First published 2023
American history as taught in schools tells a whitewashed story of pilgrims, cherry trees, and log cabins. It presents enslaved people as if they simply appeared with nothing but strong backs and spirituals. Michael Harriot dismantles this sanitized mythology. The political commentator and columnist combines sharp wit with careful research to place Black Americans where they belong: at the center of the American story. Harriot draws from primary sources and the work of pioneering Black historians to reveal overlooked narratives. He writes about African Americans who arrived before 1619 and the unenslavable bandit who sparked the creation of America's first police force. His approach subverts standard historical accounts through provocative storytelling that speaks truth to power. This corrective challenges readers to confront how the devaluation of Black experiences has become as American as apple pie. Harriot refuses to accept that American history should remain white history.
Genres: history, african-american, non-fiction, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: challenges-readers, subverts-standard-historical-accounts
Setting: America
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
432 pages · Hardcover · Dey Street Books