Josaphat was inspired by the Black Panther movement, which she discovered through a documentary after the death of Trayvon Martin. She found parallels between the Black Panthers and Haiti’s revolutionary history, which influenced her to write the novel.
The novel highlights the revolutionary spirit in both Haiti and the Black Panther movement. Haiti’s history of revolution against colonialism is mirrored in the Black Panthers' efforts to free their community from police brutality and systemic issues, emphasizing the common goal of self-determination and community care.
The novel focuses on the Black Panthers' work in researching and raising awareness about sickle cell anemia, a condition that disproportionately affected the African-American population. The Panthers pushed for more research and even started a foundation to address this issue.
Nettie, the protagonist, moves from Haiti to Oakland, California, and joins the Black Panther Party. She participates in the party's free health clinics, specifically working on a research program for sickle cell anemia.
Josaphat hopes her novel will bring a human element to the history of the Black Panthers, reanimating the passion for community care and appreciation for the real history of the movement. She aims to show the Panthers as giants who sought to effect positive change in their communities.
Josaphat's father was proud of her work. She had the opportunity to discuss the novel and her research with him before he passed away, and these conversations were meaningful to both of them.
In Fabienne Josaphat's latest novel, a young woman named Nettie leaves Haiti for the United States. Set in the 1960s, *Kingdom of No Tomorrow *follows Nettie as she joins the Black Panther Party's free health clinics in Oakland, California, and falls in love with a party defense captain. In her research for the novel, Josaphat found deep resonances between Haiti's revolutionary history and the Black Panther movement. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about her research, the Black Panthers' Free Breakfast for School Children Program, and how her book might fit into the broader understanding of the party.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)