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(A Black Wall Street Story)
by Makadonia Studios
In The Apprentice's Witness:
In 1905, O.W. Gurley—a man born into slavery—purchased forty acres of Tulsa land and built Greenwood, the community known as Black Wall Street. Through the eyes of Michael, Gurley's young apprentice, we watch the dream rise: over a hundred Black-owned businesses, churches, schools, and a thriving population of 9,000. Then comes May 31, 1921. A white mob descends. The police deputize the mob. The National Guard disarms Black residents. Over thirty-five square blocks are burned—homes, churches, everything. Michael hides beneath a desk, witnesses the destruction, and in his final hours, writes it all down, burying the proof in a safe, hoping that one day, someone will find it.
Decades later, a young boy digging in his Tulsa backyard uncovers that safe.
"The Apprentice's Witness is a stunning work of historical fiction that unearths the story of O.W. Gurley and Greenwood with unflinching honesty and profound humanity. Through the eyes of Michael, we witness the rise and fall of Black Wall Street—and the indomitable spirit of a community that refused to be erased. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America's history of racial violence and the enduring power of hope."
“"The Apprentice's Witness is a stunning achievement—a story that is both a gripping narrative and a profound meditation on justice, memory, and resilience. This story will haunt you, break your heart, and fill you with hope. It is essential reading for anyone who believes that the truth—no matter how buried—will always find a way to surface." ”
— Rated 5 Stars by Early Readers
“"With The Apprentice's Witness, the author has created something truly special—a story that is both a gripping narrative and a profound exploration of America's forgotten history. This is a writer to watch."”
One of Atlanta's Greatest Artist.
Inspired by Stan Lee to create a character and story that will come to real life.
(The Life Story of Luther Colombus Powell Sr.)
They said he would never amount to anything. They said the land wasn't for his kind. But L.C. Powell had a fire in his heart that refused to be extinguished.
Born in 1896 to a former slave, L.C. learns early that freedom is a heavy burden—one that requires strength, determination, and an unbreakable will. When his mother dies, seven-year-old L.C. becomes the man of the house, raising his sisters alone while dreaming of something greater: land of his own. Something that fire couldn't burn down.
Through poverty, racism, and relentless hardship, L.C. builds a kingdom from the red clay of Temple, Georgia. He finds love in Annie Mae Mitchell, a woman whose faith matches his fire. Together, they raise eleven children and build a farm that becomes the heart of their community.
But the greatest legacy isn't always the one you build—sometimes it's the one you leave behind.
When L.C.'s grandson James promises his dying grandmother he'll return to settle the farm, he has no idea what awaits him. Betrayal, family secrets, and a battle for inheritance threaten to tear apart everything L.C. built.
In the soil's memory, the promise lives on.
An epic family saga for readers who loved "The Color Purple" and "Roots."
"One king can live in the castle. But the soil remembers the one who healed it."
(THE JAMES SUMLIN STORY)
ONE KING CAN LIVE IN THE CASTLE. BUT THE SOIL REMEMBERS THE ONE WHO HEALS IT.
In 1948, three-year-old James Sumlin arrived at his grandparents' Georgia farm with nothing but the clothes on his back and a father's gift for reason. Raised on the red clay of Temple, he learned two things: how to survive, and how to keep a promise.
At sixteen, James walked away from the farm and into the dangerous streets of Atlanta, where he became Foots—a legend in the underground world of gambling and hustle. He built an empire. He lost it all. He loved, lost, and loved again. But the promise his grandmother made him swear—to return, to stay, to build something that would last—never left him.
After losing his wife, his city empire, and nearly his soul, James returns to Temple to rebuild from the soil. He becomes the Soil King—a man who understands that the only legacy worth leaving is the one rooted in family, community, and the covenant between the land and its people.
As his son Terrance comes of age and ventures into the world—only to return broken by loss—James must teach him the game he spent a lifetime learning. The unwritten book of survival. The mathematics of chance. The art of the long game.
When James passes, Terrance inherits more than the deed to the Center, the Quilt his great-grandmother stitched, and a letter his father never had the words to write. He inherits the promise: to remember where he came from, to honor those who came before, and to ensure that the legacy endures for generations.
"One king can live in the castle. But the soil remembers the one who healed it. And the one who remembers is the one who survives."
(The Education of the Mack)
In 1970s Chicago, a hungry young man named Terone is taken under the wing of the legendary pimp Sweet James Jones, who teaches him the brutal philosophy of the game—but when a rival threatens everything he's built, Terone must choose between becoming a monster or finding his way out of the golden cage.
(Book: The Freeman Brothers)
Two brothers. One cabin. Four plantations. A bear.
In the slave-holding South, two free-born brothers—one dark, one pale—run a secret sanctuary called the Midnight Hotel. By day they fix broken things. By night they shelter the broken. And a bear guards the caves.
The Bellkeeper's Daughter (A Ghost Story of Oscarville)/The Apprentice Witness (A Black Wall Street Story.)
Two stories. Two communities. One unbreakable truth.
In The Bell Keeper's Daughter, Maya discovers a drowned town beneath Lake Lanier and must confront the vengeful ghost of a girl whose family was erased. In The Apprentice's Witness, Michael bears witness to the rise and fall of Black Wall Street—and buries the truth so it can never be forgotten. Based on true history, this collection is a powerful exploration of racial injustice, resilience, and the enduring power of memory.