just wanting to say hello to Nana Kofi. […] 

[…] See you tomorrow. Maybe you’ll learn how to hit my sliding ball (42).

Charley’s belief in female empowerment is central to her identity, as she dreams of becoming a professional baseball player despite societal expectations and skepticism from people like Cecil and Momma.