Michelle Coles is an award-winning young adult novelist who strives to write interesting stories about Black history to help readers see the connections between the present and the past.
BLACK WAS THE INK
Through the help of a ghostly ancestor, sixteen-year-old Malcolm is sent on a journey through Reconstruction-era America to find his place in modern-day Black progress. Black Was the Ink won the 2022 Grateful American Book Prize, a Skipping Stone Award, and the 2019 New Visions Award Honor.
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 29 AT 6:30 PM
VIRTUALLY HOSTED BY THE MONTPELIER HOUSE MUSEUM AND THE HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM
Celebrate Black History Month by joining the Montpelier House Museum via Zoom for questions and conversation with young adult author Michelle Coles about her book Black Was The Ink.
Black Was the Ink follows Malcolm Williams, a modern-day teen from DC, as he keeps falling asleep and waking up 160 years ago – right after emancipation - in the body of Cedric Johnson, aid to some of the first African American senators and congressmen ever elected in U.S. history. In all the back and forth, Malcolm starts to see what has - and hasn’t - changed in the last 160 years, and how he can make a difference.
March 14
US FDA Headquarters
OEA Leadership presents Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Workshop Series: To achieve racial justice today, look to the unsung heroes of American history. Michelle equips audiences with tools to disrupt destructive patterns that perpetuate racial inequality.
April 19 at 3 p.m.
Author Panel
University of Virginia, Black Alumni Weekend
Charlottesville, VA
Michelle will join distinguished alums for an inspiring seminar on how they’ve excelled not only in their respective fields, but also as published authors! Savor the warm atmosphere and engage in thoughtful conversation with fellow alumni, all while celebrating their literary achievements.
Testimonials
Highlights
Using Fiction to Investigate Reconstruction & Its Legacies
2022 Grateful American Book Prize
Black Was the Ink wins top award for books for 7th-9th Graders about U.S. history!