Summary

In “The Christmas Dance,” a man named Herb Melton is working on his PhD thesis about African American soldiers who fought in World War II. He meets with a retired judge named Walter Booker, a.k.a. “the Judge” (189) and his friend Carlos Lopez, a mailman, in Harlem. Carlos and the Judge are the last surviving members of their platoon, the 366th Regiment of the 92nd Infantry, an all black division. Both Lopez and the Judge are hesitant to talk about their experience in the war, and the Judge repeatedly makes cryptic references to Carlos being a good dancer. Herb is frustrated because his thesis is due soon. Herb receives a phone call from another veteran who mentions Sommocolonia, a small Italian town. The Judge tells Herb to ask Carlos about Sommocolonia and to ask him if he is going to dance...