“Coles’ stunning debut celebrates forgotten heroes and better futures….Coles sensitively explores what it means to care about something, fight for something, and effect lasting change. Teens will immediately connect with Malcom’’s journey and readily identify the real-life issues involving systematic oppression, social justice, and racism that Coles poignantly examines. A powerful story.”

“In Michelle Coles’ powerful and prescient Black Was the Ink, Malcolm Williams, named after one of his great Black heroes whose image once adorned his bedroom wall, is a high school teen caught between gun violence and police violence, North and South, past and present in the clear-eyed novel of useful challenges and precarious buoyed by ancestral spirits and a history fraught with struggle and purpose.”

“[Black Was the Ink] will serve as a tool for young people and learn about the contributions made by Blacks from the reconstruction era through modern times. I believe it will help the young prove and question many aspects of history that have gone unnoticed.”

“This engaging and timely novel, showcasing atrocities and highlighting joyous moments, will transport its readers. A dynamic look at how the past informs the future.”