Professor unveils the life of the first African American woman to write a novel

[@maryburrell3948]

Phyllis Wheatley was an enslaved African woman who wrote poetry. But many wanted to be in denial that an enslaved young African woman was intelligent enough to compose her poetry.

[@koryburdet1317]

How you know she was African?? She could have Native American heritage. Not all black people in America came from Africa

[@missladyanonymity]

@mary check out @kory. They'll never let Black people be great. 🤣 Maybe she was from Neptune!

[@koryburdet1317]

@@missladyanonymity better Neptune than Africa 😂😂

[@mjencolour]

@@koryburdet1317 we know because we read and we study. If you decide to try that let us know what you learn about Phyllis Wheatley. ☺️

[@jazzinikki01]

I remember reading about her back in 5th grade. I even wrote a report about her life and poems.

[@lasandralucas7314]

Thank you, Henry and Gregg, for sharing this amazing story with the world .

[@becomingahighlyeffective2023]

Beautiful story! I hope it's developed into a movie some day. 😊😊

[@karenc6768]

A cousin shared this video with me because we are distant relatives of both Hannah Bond Crafts and Benjamin Speller shown in the video. It does my heart good to see what an extraordinary woman she was and how much education and faith played a role in her life. I see the legacy of greatness even today throughout our family.

[@BenjimanBenjiman-df3fs]

Saying hello from Chicago Illinois USA 💯 on Sunday September 29th 2024❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@salima9722]

Thank you, Louis Gates for never giving up and thanks to Ben Speller, who like me, is a descendant of Hannah Bond Crafts.

[@ladyt_ismyname6643]

What a treasure. Her penmanship ❤ her resilience ❤ the fact that she chose to escape and create a new life and live happily and into old age is an aspiration.

[@litaholic4572]

Hannah Crafts certainly was remarkable and worthy of her place in History. I certainly look forward to reading this book!

[@AuthorLHollingsworth]

Many of our ancestors taught themselves how to read, and write. Those white scholars who refused to believe that a black person could write that book is insane. Awesome video 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@eliciaellis7428]

So true.

[@Heyu7her3]

It's not so "insane" in the sense that literacy was illegal

[@johlae]

That’s amazing..It’s great that Henry Gates purchased it and made her book available..!

[@tonisumblin2719]

I’m so happy to see these historical facts on KZbin. I learned about her decades ago. My family taught me. Our children need to understand that they come from people of substance, resilience and determination.

[@cynthiaanderson3742]

We black women see the world different from any other woman in the world because we know how to survive generation to generation🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊

[@Risha-mysterious]

All women know how to survive in this male dominated society

[@KB-fe2pg]

@@Risha-mysteriousBlack Women have the challenge of thriving despite the intersectionality of their identities as Black & female. A woman who experiences sexism and white supremacy has a different lived experience than women who had the privilege of whiteness which traditionally has been weaponized and used as an advantage.

[@Joyful_Smiles]

Wonderful! Yes we are very proud of our Black American history. 😊 Looking forward to a movie.

[@Nicollettej120]

What an mazing story. Thank you Dr. Gates and Gregg for the sharing the history. We need to hear and know more stories like this.

[@missyrobbins8617]

Michelle Miller 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Thank you for reporting on this!

[@theorderofthebees7308]

It’s incredible that - so many people in 2002 and beyond could not believe that this Black Woman who was enslaved could have written fiction . The way people want to dismiss black genius is just beyond . Dr Gates is a scholar and he knew what he was taking about the first time . #beliveblackpeople

[@lovehope3753]

I have the first book in my Amazon's first read, and I must read it during Jan/Feb ( I'm also returning non-traditional student at my local university). TFS. African American history is very rich and diverse.

[@t.kuykendall517]

A Black man buys her work and publishes it. Gets criticized, but book tops NY Times bestsellers list for months. A White man, initially skeptical about the origins of the book and who actually wrote it, has to dig deeper and put out his own book with her work - and gets her descendents to help him. Ok got it, thanks.

[@Singer_and_Songwriter]

Exactly!!👏🏿👏🏿

[@sherryjo20]

Such a beautiful story!!!!

[@xelamercedes]

The interviewer is incorrect. Sojourner Truth never wrote an autobiography because she never learned to read or write. She told her story to a white woman named Gilbert who wrote it down, giving credit to Truth. Many thanks to CBS Morning for this fascinating story.

[@catali033]

Fascinating and important! Great segment!

[@StarDust227]

Now this is gold

[@yamirants]

I just hope Greg isn’t the only one making money out of this. I really hope Hannah’s family gets compensated.

[@jae6506]

Wow👏🏽

[@lajuanwoodland7540]

I really learned a lot about this remarkable young woman.

[@khismet]

Wonderfulness ❤ Thank you, Michelle Miller!

[@EmoTaurus]

Thanks for sharing this, and showing how we were just as smart!

[@M3GANdoll]

What a fantastic story featured that I want to know more about😊

[@peggyokelly2118]

Im just as intelligent and beautiful and capable like anyone other race. Society tried to make me feel inferior but I fight the good fight and make me stronger

[@felinefokus]

Wow if it wasn't for KZbin, social media I would still be ignorant to these stories.

[@cocosims9979]

Read it. Loved it

[@chareelangston7328]

I have a bookclub would you recommend it?

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

It's up next on my TBR list.

[@medusagorgon9]

This is truly wonderful! I love human history and the nuggets of surprises it brings.

[@jojosaylor8996]

7:11 Definitely can't wait to read this novel

[@nightingale1908]

Lovely story!

[@emilywong6923]

Reading this book I took out of the library and can't put it down !!!!

[@irawilliams343]

This sounds very interesting to read

[@kenyarogers6289]

With all due respect, Black people gotta tell our stories

[@michaelmawazo]

Exactly

[@Joyful_Smiles]

I agree and that would mean supporting and encouraging more Black students to be researchers and authors. The Library field is very rewarding. Looking forward to more campaigns and PSAs to encourage reading and studying in Black American children.

[@AuthorLHollingsworth]

I agree. There is always a person that doesn't look like us that tells our story, and get paid for it. However, I'm happy that Gates published the book. Bravo, my brotha!!!!

[@AuthorLHollingsworth]

​@@Joyful_Smiles👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾We need more of our own people being researchers. The guy that helped research the history wasn't a believer at first, and that bothers me. It's almost like, if they don't believe it, it's not true. 😢

[@linda_smilesrfree2744]

​@@AuthorLHollingsworth Good point.👍🏾 I contemplate sometimes if what we have accepted as progress is merely tolerated, as opposed to being remarkably appreciated. What if suddenly and supernaturally our eyes were opened to embrace the Truth, debunking every false narrative that has sought to set itself against the identity of a people. Granted, false narratives have also been perpetrated by us, and therefore, all the sacrifices endured generation after generation for the sake of freedom, are to what end? Do we "bond" (no pun intended) as a people for the greater good of our people in obedience to GOD or do we remain stiffnecked, continuing down throughout history, always teetering on the periphery of someone else's acknowledgment of our own existence. Could it be that the true identity of a tribe or tribes of people has always been hidden in plain sight. Let him who has eyes to see, 'See', and him who has ears to hear, 'Hear' what the Spirit of the Living God is saying and showing unto us. A•S•K and it shall be given unto you. SEEK, and you shall find. KNOCK, and the door shall be opened to you. 🕊

[@theorderofthebees7308]

Phylis Wheatley an amazing poet was also considered not capable of writing poetry . Her discreditors included President Thomas Jefferson - made it his business to consistently bad mouth and her ability in the press .

[@UMVELINQANGI]

Awesome!

[@xumali]

I love learning about this amazing history. It angers me that our stories somehow always have to be validated by the offspring of our oppressors.

[@teresam5199]

Wonderful accomplishment of this intelligent and brave lady. Lets clear a couple things up though: a mixed race woman, is just that: mixed/biracial, not Black or African American. Second, no one can be sure this is the first novel by an enslaved woman - it may be the first one you all know about or at most, the first one discovered that was written in English. Surely, other stories and natratives were made in the native language of enslaved women.

[@curlslegitbaby2981]

​@rianshaw3687 nope time to let that thinking go. Black people and biracial people aren't the same

[@brendamckenzie5826]

Amazing story grear motivation story

[@tshyann]

Thank You

[@salima9722]

I would have loved to hear a longer conversation from Dr. Benjamin Speller before he was edited abruptly. Hannah Bond Crafts was mixed race and spent her early years in Bertie County, Windsor, North Carolina, where she was born and only spent two years in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Ben Speller would have been the perfect narrator, as he knew the story and is a descendant of Hannah Bond. He could have told us the full history. I am a little disappointed in Gates!

[@aliciapitterson2010]

Amazing

[@soniatriana9091]

Once again, scholars highlight their arrogance & prejudice (& stupidity)! And that’s actually insulting that they’ve not learned enough, to even consider the highly probable possibility of a black enslaved person achieving the “supposed impossible”!!! Congratulations to Professor Gregg H!

[@maryburrell3948]

Fascinating story

[@traumaMaryJane]

they know who we are they have stolen all our history ~ But God 🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿

[@brittenyevans1101]

Ya'll dismissing Phyllis Wheatley, in this piece not cool. Btw, that penmanship is A-1....bring back cursive in the schools man!.

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

Phillis Wheatley wrote poetry, not a novel.

[@WalledGardenAtNorrisLake]

This is awesome!

[@culturedkinfolk]

So crazy how ⚪️ people will study us and not is. They will go to school to study our culture and create their perspective

[@sadlexyy1261]

So praises to the white man by which Gates would have never been able to get her writings published. Then praises to the white man by which Hannah would have never been able to escape. Finally praises to the white ppl that enslaved and inhumanly treated AA for without them we wouldn’t have led such enriched lives that gave us these incredible experiences that white ppl are now interested in hearing

[@--ag]

So tired of wyte having an opinion on what black people can or cannot do.

[@MichelleCarithersAuthor]

😊

[@fromGhetto2Goddess]

Reparations due

[@truthteller313]

really? Did he buy the rights to this story or is he stealing it for profit

[@teresam5199]

I thought the same 🤔

[@kadeshiamatthews4214]

Buy the rights from whom? He's a historian researching and writing a biography of a black woman who, like Harriet Jacobs, many people did not believe was real and who could not tell her full story publicly during her lifetime. This is what historians do; if their subject is still living or a well-known figure, they likely seek cooperation and access, but they don't pay for rights.

[@krimsonedit3272]

The evils of YT

[@sadiewilliams]

Who said she was happy 🤔

[@queenmommie100]

We are not African we are FBA indigenous natives of this land. Our people were already here before the Europeans came to our land. Another reason for our Reparations. He who leads into Captivity shall go into Captivity. He who kills with a sword shall be killed with a sword. This is the word of YAH APTTMHGY acknowledge Mother Wisdom.

[@phlegmgurl1905]

go take ur meds

[@peggyokelly2118]

First..its not like we couldnt be first we are just like all other races its equal across the board we are all human creatures. God is not a respector of persons. Its society that sets us apart. Dont be brain washed. Use your mind to realize this "first blacks" statement is to make you think we arent capable

[@WalledGardenAtNorrisLake]

Marquis Phillip de Legal

[@WalledGardenAtNorrisLake]

Ok, is this the key that’s my ancestor? I know she was an author which was shocking for the time frame but Um not sure. Too sleepy right now to go get out my research…. PiNKKiTTi

[@calinola7957]

Was this an actual black woman or a biracial woman? Serious question

[@tammydotts-tv6rr]

😅

[@NHLblkgurl]

She didn’t plagiarize it like the democrat Harvard president did she?

[@missladyanonymity]

There's always one. Do you understand that there's more to life than politics and the internet?

[@NHLblkgurl]

@@missladyanonymity YET, here YOU are, attacking “political” commentary ON “the internet”.. lmao??DUH!

[@yaszit2210]

The amount of hatred that y’all have for Us makes it even crazier that you all are always coming into our spaces… It’s 🤯.. PS, did you hear that the man who brought this to life, wife admitted to plagiarism today and it was proven to be true.. 😂😂

[@NHLblkgurl]

@@yaszit2210 i have NO idea what you tried to say there.. and who’s “us” in “y’all have so much hatred of us” (fellow plagiarizes or fake POC whyt Democrats who game the affirmation action system (some go on to become US senators) Please do elaborate.

[@MM-dv9hp]

You clearly are part of the problem.