Dr. Cheryl McKissack Daniel joins authors A’Lelia Bundles and Jason G. Green for a special Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival (MVBBF) 2026 author conversation celebrating Black literature, history, storytelling, and legacy.

The conversation, now available through the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival YouTube channel, brings together three authors whose work explores stories and experiences that contribute to a deeper understanding of Black history and the generations shaping its future.

Sharing The Black Family Who Built America

Cheryl’s participation follows the release of her book, The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers, which brings the extraordinary history of the McKissack family to a wider audience.

The book traces a family story spanning more than two centuries, beginning with Cheryl’s ancestors and continuing through five generations of builders, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

At its heart is a story about much more than construction. It is about family, perseverance, entrepreneurship, ownership, and the importance of preserving histories that have too often been left out of the larger American narrative.

Today, Cheryl carries that legacy forward as Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, one of the nation’s oldest Black-owned design and construction firms.

Celebrating Black Authors and the Stories They Carry

The Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival creates a space for the discussion, reflection, and celebration of Black authors and their work.

Cheryl joins A’Lelia Bundles and Jason G. Green for the MVBBF 2026 conversation, bringing together authors with distinct perspectives and stories while highlighting the importance of documenting Black experiences for future generations.

For Cheryl, telling the McKissack family story is also an act of preservation.

The accomplishments of Black builders, architects, engineers, business owners, and families are an essential part of American history. By documenting the McKissacks’ journey, The Black Family Who Built America helps ensure that the people behind that history—and what they built—are remembered.

Watch the MVBBF 2026 Conversation

Watch “MVBBF 2026 | Authors A’Lelia Bundles, Cheryl McKissack Daniel, & Jason G. Green” below, courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival.

Watch the full conversation below.

The conversation is available on the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival YouTube channel.

About The Black Family Who Built America

The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers tells the story of the McKissack family’s journey across generations and their enduring contributions to America’s built environment.

Through the family’s history, Cheryl McKissack Daniel shines a light on Black entrepreneurship, ingenuity, resilience, and the power of building something meaningful enough for the next generation to carry forward.