21 Years of Wisdom

Growing up in the crime-ridden streets of Los Angeles’ South Central, Darrell Gartrell could easily have become just another statistic. But a backpacking journey across Europe changed his fortunes forever.  Eventually, he landed in Osaka. There, he became the first African-American to teach English focused primarily on urban culture. His academy, called Wisdom21, was an instant hit.   But doing business in Japan was to come at a heavy price, and Darrell’s unlikely success meant that he attracted, not only the upper echelons of polite society, but of the feared ‘yakuza’ (Japanese mafia) as well. Darrell shares his experiences here, in 21 Years of Wisdom – One Man’s Extraordinary Odyssey in Japan.  His story is a poignant African-American biography and penetrating Japan travel memoir; chronicling a fight for survival in a strange land; paving the way for those in search of wisdom—in the 21st century.