About this episode
Before the larger oral history unfolds, Episode 0 introduces the values at its center. Baba Charles Simmons explains the social obligation carried by the title “Baba,” remembers the grandparents who raised him, and tells how his grandmother confronted a school system that had already decided what kind of future he should have.
What the title carries
Baba Charles describes “Baba” as an honor used across Africa and within communities that recognize elderhood as responsibility. It is not something a person simply claims. In his telling, the title is earned through one’s relationship with young people and through repeated service to the community.
The intervention
As a teenager, Simmons was placed in a trade curriculum. When he asked to move into college preparation, a counselor refused. His grandmother went to the school, met with the superintendent, and came out having changed the decision. Simmons does not remember her words inside the meeting. He remembers the outcome—and the life that became possible afterward.
A different measure of wealth
The episode closes where it begins: with Simmons describing himself as already rich. His measure is not money alone, but family, knowledge, health, experience, relationships, and the ability to pass those resources on.
About the special series
Detroit’s Baba Charles preserves the stories, lessons, and community legacy of journalist, educator, organizer, and Hush House co-founder Charles Simmons. Visit the special-series page →