Posted on Sep 15, 2023
From Christopher Columbus to Ferguson, Michael Harriot delivers history that is ‘Black AF’
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“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” It's a familiar story: An explorer landing in what is now the Bahamas, finding the "New World" and setting the stage for revolution, democracy and the world we live in today.
But that is just one way to tell the story of America. Author Michael Harriot has a different story.
“We usually learn history, especially American history, through a white perspective,” said Harriot, author of the forthcoming book “Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America.” Harriot will be discussing the book at an event on Sept. 22 at the Schlafly Public Library
Harriot noted that the “myths” of American history often serve to downplay — or erase — the impact of slavery and racism. “This book turns that on its side, and it talks about history through the perspective of Black people in America,” he said, and later explained that he approached the project under the premise “that there is no objective history.”
“I want it to talk to Black people in the way that we talk to each other; the way that we understand each other, and the way that we experience community. … I wanted it to be relatable.”
Harriot also discussed his experience reporting on the Ferguson protests in 2014 and returning to St. Louis in 2017 to cover protests once again.
But that is just one way to tell the story of America. Author Michael Harriot has a different story.
“We usually learn history, especially American history, through a white perspective,” said Harriot, author of the forthcoming book “Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America.” Harriot will be discussing the book at an event on Sept. 22 at the Schlafly Public Library
Harriot noted that the “myths” of American history often serve to downplay — or erase — the impact of slavery and racism. “This book turns that on its side, and it talks about history through the perspective of Black people in America,” he said, and later explained that he approached the project under the premise “that there is no objective history.”
“I want it to talk to Black people in the way that we talk to each other; the way that we understand each other, and the way that we experience community. … I wanted it to be relatable.”
Harriot also discussed his experience reporting on the Ferguson protests in 2014 and returning to St. Louis in 2017 to cover protests once again.
From Christopher Columbus to Ferguson, Michael Harriot delivers history that is ‘Black AF’
Posted from stlpr.org
St. Louis
American History
Black History
Reading
Slavery
Posted 8 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“I am thinking about how Ferguson exposed the two Americas — and not just the killing,” he noted, “because we reduced it to the killing of Michael Brown. But what we eventually learned … was that the systemic issues that created the atmosphere that led to the killing of Michael Brown, the police state that these communities live in, the way that they were basically impoverished by the system that they fund funded. … And I think that is important to know that these random incidents aren't just random incidents, they are created through systemic issues that we also have to fix. Because it's not just a single racist police officer. It is the systems that enable these activities to continue to exist.”...
..."“I am thinking about how Ferguson exposed the two Americas — and not just the killing,” he noted, “because we reduced it to the killing of Michael Brown. But what we eventually learned … was that the systemic issues that created the atmosphere that led to the killing of Michael Brown, the police state that these communities live in, the way that they were basically impoverished by the system that they fund funded. … And I think that is important to know that these random incidents aren't just random incidents, they are created through systemic issues that we also have to fix. Because it's not just a single racist police officer. It is the systems that enable these activities to continue to exist.”...
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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