Professor unveils the life of the first African American woman to write a novel

In 2003, scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. helped publish what’s believed to be the first novel ever written by an African American woman. That book, drawn from a manuscript dating back to the mid-1800s’, was a bestseller, but mystery surrounded the author until professor Gregg Hecimovich decided to go on a two-decade journey of discovery, culminating his new non-fiction book, “The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts.” Michelle Miller has more. Source