Jerome Thomas is an eleventh grader who does not care much for school,
especially his first period Black History class. How does learning about the
past do him any good in the present? Basketball is all he needs to make it in
the world. But then Jerome takes a hard fall to the head during a basketball
game, and when he wakes up, he and his friend Richard are stunned to find
themselves thrust into the past-back in the time of slavery
.
Jerome and Richard save a girl named June from being raped by an overseer.
It's far too dangerous to stay on the plantation now, so they decided to take
June up north where she would be free and out of danger. During the journey,
Jerome experiences several situations that help him understand why his Black
History teacher, Mrs. Wilkins, wanted him to learn about their past. And June's
passion for wanting to learn makes him realize that education is precious and
should not be taken for granted. When Jerome finally regains consciousness,
he realizes that this taste of history has given him a fresh new outlook on life.