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 boiling point. It is then that his roommate introduces him to
the Baltimore Cell, one of many secret groups around the country
recruiting and training Black people for armed resistance.
Corey
joins the Cell and meets Tasia, a young single mother who is trying
to find a place in the world for herself and her toddler daughter.
Both Corey and Tasia become involved in the Cell's armed resistance
against white supremacy. The U.S. is on the verge of electing a new
president, who will bring to power a group called The Alt, which is
determined to return Black people to slavery. The Cell joins with La
Lucha (its Latinx counterpart), which is organizing armed resistance
to protect Latinx residents and immigrants. Together, the two groups
maintain a growing membership in the millions.
The
Black Cell is a Black dystopian fantasy, grounded in the author's
experience as a Baltimore activist, professor, and social service
leader. Unapologetically targeted to Black readers and others
interested in Black liberation, this will appeal to readers of
utopian fantasies.
