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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.
This book made me feel a lot. Disgust. Pride. Anger. Even disbelief. When Harriot described the lynchings and all the brutal details and then connected that to what we still see today, I had to pause. It was heavy but honest. And it should be.
What hit me most was how many Black historical figures I had never heard of or only knew through the safe school version. Like Ida B Wells-Barnett. I knew her name, but not like this. She was fearless. Strategic. Relentless. And she is just one of many names that deserve way more space in how we talk about history.
The idea that so many people were freed and then reenslaved is mind-boggling. They changed the rules, changed the language, but the system stayed the same. It really made me sit with how deeply all of that still echoes today. All Black people want is to be free. But this country has always tried to control what that looks like and who gets to have it.
This is not just a history book. It is a mirror. It gave me context for things I have felt but never fully understood. And it introduced me to people and stories I now want to know more about.
If you want to understand the history of slavery, resistance, and how much of that still shapes today, this book is essential. It is raw, deeply researched, and told with care. It is written for us.
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