America Street

by Matt Pridgen

"WHY DID YOU TAKE MY CHURCH DOWN?" The Charleston air hung heavy and hot all around us as Jaelynn looked up at me with her big brown eyes and batted her eyelashes to complete the best sad puppy dog look I had perhaps ever seen. If there was a worldwide sad puppy dog face competition, and who knows maybe there is somewhere, this girl would easily take home first prize.Two weeks ago I had never seen Jaelynn before in my life-not until she came skipping into the tent revival where I baptized her and seven of her friends, all between the ages of eight and ten. As she hugged me around the waist, I couldn't help but notice how pale and white my complexion appeared against her obsidian skin. Contrast was the mark of our relationship.AMERICA STREET is the story of one man's intersection with race in the Deep South and how it changed him forever. The masterful blend of personal memoir and black history makes this book difficult to put down and even harder to forget once you do.