African American youth looking for a dose of inspiration now may have found a good source to pull from following the recent launch of the website MyAncestorsDidDat.com.
The media has long perpetuated negative stereotypes about African American people; so much so that many Black youths do not have any idea about the incredible heritage of their ancestors. Some unknowingly actualize these stereotypes to their own detriment.
My Ancestors Did Dat works to highlight African American achievement and empower Black youth for greatness. The website features a collection of merchandise such as totes, T-shirts, onesies and sweatshirts decorated with graphics of incredible items created by African American inventors. Garret Morgan, who created the human gas mask, traffic signal and hair straightening cream, and Lewis Latimer, who created the incandescent and threaded socket for light bulbs, are among those featured on the merchandise.
Nanette Lucien is the mastermind behind My Ancestors Did Dat. She is a seasoned entrepreneur and also the owner of Kracnola—a granola company based in New York. When asked about the motivation for creating the website, Lucien explained: “Kids across the country are taught our major accomplishment was peanut butter, which is pretty awesome within itself, but we did a lot more. I wanted to change the narrative and let them know the contribution was a bit more than just peanut butter.”
Lucien further pointed out that it isn’t just for African American kids to learn and wants everyone to be aware of these facts and celebrate them.
The products at MyAncestorsDidDat.com are manufactured from high-quality materials and are available in a range of sizes and styles. For further details or to browse the collection, visit MyAncestorsDidDat.com.
