Dr. Shannon Agbotse, the founder, author, and editor-in-chief of Lift Up Publishing, has been passionate about books and writing since her childhood. Her academic journey includes a UCLA undergraduate degree in American Literature and African American Studies, an Ed.M. from Harvard University, a Teaching Credential from CSU Dominguez Hills, and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in education. With more than 25 years of experience in education, she has been a dedicated professor in Teacher Education.

Driven by her desire to teach Black history and promote literacy among youth, Dr. Agbotse established Lift Up Publishing as a means of self-publishing and supporting new authors. Recognizing the lack of Black history education in schools and the challenges involved in implementing it, she decided to directly reach parents raising Black children, as well as anyone interested in learning about Black history.

Developing curriculum modules on Black history led to the creation of Lift Up Publishing, which now encompasses Explore Black History as a DBA (Doing Business As) entity. Both entities share the same mission, with Lift Up Publishing producing children's books and other materials.

Dr. Agbotse firmly believes in the significance of teaching Black history and aims to bring it to families across the nation, especially in light of ongoing attempts to remove it from school curricula.

For Dr. Agbotse, Black history is an integral part of American and world history, encompassing both significant and devastating events that all children, particularly Black children, should have the opportunity to learn.