Some of you have been following this page for a while, and some of you may have found me somewhere along the way through my work as a historian, professor, radio host, author, or public scholar.

So let me reintroduce myself.

I am Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, a historian of Black life in America.

I write about Black history, memory, culture, family, resistance, joy, and the complicated American story we are all still living through.

And lately, I have been building something that feels very much like home.

My Substack is called:

Where Black History Meets the Present.

It is where I am gathering the different parts of my work in one place.

Some days I write long-form essays about race, education, democracy, and Black life.

Some days I reach back into my personal archive and bring forward something I wrote years ago.

Some mornings I write a Red Nana Drop—a little reminder to breathe, remember, rest, keep going, or simply sit still for a minute.

And sometimes I just show up with a cup of coffee and something on my mind.

I think of it as my Kitchen Table.

Everybody is invited.

You do not have to agree with everything I write. You do not even have to say anything when you arrive.

Just pull up a chair.

Read.

Think.

Remember.

And, when you are ready, join the conversation.

If you have been following me here, I would love for you to come with me.

Subscribe to Where Black History Meets the Present at drkayewhitehead.substack.com.

It is free to join the community, and those who choose to become supporting subscribers become part of Dr. Kaye’s Kitchen Table Krew, helping sustain the writing and support my Itty Bitty History Keepers program for young people.

The table is set.

Your chair is waiting.

And, as always, I’ll leave the light on.

—dr. kaye