News + Advocacy + Movies

Circa 1950+. 

Ryan Coogler's new movie: Sinners reminds me a lot about my childhood. Growing up in the country, I remember Good Time Charly's the juke-Joint behind my house. Separated by a parcel of woods, Good Time Charly's was where the sinners went on Friday evening and Saturday night; according to my grandmother. The music was loud, the people were loud but a good time was had by all who were present.

Good Time Charly's was where Black folks in our small country town gathered for a good time on weekend nights. Nana, my grandmother, called it a beer garden; not like, however, what people think of as a beer garden today. This was a place where all kinds of booz, liquor, was sold. People got knock down, drag-out drunk. And as Nana said: “Lots of hanky panky went on.” This was the devil’s place – a place of sinners – the Juke-Joint. She said this was where floosies and hussies went (and my Uncle Purnell).

Men and women danced all night long and were all over each other. Outside in their cars, a whole lot of screwing around! From late Saturday night til 4:00 Sunday morning we heard it all.

Some of my older friends would sneak out of their houses, when their parents went to bed, and they saw it all!

Now Good Time Charly's wasn’t alone. A few miles north there was Pearl Harbor and not too far from there – Brunos. Juke-Joints were real and as portrayed in the movie Sinners, a significant part of Black history and culture.

Unlike the movie, however, our juke-joints rarely had live music; just a really loud juke box connected to blaring outside speakers – “behind the woods.” We loved that music!

“You see see Rider, you see what you done, done. You done made me love you and now your man done come.” Ray Charles. 

“Oh, well, goodbye; although I'll cry. Ain't that a shame? My tears fell like rain. Ain't that a shame? You're the one to blame…” Fats Domino.

Lying in bed in the wee hours of summer Sunday mornings… should’ve been sleep but it was hot. There was no air conditioning in those days; just an opened, screened bedroom window. And the music was coming in. And if I looked out into the dark, behind the woods, I could see the lights coming from Good Time Charly's.