'The Black Cell': Dr. Wendy Shaia's dark tale of racism, rage, rebellion

(This conversation was originally broadcast on September 30, 2022) Welcome to this archive edition of Midday.  Today, we’ll revisit conversations Tom had last September with two novelists who have written books about racial inequality, liberation and integration. They are very different stories, but they are both insightful, provocative, and compelling. Naima Coster is the author of What’s Mine and Yours.  It was chosen as the 2022 One Maryland, One Book selection by Maryland Humanities. We’ll talk with Naima a little later in the program. (That conversation is posted separately.) We begin with Dr. Wendy Shaia, who serves on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, and as the Executive Director of the Social Work Community Outreach Service. For years, she’s done anti-racism work, and she’s written numerous scholarly articles. Her first novel is set in Baltimore in the near future. It imagines a secret organization of Black men and women who train and organize for armed resistance to white supremacy. It is part dystopian fiction, and part ripped from the headlines. Part Wakanda and part Consent Decree. Part Black Panther Movement and part Unite the Right. It's called The Black Cell, and it’s been chosen as a finalist in the 2022 American Fiction Awards. Wendy Shaia joined Tom on Zoom. Because our conversation was pre-recorded, we can’t take any new calls or comments today.Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.