A multi-award-winning novelist and poet from Chicago's South Side, Yecheilyah (e-see-li-yah) grew up in the city's largest public housing complex (Robert Taylor) and in what was at the time the US's worst urban community.

By the time she was ten, Yecheilyah was homeless months after being hit by a car that left her with a steel plate in her right leg and twenty-four surgical staples.

Having endured such significant traumatic challenges at such a young age, Yecheilyah knows first-hand what living in poverty is like amid racial, political, cultural, and social injustices.

She now dedicates her life to helping Black people worldwide understand the deeper spiritual connection between their struggles and their identity as a people.

She uses writing as a catalyst for restoring Black historical truth via her works of fiction, non-fiction, blog posts, and poetry.

Through the power of the spoken and written word, Ysrayl strives to recognize the experiences of individuals who have been marginalized and overlooked.

She lives in Georgia with her husband, and writes and publishes full time while studying at the University of West Alabama online.

Visit Yecheilyah’s main website to learn more at yecheilyahysrayl.com.