RUNNING AFTER DELANO

A debut middle-grade novel fictionalizes the experiences of the author’s father and great-uncle during the Orangeburg Massacre.

Alonzo lives in the shadow of his young uncle, Delano. Sometimes literally. On occasion, the Black 10-year-old likes to secretly follow Delano on his way to high school, just to mimic the way he walks. Born to a young mother and raised on a small farm in Orangeburg, South Carolina, by his extended family, Alonzo is always looking for approval from the older boy. The teen is Alonzo’s role model, his “big boy,” as Delano’s brother likes to tease. Delano is a football star, with skills good enough to attract college recruiters to come to town to see him play. He dreams of college, but not only to play ball. “I want to go to college because I want to build something,” he tells a friend. “I want to own land. I want to have a wife and kids, and I want to do something about the way the world is, especially for blacks. I think college will help me do that.” When Alonzo fails to get Delano his gear in time for a football game against a rival team, the boy is filled with shame for disappointing his hero. That same day, he witnesses an early vision of South Carolina’s Jim Crow order when his friend’s father is arrested for simply glancing at a White woman. Alonzo keeps getting into trouble—he’s inept at anticipating the consequences of his or anyone else’s actions—but his trespasses pale in comparison to the events that follow the appearance of the National Guard in Orangeburg. The long-simmering racial tensions are about to come to a boil, and Delano will finally have the chance to do something about the way the world is. The question, though, is what will Alonzo do when his role model goes somewhere he can’t follow?

Middleton’s prose is full of energy and life, capturing the voices and humor of his characters. At times, it becomes quite painterly, as here where he describes a football game between Alonzo and his friends: “The kids were so engrossed in the game that no one seemed to notice that the sky changed color. Long gone was the radiant orange glow that was the backdrop of Alonzo’s race for Delano’s bus. The overcast sky resembled the grey color of newly poured concrete. A storm was on the horizon.” The short novel is structured around two brief time periods: a slice-of-life section in September 1967 and the days surrounding the Orangeburg Massacre in February 1968. Between the two parts, the author includes photographs of some of the real-life inspirations for his characters taken at the time or afterward. Middleton succeeds in translating the story into immersive, youth-oriented fiction, capturing Alonzo’s psychological state and the texture of his world, including the many games and activities he enjoys with his friends. The politics of the time are present but incorporated into the tale in a way that feels organic and emotionally resonant. Young readers will enjoy this short, tragic window into the lives of Alonzo and his family and the realities of the Jim Crow South.

A concise Jim Crow tale that brings a true story to vibrant life.