First published 2021
Four centuries of Black American history unfold through the voices of ninety prominent writers, scholars, and activists. Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain have assembled a chronological narrative that starts in 1619 when twenty enslaved Ndongo people arrived in British colonial America. Eighty chapters trace the journey from slavery through resistance, segregation through survival, and migration through self-discovery. Contributors include historians, journalists, poets, and legal scholars who illuminate forgotten figures and restore overlooked stories to America's historical record. The collection reveals how cultural oppression sparked world-changing artistic and literary movements. Each chapter captures a specific moment while building toward a complete portrait of resilience, creativity, and transformation across four hundred years.
Genres: history, african-american, biography-memoir, 21st-century, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, historical-perspective
Setting: America, British Colonial America
Period: 1619, 400 Years
504 pages · Hardcover · One World