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.
Character Analysis
Charlene “Charley” Cuffman
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. Her conviction in her goals and passion for the game embodies the theme of Dreams and Determination, driving her to persist through every obstacle, including her team’s lack of skill and Willie’s perceived betrayal. Charley’s resilience and leadership demonstrate her faith in herself and her community.
Charley is dynamic because she evolves from an innocent, naive girl into a more mature, reflective individual. Her curiosity drives her to seek understanding both in school and in the broader world. Thus, she treasures Nana Kofi’s stories and wisdom, craving insights into her family’s history and the realities of life. While figures like Momma shield her from harsh truths, Nana provides candid explanations, such as the story of white people hanging a Black man for “reckless eyeballing.” This revelation is pivotal in Charley’s journey, deepening her knowledge of her time’s systemic racism and power structures. Learning about horrors like lynching gives Charley a higher awareness of the “rules” of her unjust, racist setting, instilling a sense of caution.
Although Charley maintains her defiant spirit during the baseball game against the white boys, she learns a lesson about racism firsthand. When their baseball victory leads to violent retaliation, including the attack on Willie’s home, Charley is left upset and guilty. This turning point forces Charley to confront the limits of her Courage Against Racial Injustice within a system of oppression. While her passion for baseball and her dreams remain undiminished, she recognizes the necessity of collective action within the Black community to achieve equality. This realization brings Charley a deeper sense of unity, caution, and self-reflection. She matures into someone who balances her ambition with the wisdom gained from her experiences, learning messages about persecution and safety.
Nana Kofi
As Charley’s grandfather, Nana Kofi functions as a mentor, guardian, and respected family patriarch. He is sage, compassionate, strong, protective, and calm, traits that he uses to guide Charley through her challenges. A man shaped by a life of hardship, Nana has survived enslavement and displacement from his home in Africa, fought in the Civil War, and built a prosperous life despite the pervasive racism of his time. Because he’s mature, experienced, and strong, Nana is a trusted, capable leader for his family—one whom Charley admires greatly. Besides some of the cruel white people, every character respects Nana as a wise, successful, and kind leader of not only his family but also his Black community.
The bond between Nana and Charley is one of the strongest relationships in the book, as they have countless scenes and conversations together. Their connection is marked by mutual love and trust; Charley often seeks him out for advice and reassurance. When Nana falls ill with pneumonia, his possible death creates tension and fear for Charley, who would be lost without his guidance. His survival is critical to Charley’s sense of security and emotional stability and her continued character growth. Without Nana, Charley would have fallen into grief and had to handle challenges without her beloved mentor.
A gifted storyteller, Nana embodies the theme of Generational History and Self-Discovery Through Family Legacy. His vivid narratives preserve cultural heritage and offer Charley life lessons wrapped in metaphorical riddles. These stories challenge Charley to think critically about her identity and purpose, fostering her understanding of resilience in the face of societal prejudice. Nana’s wisdom encourages Charley to pursue her dreams of breaking barriers in baseball, teaching her the importance of both self-belief and empathy for others. Through his guidance, Charley learns to navigate challenges with strength and clarity; his storytelling also inspires her to embrace her dreams and heritage:
Is magic real? Did you and your cousin really swim that far? […]
I’m here, child, because of something greater than us. What you call magic, the healers know as spirit. It is the ancestors guiding us. That is the way of our people.
How do I get ancestors to help me today? My stomach is all upside down about the big game. I just don’t know if our team can do this.
An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by sheep, he says.
[…] Remember, be brave! (216).
As a mentor and patriarch, Nana’s influence on Charley reflects the impact of generational wisdom in shaping identity and perseverance. Overall, he is a necessary guardian and mentor for Charley, one who represents the enduring power of knowledge, cultural pride, and paternal love.
Willie Green
Willie is Charley’s best friend and a supporting character. He is humorous, caring, loyal, chivalrous, and athletic. Willie often lightens the mood with humor, joking about topics like grammar or wanting an African name from Nana. Like Charley, he also adores baseball, bonding over their passion and respect for the game. His fervor for baseball is palpable when he shows off his new baseball bat and admires Charley’s signed L.G. glove: “WHERE’D. YOU. GET. THAT. FROM? / My sister Gwen bought it for me. / […] This is a beaut!” (119). He understands that the mitt represents Charley’s dreams, female empowerment, and a treasured possession. Willie’s selflessness shines when he sacrifices his bat to protect Charley’s glove from being stolen by the white boys, proving his loyalty and care for her. Without Willie, Charley likely would have had her most treasured possession stolen.
Though Willie is a true, reliable friend, his actions lead to tension when he secretly agrees to Cecil’s terms in their game. Charley feels enraged and hurt by this “betrayal.” Only after the game, when Willie reveals the full context, does Charley learn that he was trying to protect her from harm:
I was trying to protect you is all.
WHAT?! Protect me how? […]
When he pitched at you, he said he was gonna accidentally hit you with the ball […]
I’m sorry, Charley. I really am (284).
The tension between them dissolves because Willie reveals the plot twist of safeguarding her. His actions are justified, leading Charley to forgive him and their relationship to deepen since Willie shows the true extent of his care and loyalty. His actions, both selfless and misunderstood, highlight the complexity of their friendship, teaching Charley important lessons about trust, sacrifice, and forgiveness.
Momma and Daddy
Charley’s parents function as mentors and guardians who provide necessary support and contrast in shaping Charley’s growth. As her primary caretaker, Momma is an excellent cook who provides Charley with a safe, stable home but diminishes her dreams. Momma is firm, protective, vigilant, and a strong believer in traditional gender roles. Thus, she often pushes Charley to abandon her unrealistic dreams of baseball: “I keep telling you / that there is no future / for you with a ball” (106). Momma wants Charley to fit the historical expectations for girls: to be docile, quiet, and studious instead of rowdy and athletic. However, Momma’s perspective shifts when she hears Mary Bethune praise Charley’s ambition and intelligence, leading her to reconsider her stance and reluctantly learn to accept Charley’s wants.
In contrast, Daddy is more emotionally supportive but physically absent due to his work. His relationship with Charley is filled with affection and encouragement, offering a counterbalance to Momma’s rigid expectations. Unlike Momma, he recognizes Charley’s athletic potential, offering encouragement and instructions:
[H]e’d take me outside
and teach me
everything he knew
about baseball,
which it turns out
was a lot
because […] he tried out for a team (17).
Daddy’s belief in Charley supports her confidence and growth, allowing her to remain steadfast and optimistic about baseball. His most defining moment occurs during the climax when he risks his life to retrieve Charley’s signed glove, proof of his commitment to her Dreams and Determination. His actions show that he is invested in Charley’s future and supports her desires, risking his life for the love of his daughter.
Cecil the Third
Cecil is a minor character and the main antagonist. He serves as Charley’s main rival. Known for being competitive, bossy, and rude, he often creates friction within the community. His hostility pushes Charley and her team to have a clear goal: to defeat Cecil and his team in the upcoming baseball game. This game becomes a key event in the plot, driving Charley to practice harder, train her team, and face a conflict with Willie. Without Cecil, the plot wouldn’t focus on a future goal or describe a tangible, concrete event—and much of Charley’s journey revolves around preparing for this showdown.
While Cecil’s rivalry is the catalyst for important plot developments, especially the tension between Charley and Willie, he isn’t the book’s main source of conflict—since the larger issues of racial injustice and violence take center stage. Cecil’s antagonism is more personal, stemming from his insecurities and need to prove himself rather than a product of societal oppression. Though he resorts to aggression, including threatening Charley physically if Willie doesn’t switch teams, Cecil is not part of the racial violence that Charley faces. As a member of the Black community, he may be sexist toward Charley and other female athletes, but he’s not racist. Still, if it were not for Cecil’s outburst and unsportsmanlike conduct, the others wouldn’t have left the ball field: “C’mon, fellas, let’s get out of here, Cecil […] says to his team. / You can’t quit, I tell ’em. // I just did” (281). The other Black players would have stayed on the field, likely helping Charley and Willie in their game against the white boys—perhaps avoiding the resulting loss of Willie’s home.
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