Michael Harriot in conversation with Tiffany Cross - Black AF History
Tuesday, Sep 26, 2023 7:00 PM
Location:
Auburn Avenue Research Library
101 Auburn Avenue NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
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.
A Cappella Books and the Auburn Avenue Research Library and Museum welcome the author for a discussion of his new book, "Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America." Harriot will appear in conversation with Tiffany Cross, former host of MSNBC’s "The Cross Connection," and author of "Say It Louder: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy."
This event is free and open to the public. Copies of "Black AF History" will be available for purchase at the venue. The author will sign after the program.
About the Book
America's backstory is a whitewashed mythology implanted in our collective memory. It is the story of the pilgrims on the Mayflower building a new nation. It is George Washington's cherry tree and Abraham Lincoln's log cabin. It is the fantastic tale of slaves that spontaneously teleported themselves here with nothing but strong backs and negro spirituals. It is a sugarcoated legend based on an almost true story.
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 could even be said that the devaluation and erasure of the Black experience is as American as apple pie.
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. Not this one. This history is Black AF.
About the Author
Michael Harriot is a columnist at theGrio.com, where he covers the intersection of race, politics, and culture. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC, BET, and on his mother's refrigerator.
He is a political commentator on MSNBC and CNN and has been honored by the National Association of Black Journalists for commentary, digital commentary, and TV news writing. His college course "Race: An Economic Construct" was adapted by university economics departments across the country as a model for teaching the combination of history, economics, politics, and class structures.
You can visit Michael at: https://www.michaelharriot.com/
About the Conversation Partner
Tiffany Cross is the former host of MSNBC’s "The Cross Connection." She is the author of "Say It Louder: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy," and most recently served as a Resident Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics (Spring 2020).
Her broad experience across media, politics and policy includes more than two decades of navigating newsrooms and campaigns while engaging different constituencies on the ground. She previously served as the DC Bureau Chief of BET News and the Liaison to the Obama Administration for BET Networks where she covered Capitol Hill, produced political specials, and oversaw the daily operations of the news department. Tiffany also transitioned from the control room to the green room when she co-founded The Beat DC, a national platform intersecting politics, policy, business, media, and people of color.
