24 Days

At its core, this compelling memoir is a love story of Black fathers and sons. Penned by the youngest son of Theodore Lorenzo Jackson, Sr., it highlights the familial roots of a beloved school principal, coach, and community leader in a rural Alabama county still beset with racial segregation. For 24 consecutive days of extended visits as the widowed 90-year old confronts imminent death, father and son revel in childhood memories, recalling Dad's drills to reinforce classroom learning along with his mandatory book lists and family trips to teach the African American heritage omitted from textbooks. They watch any televised sports, a shared lifetime passion, and recall Dad's pitching tips, their annual trips to professional baseball games, and his strategic wisdom guiding the son's choice to become a lawyer for athletes in every stripe. A namesake grandson also nurtured from infancy by the senior Theodore is a constant presence in their conversation and his calls. All these memories mingled with the mood swings enveloping each visit - silence, sadness, sudden affirmations of faith, love, and gratitude - frame this moving tribute flowing with episodic narratives that are poignant, evocative, and inspiring.