The Legacy She Wrote: Yvette Kendall’s Unstoppable Rise from Inventor to Storyteller

Image Credit: Yvette Kendall

Yvette Kendall has always been an entrepreneur at heart. After all, her motto is “think it, prove it, do it.” She has a creative spirit that can’t be contained by medium, genre or anything but her own desires. 

She’s published books for people of all ages, sold her original music and recently secured a multi-million dollar deal with The Sessions studios to develop “NORTH: A Social Justice Horror Story”, among other movies and series of her own creation. Though she’s already added screenwriter to her list of successful pursuits, Kendall says that if her life were being turned into a movie, the title would be “The Devil Called for Me By Name.” 

“When the Devil goes to God and asks for you by name, that means you have something that is of concern for him - some type of greatness, some type of power that will create movement that is not to his benefit,” Kendall said. 

She started creating this movement not as a screenwriter, author, or musician; instead, she got her start in product development. In her time as a developer, Kendall made her own space, which was often dominated by white men. As the only Black woman in a sea of white male faces, Kendall said she was often questioned, even underestimated. 

“Being a Black woman from the south side of Chicago with a High School Diploma that was creating science for scientists, they could not understand how and why I was able to do some of the things I was doing,” Kendall said

Though she didn’t realize that she was carving space, Kendall has always advocated for herself and doesn’t think about making room. That’s just what she does. 

“I will go to the top of whatever I'm doing [...] There’s no reason for me not to,” Kendall said. 

She believes that if you build it, they will come. Everything that she writes, whether it be for a book, movie, show or music, is for her. And in being her authentic self, she attracts an audience. 

Through her creative ventures, Kendall has begun shaping a legacy not only for herself, and for her daughter, Mahari. In all of Kendall’s works, Mahari is featured by name; She wants to show her daughter that not only can she pursue her passions and rise to the top, but that she already has. However, the definition of legacy isn’t that simple for Kendall.

It is more than what you leave behind, but the actions that you take every single day; what Kendall teaches Mahari, and how she has prepared Mahari, is just as important as what she gives her. Mahari has been included in Kendall’s work, but has also been taught to think outside of herself and her own bubble from an early age. 

Her mother enrolled her in a language academy at 3 years old, and she has had a passport since she was 7 so she can “think globally.” 

“For a lot of people, if you grow up in Chicago, all you know is Chicago. All they know is Chicago food, all they know is English [...] They’ve never seen different people of different persuasions. It’s about putting her in a position to be successful globally,” Kendall said. 

Stretching the limits of what’s possible, Kendall has led by example for her daughter. She wants to be remembered as a literary innovator—somebody who created viable worlds through her subgenre, Biblical Futurism, that people can work to create in reality. 

“I would like to be the brown Gene Roddenberry,” Kendall said. 

Like Gene Roddenberry, who wrote and produced the sci-fi classic “Star Trek,” she hopes that her work will encourage people to further examine their own perspectives and think bigger, expanding their worldview. 

“I wanted to take the limitations off of whatever," Kendall said. 

In everything that she creates, from screenplays to songs, she looks to push limits. “I write the way that I write, because I want you to look at this one thing from every angle, every direction, inside and out, so you can mentally digest it and honor it for what it is.” 

With stories rooted in authenticity and truth, Yvette Kendall is making a name for herself that she hopes will only grow. 

“I’m still a tiny name in the sea of names of Black Women that have done things [...] I have my own walk.” Kendall said. 

To engage with Kendall’s work further, keep an eye out for “NORTH: A Social Justice Horror Story.” (See more: Get your copy here.)

According to Kendall, production is underway, and her team is in the process of securing an A-list caliber director, and there are talks that the production team may secure Damson Idris as the main character. She’s sure to continue to impress with the broad scope of her creative works.