Book Review: Black AF History by Michael Harriot — Unapologetically Black, Brilliant, and Necessary
3 min read
Review:
If you’ve ever sat through an American history class wondering where all the Black people were—besides slavery and Martin Luther King Jr.—Michael Harriot has written the antidote to your frustration. Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America is what you’re looking for. It’s equal parts history lesson, roast session, and revolutionary act.
Harriot sets the entire Eurocentric timeline on fire and rebuilds it from Black roots. From the African presence in America before 1619 to the myth of Lincoln’s “great emancipation,” this book challenges everything we thought we knew—and does so with receipts.
A History Book with a Mouth
Let’s be clear: this is not your average history text. Harriot writes like your brilliant, sarcastic cousin who majored in African American Studies and never lets foolishness slide at Thanksgiving dinner. His voice is conversational, hilarious, and unrelenting. One moment, you’re cackling at his takedown of founding father folklore; the next, you’re stunned by how deep the lies in our textbooks really go.
He calls out the fairy tales: The Pilgrims were not benevolent refugees, the Civil War wasn’t just about states’ rights, and enslaved Africans were not docile workers singing spirituals on the plantation porch. Harriot kicks the pedestal out from under every sacred cow, and the truth hits hard—and beautifully.
Research that Cuts Through the Noise
Don’t get it twisted—this isn’t just a hot-take book. It’s deeply researched, rooted in primary sources, and elevated by the work of Black historians who have been silenced or sidelined for far too long. Harriot draws on the legacies of Carter G. Woodson, Ida B. Wells, and Zora Neale Hurston, weaving a timeline that includes rebellions, innovators, and unsung heroes that never made it into the mainstream narrative.
This book isn’t just smart—it’s vital. It exposes how American history has been weaponized to erase, belittle, and gaslight the Black experience. But rather than offer a dry corrective, Harriot arms the reader with humor, cultural knowledge, and just the right amount of righteous anger.
Who Should Read This?
Honestly? Everyone. But especially:
- Black readers who need their history told our way
- Teachers ready to disrupt the “Columbus discovered America” lie
- Young adults looking for an empowering counter-narrative
- Allies who claim to want to “do the work”
- Anyone tired of being spoon-fed powdered sugar versions of truth
Whether you’re deep in the social justice trenches or just starting to question the sanitized stories you learned in school, Black AF History delivers a powerful education—and does it without ever being boring.
Final Verdict:
5/5 Stars. This is not just a book; it’s a cultural reset.
Michael Harriot doesn’t ask permission to center Black people in America’s story. He simply does it. With swagger. With scholarship. And with a clarity that makes you wonder how we ever accepted less. If you’re Black AF, curious AF, or just tired AF of revisionist history, grab this book. Your bookshelf—and your brain—will thank you.
