With incisive wit, Harriot speaks hilarious truth to oppressive power, subverting conventional historical narratives with little-known stories about the experiences of Black Americans. 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.

In Black AF History, Michael Harriot presents a more accurate version of American history. It could even be said that the devaluation and erasure of the Black experience is as American as apple pie. 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 is a sugarcoated legend based on an almost true story. It is the fantastic tale of slaves that spontaneously teleported themselves here with nothing but strong backs and negro spirituals. It is George Washington’s cherry tree and Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin. It is the story of the pilgrims on the Mayflower building a new nation. 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.Īmerica’s backstory is a whitewashed mythology implanted in our collective memory.

Black AF History by Michael Harriot