In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

40 \ / A Personal Narrativ e seemed relieved , too . We coul d rejoi n ou r friends , head s high ; w e ha d stopped onl y becaus e o f ou r lac k o f privacy . No t eve n Dou g kne w ho w scared I was. My three years at Johnson Par k were rewarding both academicall y an d socially. Although I had t o work hard just to get average grades, my skills were much improved; nonetheless, I was still only a C + student . Indeed , in nearl y two-third s o f m y classe s a t Johnso n Par k I earne d C's , whic h frustrated me , but I always thought I could d o better i f I had mor e tim e for homework . Doug ha d no t fare d eve n tha t well . H e flunked th e nint h grade , a setback tha t separated u s in school for the first tim e since second grade . I had los t my bes t friend . Then , a year later , befor e h e wa s to begi n hig h school, his family move d t o Alabama. GOING HOM E During my last year a t Johnson Park , when I was in my neighborhood, I usually could b e found a t Effley an d Maurice Brooks' s house. They live d with thei r mothe r an d stepfathe r behin d Doug' s hous e o n Fairwoo d Avenue. Dou g ha d introduce d m e t o them , an d I ha d becom e friend s with Ef f whil e h e wa s a t Johnso n Park . I introduce d hi m t o A Bette r World, and h e once sold mor e than on e hundre d boxe s of candy. Usuall y when I went to their house, Eff and Reec e were reading or working some kind o f mind puzzle . They wer e th e smartes t kid s I had eve r met. The y taught m e th e basic s o f chess, and w e spen t hour s playin g board games , pool, and Ping-Pong. Ef f an d Reec e als o liked t o dance, which we did a s often a s we could. In black Columbus, dancing prowess got one noticed, eve n respected . Clubs offere d priz e mone y fo r th e bes t dancers . Doug , Shawn , Eff , Reece, an d I ha d bee n goin g t o loca l partie s an d danc e club s fo r teen s every weeken d fo r a coupl e o f years . B y nint h grade , w e ha d becom e regulars a t The Righ t Place, a community cente r locate d si x blocks fro m Fairwood tha t wa s transformed int o a dance clu b eac h Friday . Hundred s of teen s packe d i n there , rai n o r shine , t o danc e t o al l th e lates t R& B recordings. We dresse d i n nylo n shirts , pressed bi b overalls , an d sparkl e socks, wit h bandanna s hangin g i n ou r pockets . W e dance d unti l the y made us leave. After Th e Righ t Place' s popularit y faded , w e wen t t o Th e 2001 , another disc o wher e teen s fro m aroun d blac k Columbu s gathere d t o A Personal Narrativ e \f 4 1 perfect th e lates t moves . We were doin g line dances twent y years befor e anyone ha d hear d o f th e electri c slide . Openin g a t 6:0 0 an d closin g a t 10:00 p.m., The 200 1 looked lik e a dance clu b fro m th e movi e Saturday Night Fever, wit h tw o larg e danc e floor s an d ampl e space s fo r sittin g an d talking. W e arrive d earl y fo r maximu m danc e opportunities . Th e kid s ranged i n ag e fro m fourtee n t o eighteen . W e alway s trie d...

Share