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Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE * AMAZON'S TOP 20 HISTORY BOOKS OF 2023 * B&N BEST OF EDUCATIONAL HISTORY * THE ROOT'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 * CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2023

From acclaimed columnist and political commentator Michael Harriot, a searingly smart and bitingly hilarious retelling of American history that corrects the record and showcases the perspectives and experiences of Black Americans.

America’s backstory is a whitewashed mythology implanted in our collective memory. It is the story of the pilgrims on the Mayflower building a new nation. It is George Washington’s cherry tree and Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin. It is the fantastic tale of slaves that spontaneously teleported themselves here with nothing but strong backs and negro spirituals. It is a sugarcoated legend based on an almost true story.

It should come as no surprise that the dominant narrative of American history is blighted with errors and oversights—after all, history books were written by white men with their perspectives at the forefront. It could even be said that the devaluation and erasure of the Black experience is as American as apple pie.

In Black AF History, Michael Harriot presents a more accurate version of American history. Combining unapologetically provocative storytelling with meticulous research based on primary sources as well as the work of pioneering Black historians, scholars, and journalists, Harriot removes the white sugarcoating from the American story, placing Black people squarely at the center. With incisive wit, Harriot speaks hilarious truth to oppressive power, subverting conventional historical narratives with little-known stories about the experiences of Black Americans. From the African Americans who arrived before 1619 to the unenslavable bandit who inspired America’s first police force, this long overdue corrective provides a revealing look into our past that is as urgent as it is necessary. For too long, we have refused to acknowledge that American history is white history. Not this one. This history is Black AF. 

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432 pages

Average rating: 8.31

29 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Readingismyvibe
May 18, 2024
10/10 stars
I loved this book written with hard truths too cocooned with lighthearted humor. I learned a lot which I hadn’t learned through school teachings. This is a book filled with amazing people of color, largely untold about, who made major contributions to American history and its current makeup. I added this to my must have books on my bookshelf to reference when retelling our history to my kids and teaching the correct version to my grandkids. Thanks Mr Harriot for doing the work and sharing your findings to correct the wrongs and bring to light the missing information.
richardbakare
Mar 12, 2024
10/10 stars
Michael Harriott and Nicky Haley are from the state but espouse two different American histories. This book underscores how people like Haley grew to eschew their own minority identity in favor of perpetuating a mythology that bends truth beyond recognition. Through this retelling, Harriott has crafted the perfect filter for the bullshit that is the idealization of American history. I wonder if Harriott wrote this knowing it would be banned in some places no matter what was contained within its pages? That certainty may have given him the space to write more freely and use a matter of fact style that punctuates each section. That blunt seriousness mixed with the humorous and well timed references to black popular culture make for a history book like none other. The structure itself detours from the routine droll and styling you are used to. All of it combines for a fast read that awakens you while helping you laugh through a national history that would otherwise leave you depressed. That said the book maintains its academic integrity. It’s got all the footnotes and citations required but is free of the high academic language that doubles as a sleeping agent. Harriett’s style and tone is simultaneously poignant and humorous. The characters are known so the retellings are given a fresh take. The whole thing combines into a book you search out moments to keep reading from. I miss Harriott’s contributions on The Root. This book was a welcome reconnect with the expert Wypipologist. It may be more accessible for those scared of something as heady as “Caste” or the “1619 Project.”
Drjcolemman
Feb 29, 2024
9/10 stars
insightful and humorous yet factual look at African-American history.
TBGRbookclub
Nov 29, 2023
10/10 stars
Reviewed by TyaNeka Edwards Laced with humor, sarcasm, and personal antidotes, Michael Harriot leads us on a journey of American history that is as entertaining as it is educational in “Black AF History: The Un-Washed Story of America.” His brand of storytelling almost makes you forget the horrors Blacks suffered at the hands of whites in the name of nation-building. I learned about some many moments in history that I’ve either forgotten or have never been taught. It is obvious that Michael Harriot spent a lot of time researching the history of America, particularly the unheralded and erased labor of Blacks. We, the Blacks, have made a huge contributions in every facet of American society, all while being denied basic human rights. It would be easy to get lost in the many facts and stories of brutality that Harriot point out, but the three little questions and supplement at the end of each chapters implores you to take in what you have just read and not just gloss over the facts. This interactive learning allows you to not only retain what you’ve read but also makes you question what actions you would have taken during these times. Michael Harriot points out, once again, that Black women will save the world in his chapter about the “Black women who started the Civil Rights Movement.” This chapter introduced me to women I have never heard of and can’t wait to learn more about. Thankfully, this book is heavily annotated. “Black AF History” will go down as one of books that I am proud to say I have read.
DilonW87
Oct 22, 2023
9/10 stars
Loved it, I listened to it on audio. The facts and the comedic timing made it a great listen.

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