The Californer - Historian's New YouTube Channel Presents an Unconventional Look at Black History

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Videos tell the stories of blacks in Greek mythology, the Trojan war, 17th century Britain, Shakespeare's plays and more.

FAIRFIELD, Calif. - Californer -- Black History historian Charles Taylor has launched a new YouTube channel highlighting people and events not commonly thought of in discussions of black history. The site features videos on blacks in Greek mythology; black nobility in 16^th and 17^th century Europe; blacks in Scandinavian history and characters in some of Shakespeare's plays, among other topics.

"We have a history and a culture that extends pass the history that we have been taught," says Taylor, a 22-year-old college student and avid researcher on the topic. "We have a history that goes back thousands of years, and one that is all over the world; that's what I have designed the channel to show."

The site's multi-part series on black Greek mythology features stories on Odysseus, the lead character in Homer's Odyssey; Epaphus, the son of Zeus; and the Trojan war solider Memnon. The 40-minute tape on the exploits of Memnon is the most popular on the site, having gotten over 24,000 views and hundreds of comments. A five-part series on black Vikings has gotten over 11,000 views and several hundred comments.

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Taylor has done extensive research for all of the videos on the channel, titled Black is History, and invites viewers to follow along as he narrates and displays his sources as part of the clips.

"The site is meant to be an educational tool for audiences, especially black audiences, who want to know more about the full breadth of black history," Taylor says. "I welcome naysayers and detractors; I've done the research; I show the facts and I list my sources," he says. "Viewers can make up their own minds and are encouraged to do their own research."

He started research for the site months ago and begin posting videos last June. The channel has since gotten over 1,100 subscribers and hundreds of viewers each day. It currently displays 20 videos, some as long as two hours in length, and Taylor is working on several more. To view the channel, comment and subscribe, visit: Black Is History - YouTube .

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