Taylor Cassidy uses her considerable platform as a content creator to have a positive impact. Her entertaining and highly illuminating “Fast Black History” videos reach over 2 million followers on TikTok and nearly half a million on Instagram. Her debut book, Black History Is Your History (Atheneum, 2025), illustrated by Adriana Bellet, entices young readers to engage with history in meaningful ways by highlighting its relevance to their lives. Cassidy’s enthusiasm for her subject is contagious, and her liveliness and relatability translate well from video to print. Cassidy answered our questions by email.

What responses have you had from readers that have been especially meaningful?

I’ll never forget a message from someone who decided to start a Black history club in their school. When my book encourages people to start taking action, that’s when I feel the most delighted and grateful.

What have you learned that’s surprised you the most?

When researching Ida B. Wells, I learned about a moment in her career when she was speaking about the lynching of her friend. She had a moment of vulnerability. I’d always been taught about her strong, resilient qualities, so learning this completely changed the direction of the chapter. Instead of putting Wells into a box labeled “Strong Black Woman,” I discovered a more complex story of humanity and the right to acknowledge pain.

If you could correct one major common misconception about U.S. history, what would that be?

I still hear people say, “Slavery was so long ago. Get over it.” I believe it’s an excuse for people to disregard the need to learn Black history and avoid guilt for the longstanding effects slavery has had on everyone in this nation today. Common practices after the abolishment of slavery continue to leave deep footprints, like redlining, over-policing, and discriminatory gerrymandering. The solution isn’t to “get over” slavery, which implies that ignoring the wound will make it disappear. The solution is to acknowledge the pain that, left untreated, has become like an infected tooth in the United States’ jaw.

When you look at America today, what gives you the most hope? What concerns you the most?

Attacks on voters’ rights are one of my concerns of late, but my hope lies in how resilient Americans can be. The biggest shifts toward equality and civil rights in this country have come from brave Americans unafraid to organize and protest, like Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker. It’s our constitutional right to demand change when necessary, and I believe we haven’t yet lost that drive to fight.

The discomfort of learning real history, not a sanitized patriotic version, can make people defensive.

When I see that a person is defensive or uncomfortable when they learn an unexpected historical fact, I think, Good. The advice I’d have for someone who’s learning is to listen, ask questions, and have patience with yourself and people around you. No growth comes from being comfortable. To step outside of your comfort zone may be scary but doing so makes you a more open, educated, and well-equipped person.

Are there any historical figures you’ve learned about recently who hold special significance for you?

Lately, I’ve been learning about Naomi Sims! She was a model who broke barriers for dark-skinned Black women from the ’60s to the ’80s. I love her story because after she retired, she created products and wrote books specifically for Black women to feel seen and beautiful. She was extremely successful, and she makes me think about Black influencers now who have their own beauty companies. Naomi paved the way!

Laura Simeon is a young readers' editor.