How Black History Can Save Your Life: From the Talk to George Floyd, Everything you Need to Know to Deescalate a Racist Situation

by Ernest Crim

Overview

Black History's Power to Combat Racism

How Black History Can Save Your Life by Ernest Crim III, a hate crime survivor and Anti-Racist Educator, is an essential guide for anyone seeking to combat interpersonal racism, understand the roots of discrimination, and gain actionable strategies through Black historical narratives. This black history book for adults book empowers individuals, parents, and educators with tools to challenge racism and foster equity in their communities.

Using Black history to fight racism. This book builds on Crim's personal experiences, including a viral 2016 hate crime incident that profoundly shaped his career. During a night out, Crim was targeted with racial slurs, but instead of letting it defeat him, he used the situation to highlight the pervasive nature of racism in America. He captured the moment on video, sparking a national conversation about the importance of confronting and addressing discrimination.

Reclaiming the stories of Black history. Crim delves deep into the stories of Black excellence, resistance, and perseverance. He equips families, parents, and educators with the tools they need to combat racism in everyday life and within schools. Through his lens as a parent and former teacher, Crim demonstrates how the untold stories of Black history hold the keys to understanding the roots of racism and how it can be untaught. Drawing on his two bestsellers—Black History Saved My Life and The ABCs of Affirming Black Children—Crim teaches readers how to deconstruct racist systems and foster equitable practices in their communities.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Strategies to de-escalate and combat interpersonal racism in everyday situations.
• Tools for parents and educators to address racism in schools and educate children through an equitable lens.
• Inspiring Black history stories that provide a blueprint for resilience and empowerment in the face of discrimination.

If you liked The Color of Law, Stamped from the Beginning, or Seven Sisters and a Brother, you’ll love How Black History Can Save Your Life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684817320
Publisher:	Mango Media
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	3,579
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Ernest Crim III is an Anti-Racist Educator and hate crime survivor who uses  historical examples from the black community to empower and educate families and train educators through an equitable lens. Mr. Crim, a south side of Chicago native and University of Illinois graduate, is a former high school history educator of 12 years, who now teaches Black History to the world through social media with a platform that reaches over 2 million people monthly. Additionally, he is the CEO of Crim’s Cultural Consulting LLC, an international speaker, an author of two bestsellers (‘Black History Saved My Life’ and ‘The ABCS of Affirming Black Children’; self-published, 11, 000 copies sold - lifetime) and a passionate progressive education activist, who has been featured on ABC, WGN, PBS, CBS, NBC & Newsweek, amongst various other outlets. To Ernest, his purpose is to creatively strategize how we can use our past to create a better future, entrenched in equitable practices. He lives in Chicago.

Read an Excerpt

I stood there with the phone in my hand, trembling, with my left fist balled, teeth clenched, sweating profusely, trying to register what had just happened. I started off recording a racist barrage of “niggers,” but never did it occur to me that this would escalate to her spitting on my wife and me. I looked down to ensure the phone was still recording. I looked to my left and noticed that my wife had a similar expression. Dejection, sorrow and infuriation were worn like a mask on October 31st. I began to look around, wondering if anyone would come to our aid. Then I realized that the cornhole game was situated away from the larger crowd. We were isolated. I felt alone. What should I do? If I reacted the way I wanted, would anyone believe me? Would anyone support me? Would the security guards in the distance even come to my aid or would they assume I was the one who initiated such a heinous criminal act? It was a perfect metaphor for life as a Black man and woman in America. A white woman harassed and assaulted us, and no one came to our aid and so it persisted. The only people in the vicinity were her two black friends, who defended her “nigger” barrage and a white female friend who stayed in the back, as if to symbolize that it wasn’t her problem to deal with...

Table of Contents

Contents

Part I

• 1: …when she spit on
• 2: …when I wanted my friends to sleep over
• 3. …when I wanted breakfast
• 4: …when I was on my way to the White House
• 5: …when he was told to go back
• 6: …when I was cute for a Black guy

Part II

• 7: …when I was acting white
• 8: …when I was driving while Black
• 9: …when I was banking while Black
• 10: …when Aaron taught me
• 11: …when I was first called nigger
• 12: …when Ghetto Bros and Big Booty Hoes partied
• 13: …when I was on probation
• 14: …when he changed his name from Gerald to Abdul
• 15: … when Jena 6 happened
• 16: … when I encountered angry white men
• 17: …when I met Michael Eric Dyson
• 18: … when Tupac was wrong

Part III

• 19: …when we lack exposure
• 20: …when I noticed white on Black crime
• 21: …when they were still lynching us
• 22: …when it kept happening again, and again, and again
• 23: …when the hate was inherited
• 24: …when we needed to #SayHerName
• 25: …when we had another Red Summer
• 26: …when I was faced with a hate crime

Acknowledgments
About the Author