Blues Highway
Blues Highway is one migration story of Blacks from the American South, aided initially by the Pullman porters’ broad reach into the world beyond. Moving on to the next generation, the porter Sidney sets up his daughter Janet to take hold of his barbershop. As she navigates her life, opportunities and social conditions shift. The power of Janet and Frank’s relationship moves the saga forward, touching honestly and deeply on the forces of change. In the end, Janet’s move to Atlanta illustrates the return of many African Americans to ‘the New South,’ where an educated middle class finds success.
Blues Highway reclaims the impact of Pullman porters in shaping the black migrations, filled with richness and truths, emotion, love and loss. An early manuscript was recognized as a semi-finalist for the Inaugural Tuscarora Prize in historical fiction in 2019.