Michael Harriot
Michael Harriot is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, celebrated poet and public historian hailed as "one of the most eloquent writers in America." He currently serves as a columnist for theGrio and The Guardian covering the intersection of race, politics, and culture.
Read more about Harriot on his website: michaelharriot.com
Michael Harriot
Thursday, January 30, 2025, 12:30 p.m.
L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center
Doors open at 12:15 p.m.
Black AF History
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
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.
-From Michael Harriot.com
History can never be objective or unbiased because, no matter how hard the storytellers may try, the perception of reality prejudices all stories.
-Michael Harriot