Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest

"[A] timely, compelling collection that allows predominantly Black Midwesterners to reclaim their home, histories, and future."-Jen Cox, Chicago Review of Books
"Williamson's affectionate tour of Flyover Country is ambitious and eclectic, with African American humanity on display....Though esoteric, 'Black in the Middle' has a consistent through-line: Where there are African Americans, there is creativity, joy, sorrow and a sense of place; nowhere becomes somewhere. There are Black roots in the Midwest, sometimes hard to see, watered with blood, sweat and bitter tears."-Joseph P. Williams, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"The honesty in the essays, the emergency in the poetry, and the intensity of the photographs and paintings help to sharpen the edge of what it means to be Black in the middle of anything, which is the sum of our fears and the hope that manifests itself in our dreams. Black in the Middle reminded me of a home imagined and of a home realized as someone who grew up in the Midwest." -Jason Vasser-Elong, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"A rare anthology in that its subject is Black and lives in the Midwest. Through well-crafted essays, poems, photography and other musings on everyday life, the collection shares the inner workings of some families who make due with what little they are given or who build a future on their own terms."-Jane Henderson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch's "Best Books of 2020"
"Timely and evocative.... By calling forth the full range of the Black Midwestern experience, this bracing anthology offers crucial insights into why the region is the epicenter of current protests against police brutality and racial injustice." -Publishers Weekly