June 2003: Way in the Middle of the Air Summary

Black men and women are leaving the South for Mars. Samuel Teece, the owner of a hardware store, is a racist, angry man who employs blacks on slave wages, and is furious over their departure for Mars. As he and his friends sit discussing the issue on the porch of the hardware store, a "river" of black people stream by, headed toward rockets they secretly saved money for, and built for their escape. With them, they carry all of their belongings, such as pictures, clocks, hens, bedding, and clothing. As Teece angrily shouts to call the governor, Grandpa Quartermain notes that they are not declaring war, but simply escaping. As they watch the black people leave, the white women of the town flow through the masses, searching for their...