The Midwest has Always Been a Site of Black Political Activism

by Ashley Howard

Many Americans imagine the Midwest as a white space. But in both cities and towns, and even before the Great Migration, Black Midwesterners have organized and fought for political power, civil rights, and social respect. Contemporary protests are inheritors of this legacy. 

Revival of literature -- including historical literature -- in South Dakota

...Jon Lauck, whose latest book, “The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History,” will come out this fall from University of Iowa Press, says it is an exciting time for writers in South Dakota.Since Lauck of Sioux Falls first started writing political history books more than a decade ago, he’s seen area authors make great strides in both getting published and making connections.“Everything seems to be converging,” says Lauck, who also works as an adviser to Sen. John Thune. “It used to be that if you wrote a good book about South Dakota, you had no place to go. There are more opportunities than ever.”...