Tag: black history

Angels in Black Skin

Listen, yesterday started out annoying and frustrating for me.

Watching all these Black people walk past my table and frown at the title of my book (Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School) was disheartening and sad.

It wasn’t about the money. It never is. It was about the sheer audacity of people to be offended.

I wanted to run to the bathroom and burst into tears at the arrogance of a people with no interest in their own history. There was even an interracial couple who walked by, him Black, her white.

Chile, do you know this man looked at his white friend/wife/woman and asked if she wanted the book while laughing as they walked on?

Trifling does not even begin to describe the moment.

But then…

There was an older Black man. He walked by my table and dropped a crinkled 20, whispering, “Keep doing what you are doing.”

You have to understand how he did it.

In African American families, elders (grandma’s, grandpa’s, aunts, uncles, etc.) will hug you and whisper in your ear, “How you?” While slipping cash into the palm of your hand.

There is no conversation about it and they are not interested in your explanations. It is simply an act of love wrapped tight in spiritual discernment. You need this even if you don’t think you do.

You could be struggling with bills.

You could be frustrated.

You could be facing any unforeseen tragedy, and this person who has lived long enough to know what love looks like in the flesh slips you with just enough money to cover whatever was bothering you.

Now, I was not in a financial catastrophe but a spiritual one. An emotional one. One that almost made me pack up my things and walk out the door.

There is something about not being appreciated that sends me boiling.

My tolerance is zero.

But then, here comes an angel, dressed casually, with a brimmed hat and gray beard wrapped in golden black skin.

He drops a 20 on my table like it was the sweaty palm of my hand and whispered words of confidence into my spirit without losing stride. He spoke while walking, always keeping sight of his mission.

This man’s simple act gave me everything I needed to keep going.

People took notice, stopping at my table suddenly, almost like they had been commanded to.

There is no moral to this story that you have not already read.

No. This is not the angel man, lol.

The Kindle Version of Black History Facts is 99c for a Limited Time! Click Here to Get Yours.

Want a signed paperback? Click here!

Black History Fun Fact Friday – Emmit McHenry

The internet. We all know it, and in 2024, babies are born with it in their hands.

In today’s world, looking something up on the web is normal behavior, and for some, the first thing they do when they wake up in the morning. Whether you grab your phone or use the computer to log in at work, we don’t go a day without typing something into a search bar or scrolling on social media.

But it was not always this way.

Before anyone ever heard of the internet, its seeds were planted in 1957 in the historical context of the Cold War. In the 1960s, government researchers also used it to share information.

Today, we are learning about the man who created the computer code for .com.

Emmit McHenry was born in Forrest City, Arkansas, in 1943 and was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, renowned for being a prosperous Black community. While McHenry came of age years after the Tulsa Race Riot, footage from Pastor Solomon Sir Jones shows that by 1925 and even into the 1940s, Black Wall Street was rebuilt.

Thus, McHenry grew up surrounded by people with a strong sense of community and entrepreneurship.

“It was in a way kind of an extended family and they took pride in your doing well. So if you did well, the teachers really got excited about that and worked with you on it. Yeah, it was a really wonderful experience for me.”

– Emmit McHenry on growing up in Greenwood

The Victory of Greenwood

Emmit McHenry

McHenry’s great-grandfather was a carpenter and whiskey still operator by trade. Great-grandmother McHenry was a businesswoman in addition to a farmer. When it came time to bring their crops to market, the Black farmers and sharecroppers in Arkansas knew they could rely on her to negotiate fair rates for them.

Emmit McHenry graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and pursued a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Denver on a wrestling scholarship. He majored in physics, but when he discovered communications, he changed his major. He graduated with a degree in communications in 1966.

McHenry and his partners established the engineering firm Network Solutions in 1979. However, like many other black-owned businesses, they had trouble getting funding. McHenry and his associates maxed out their credit cards and mortgaged their residences. The business prospered. Still, a deal with the National Science Foundation was the diamond in the crown for Network Solutions. The first internet domain name addressing system for the US government was covered under the contract.

That’s when McHenry created a complex computer code that was not complex to ordinary people searching the web. It allowed those of us without communications degrees to understand the internet and send and receive emails without having to study computer science.

We know McHenry’s invention today as .com.

Emmit McHenry’s work paid off on Dec. 31, 1992, when Network Solutions was the only bidder on a National Science Foundation grant to further develop the domain name registration service for the Internet. Network Solutions was granted an exclusive contract as the sole domain name registrar for .com, .net, and .org. These top-level domain (TLD) names continued the work Network Solutions was already doing. 

For More Black History Fun Facts You Didn’t Learn in School, be Sure to Visit the Archives Here

And Grab Your Copy of the Book Here!

To Be, Or Not to Be, a Historian

As I read the latest review of my new book, I stumbled across the word historian and paused. “Historian? Me? Nah.”

“Yecheilyah Ysrayl is a renowned author and historian known for her commitment to uncovering and sharing the untold stories of Black history. Her expertise and passion for the subject matter are evident throughout the book, making it a credible and authoritative source of information.”

-Vigil Honor, Amazon Review

“Wow,” I thought, an eyebrow raised. Really? Me? He can’t be talking about me. I am no one’s historian.”

When I think of a historian, I think of a person with a wall crammed with degrees from every university on the planet and a vocabulary that would terrify the most seasoned thesaurus. I see an elderly person who is wise and perceptive about how the world came to be. They sit down to write 500-page books and devour scholarly articles for breakfast.

And let’s not talk about memory.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, aka the smartest man in the world, lol.

Historians, I suppose, have perfect recall and spiritual compasses that allow them to travel from portal to portal and retrieve relics from the past. These folks recite information like a machine. When I think of a historian, I think Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But me?

I can’t even remember where I left the remote half of the time.

While I did well in history class, I wasn’t too interested in it. It was just a class to get through, but nothing I thirsted for outside school. I didn’t seek it out like I did books. I didn’t eat it up like I did poetry. I didn’t love it like I did literature.

Ahh. There it is. Books. It always comes back to books.

My love for reading, particularly about my people’s history, has led me to write about it. Writing about it has led me to research it. Researching it has led me to document it. Documenting it has created in me a fascination to share it.

I got a revelation while watching a podcast episode with Donni Wiggins and Jessica Dupart, and I found myself laughing at Dupart’s candor. She dropped a few F-Bombs and talked about her life growing up as if she and Wiggins were sitting in their own living room. She doesn’t speak corporate or exhibit the characteristics that someone might consider appropriate to be a CEO, yet she runs an 80 million-dollar business.

While I didn’t finish the entire episode, watching it made me think about how dope it is that in today’s world, people are redefining what success looks like just by being themselves. I realized I never considered myself a historian because I didn’t think I knew enough. (I also dislike titles)

I was also clinging to an aged stereotype.

I learned I don’t have to look like that old-school, white male version of what a historian was once thought to be to qualify as such.

It didn’t occur to me that writers are historians, too, documenting history and archiving them into books that live forever.

According to Google, “a historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it.”

“Her expertise and passion for the subject matter are evident throughout the book, making it a credible and authoritative source of information…”

Well now. I suppose historian doesn’t sound too bad after all.

“The book’s storytelling approach brings history to life, making it accessible and engaging for readers of all ages. Ysrayl’s narrative style ensures that the experiences and contributions of Black Americans are not just facts to be remembered but stories to be felt and understood.”

-Vigil Honor, on Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School by Yecheilyah Ysrayl


Black History Fun Fact Friday – Lonnie Johnson and the Super Soaker Water Gun

Black History Fun Fact Friday is back!

May has always been an exciting month. As a kid, I looked forward to the school year ending and the warm weather welcoming me just in time for my birthday at the end of the month. Summer also means swimming and dancing in the water from the fire hydrant and water guns!

Introducing Lonnie Johnson, the inventor of the super soaker!

LJ

Lonnie Johnson was born in Mobile, Alabama, on October 6, 1949. Signs of Lonnie’s brilliance could be seen when he was a child reverse-engineering his sister’s baby doll to understand how the eyes closed. He also built his own go-cart from a lawnmower engine he attached to scraps he found in the junkyard. 

Before enlisting in the Air Force, he worked as a research engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He also worked at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the acting chief of the Space Nuclear Power Safety Section.

Johnson holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering, and an honorary Ph.D. in Science from Tuskegee University.

In 1989, Johnson formed his own engineering firm and licensed his most famous invention, the super soaker. It generated over $200 million in retail sales and became the number-one-selling toy in America.

Today, Johnson is president and founder of Johnson Research and Development Co., Inc., a technology development company, and its spin-off companies, Excellatron Solid State, LLC; Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems, LLC; and Johnson Real Estate Investments, LLC.

As of 2023, Lonnie Johnson’s net worth was an estimated $160 million. This substantial fortune is primarily the result of the royalties he received for the Super Soaker, which generated billions of dollars.

So the next time your child plays with a super soaker, be sure they know about its amazing inventor!

gettyimages-50472413

For More Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School, Be Sure to Get Your Copy of the Book Here!

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Black Joy

Nobody talks about society’s addiction
to black trauma.
How much more profitable
it is to talk about pain
than poems,
depression
than joy.

Like we don’t have feelings
just bad experiences
turned into songs
of sorrows
and spirituals
of reaching heaven
cause there can’t be no freedom
here on Earth for Black people.

Maybe this world still doesn’t consider us
human enough
to be happy
someone hand society a roadmap
for getting to know black people.

Tell them they can find us laughing
even when life is lifeing
cracking jokes and turning sadness into praise.
Tell them we are not just guns and gangs.

Our hope does not hang on by string
on some cracked-out corner
or trap house
Tell them how we dream.
Big Mama musta had mustard seeds
underneath the mattress
cause she moved mountains.
Food and faith ain’t never been hard to find.
We gone eat.

Talk about our love
our sense of community
our building
our builders
our beauty.

We’ve had a wild ride here
in this country
But it was not all bad.

Together, we forged a world of our own
found solace in the cracks
made meals from scraps
and carved out our own sense of enjoyment and purpose.

Tell them about how the cells of a black woman
saved the world
and the genius of a Black man lit it up.
Talk about how we bless everything we touch.

Tell the whole truth
that we are not made up only of pain.

Joy lives here, too.

You can listen to this poem on TikTok and YouTube! I’m @yecheilyah on both.

Black History Facts is back! If you’ve been waiting for a signed copy, this is your chance to get your hands on it. We are back in stock. Go now to: https://www.blkhistorybook.com/.

Black History Facts Book Review by Jeremy Lamkin

The reviews are coming in! Here’s what Jeremy had to say!

“This book is full of the kind of history that should be taught in school but instead, is relatively unknown. The author did an outstanding job putting this material together, which took ten years and tons of research. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s into history.

The author focuses on people and groups who have been pivotal in black history. She gives a voice to the marginalized and makes us aware of the contributions of the family of historical figures like Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr. Each chapter gets the dirt on whitewashed or forgotten pieces of history.

Read this book to learn about the aftermath of the Civil War and how slavery was reconstructed in the form of criminal justice. The book is compelling and hard to put down as you discover a series of horrific truths about history.

This book contributed significantly to my view of American history, as it has put a lot of things in perspective. I see how slavery was reworked into other forms of slavery and evolved in complexity into the Bernaysian economic system based on Freud’s fear of human nature.

Reading this, a lot of light bulbs went off for me. It dawned on me that nothing that ever happened is ever really over, like slavery and public relations. I can’t recommend this book enough!”

Jeremy Lamkin, Amazon Customer Review

Thanks so much Jeremy!

If you read this book, please be sure to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads! The book is also on Barnes and Noble; reviews are welcome there as well!

Here’s how:

Facts to Know:

  • You don’t have to like a book to review it. All reviews help the author!
  • If you don’t have the book, it is currently 99 cents for Women’s History Month (all March) and free with Kindle Unlimited. After march, the ebook goes back to its original price of $9.99.
  • Blog reviews count! Simply link to my blog or let me know you’ve reviewed it and I’ll repost it.

Review or Grab Your Copy Here!

Women’s History Month: Limited Time Offer

PoeticMode at Modex Atlanta

First things, first. A quick update.

I met up with some amazing poets in Atlanta (there were more of us, but it was late and several poets had already left) for Modex’s first Poetic Mode feature on Wednesday night. There were three open-mic poets, four features, and the host also did a poem.

I was honored to be one of the features. The difference is the featured poets are paid to perform. *Does happy dance.*

The only downside (which is not a downside in the grand scheme of things) is that I felt out of place, considering I have not done much spoken word lately, let alone in Atlanta, so they were talking about stuff I didn’t know anything about, lol. But I listened humbly and vowed I’d get more involved.

At the end of the sessions, there was a panel where we were asked questions so the audience could learn more about us. I liked this part the most because the questions had us thinking deeply and going inward, and I love a good thought-provoking convo.

I wished it had been longer so that more audience members could have asked their questions, but it was at the end and we were tired and hungry from such a long day. We had been there since six, not counting travel time to the venue, which for me meant leaving the house at 4-ish (because I’m an hour away from the city and Atlanta’s traffic is trash), and it was now approaching 10 pm.

Either way, it was nice to meet poets and talk about poetry stuff outside of the internet. I love ya’ll, but talking to people face-to-face was refreshing.

Now, for today’s exciting book news:

As the reviews start to come in, I want to give more of you a chance to get your hands on this book.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the ebook version of Black History Facts is 99 cents for March.

After March, the price will return to $9.99, so don’t wait!

Take this chance to get your copy, and don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon when you are done!

About.

“Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School” is a historical guide on Black Americans’ accomplishments, contributions, and struggles. It includes the experiences of Black individuals who have often been marginalized, overlooked, or omitted from mainstream historical accounts.

From the resilience of women like Anna Douglass, first wife of Frederick Douglass, to the many Black communities that prospered, recognizing and celebrating Black history helps to ensure that these stories are acknowledged and that the achievements and resilience of Black people are valued and appreciated.

Here’s what readers have to say:

“The author has taken the time to identify the importance of black individuals that sacrificed and or gone to the extra mile to contribute. Why these people are often forgotten is unfortunately seen on a regular basis. Over time all those forgotten will be highlighted as this book does. An excellent read.”

Louis Glass

“I remember her sharing these facts that were on her blog weekly and I looked forward to them. The fact that she compiled them and expounded on what was there to give you all this black history atlas is a blessing. Not many people are giving you the history that isn’t washed over and dressed up in a new outfit. It’s commendable and appreciative for someone to provide this level of nuggets that are given.”

Natashia Crawford

“This book provides readers with a thorough examination of lesser-known but incredibly significant facets of the black experience, serving as a monument to the richness and diversity of black history. From African ancient civilizations to the American civil rights movement, each chapter reveals a historical jewel that offers priceless insights into the tenacity, inventiveness, and accomplishments of black people across time.”

SLT

“Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School!!! Well-researched and thought-provoking book that sheds light on the powerful but often overlooked contributions of Black Americans. Super informative and educational. Highly recommend it!!”

Emir

Grab Your 99c Ebook Here

If you preordered a book, it has shipped and you should be getting it real soon!