Edited by: Dr. Sara Gallagher, PhD

Description:

The Midwest has long been a pivotal yet underexplored region in the history and cultural expression of Black Americans. From Black homesteading communities that shaped the rural landscape to the literary voices that captured the complexities of migration, labor, and identity, the Midwest holds a unique place in the Black American experience. This edited volume seeks to explore the intersection of history and literature, focusing on Black homesteading, migration, and cultural production in the Midwest. We invite scholars, historians, and literary critics to contribute original essays that examine the Black Midwest through historical, cultural, and literary lenses. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

- Black Homesteading and Rurality: The role of Black farmers and settlers in building self-sufficient communities in the Midwest, including case studies of all-Black towns and agricultural practices.

- Migration and Urbanization: How the Great Migration reshaped Black Midwestern communities and how literature reflects these transitions.

- Black Women’s Voices: The contributions of Black Midwestern women in literature, journalism, and activism, from the 19th century to the present.

- Popular Culture and the Black Midwest: The influence of Black Midwestern culture on music, film, and other forms of artistic expression.

- Regional Identity in Black Literature: How authors such as Toni Morrison, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Colson Whitehead depict the Midwest in their works.

- Canadian Connections: The history and cultural contributions of Black settlers in the Canadian Prairies.

- Contemporary Reclamations of the Black Midwest: Modern literature, activism, and cultural movements that revisit or reinterpret Black Midwestern history.

Key Questions:

This collection seeks to answer a range of questions, including but not limited to:

- How did Black homesteaders shape the economic and cultural landscapes of the Midwest?

- What role did the Great Migration play in the cultural and historical representation of Black Midwestern identity?

- How have Black Midwestern women contributed to cultural and historical narratives?

- In what ways does popular culture reflect or distort the realities of Black life in the Midwest?

- How do contemporary writers and activists engage with the legacy of Black settlement and migration in the region?

- What connections can be drawn between historical Black Midwestern communities and present-day social and political movements?

Target Audience:

This collection is intended for scholars, researchers, and students in the fields of African American Studies, American History, Literary Studies, Cultural Studies, and Midwest Studies. It will also be valuable to educators, writers, and general readers interested in Black history and literature.

Chapter Submissions:

We seek well-researched and original chapters between 6,000 and 8,000 words. Submissions should be grounded in historical and/or literary analysis and should align with the themes outlined above.

Details for Abstract Submissions:

Interested contributors should submit a 300–500-word abstract outlining their proposed chapter, along with a brief biography (150 words), by April 27, 2025.

Important Dates:

- Abstract Submission Deadline: April 27, 2025

- Full Chapter Submission Deadline: August 10, 2025

- Final Revisions Due: September 29, 2025

- Tentative Publication Date: Spring 2026

Editor information/Biography:

Dr. Sara Gallagher is a scholar and professor at Durham College in Canada, specializing in the Black American West and Western Studies broadly. She earned her PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2022. Her research focuses on Black literature and cultural production in the Midwest and West. She is the author of Black Wests: Reshaping Race and Place in Popular Culture (forthcoming from OU Press in Spring 2025) and has published widely on Black Western narratives in literature and film.

Contact/For all inquiries please email: Sara.Gallagher@durhamcollege.ca