In this week’s interview, commentator Michael Harriot delivers a reframing of U.S. history centered around the Black experience. The title of his forthcoming book, Black AF History, The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, gives you a sense of his approach to investigating the past.
Michael is a columnist at theGrio.com where he covers the intersection of race, politics, and culture. Michael’s work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC, and BET. Michael is a political commentator on MSNBC and CNN and has been honored by the National Association of Black Journalists. He’s also the host of Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History, a collaboration between Sony Music and OTHERTone, with Pharrell Williams serving as executive producer.
In conversation, Mike resurrected the stories of many forgotten figures and pushed back on oversimplified narratives surrounding Black resistance. For more from Mike, check out his podcast episodes on Forest Joe and Charley Case:
Recentering American History with Michael Harriot