Nationwide — Meet Wendy Shaia, an activist, social worker, author, and educator from Baltimore, Maryland, who predicts in her new Black dystopian fantasy novel that in the year 2024 there will be a racial civil war in America between Blacks and whites. Although her book is fictional, the concept stems from her knowledge of historical trends where white nationalism rises after pandemics, as well as the murders of Freddie Gray, George Floyd, and others.
In the book, which is entitled The Black Cell, Wendy crafts an intense and provoking picture for use as a new tool in the fight for social justice.
Imagine it’s 2024, and police brutality against Black people is at an all-time high in Baltimore and across the country. Corey Masters, a young Black man, is deeply troubled by experiences of racism during his childhood. After a false arrest and beating by police, Corey’s anger is at a boiling point. His roommate then introduces him to the Baltimore Cell, one of many secret groups around the country recruiting and training Black people for armed resistance. [Watch the Book Trailer]
The Black Cell is grounded in the author’s experience as a Baltimore anti-racist advocate, professor, and social service leader. Unapologetically targeted to Black readers and others interested in Black liberation, this will appeal to readers of utopian fantasies like Octavia Butler (Parable of the Talents) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (Black Panther).
Here is a short review by Baltimore journalist and author Lawrence Lanahan:
“In ‘The Black Cell’, author Wendy Shaia draws on America’s recent history to paint a provocative portrait of its near future. What will it take for true Black liberation? How far will white people go to enforce white supremacy? This provocative page-turner imagines a 2024 reprise of our Trump-inspired white nationalist nightmare. Bursting with suspense, it will shake readers as it ponders what might go down when Americans feel forced to pick a side.”
About:
Wendy Shaia is a British-Jamaican social worker, activist, author, and educator that is currently teaching at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She is also the Executive Director of the Social Work Community Outreach Service. Her book, The Black Cell, is published by Publerati Publishing and will be released in September 2022. However, it is available now for pre-order on Amazon.
For more details about Wendy and/or her book, visit her official website at WendyShaia.com
For press inquiries and/or to schedule an interview with Wendy, contact Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris at sharris@wendyshaia.com or 404-514-6372.
(Advanced reader copies are available by request for qualified journalists, bloggers, and book reviewers.)