A Word: Wrong from the Beginning

Slate Books

Slate Podcasts

Arts

3.8 • 546 Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2023

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The teaching of Black history has been under increasing political attack in recent years. But the version of African American history taught –even to Black people– has always been incomplete. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by columnist Michael Harriot to discuss his new book, Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America. They discuss the inspiration for the book, the most persistent myths of race and racism, and fighting the backlash against Black history. Guest: Michael Harriot, author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a Word, a podcast from Slate.
0:04.3	I'm your host, Jason Johnson.
0:05.8	Many Republican politicians have made attacks on Black history a part of their platform,
0:11.0	trying to erase key perspectives and events from the nation's classrooms and libraries.
0:16.3	The writer Michael Harriet is fighting back.
0:18.9	This is the thing I believe.
0:20.3	It's not Black history they're whitewashing.
0:22.3	It's white history.
0:23.4	They don't care about us knowing what black people achieved.
0:26.6	They care about us knowing what we had to struggle against.
0:31.2	Black AF history, the unwhitewashed story of America.
0:34.9	Coming up on a word with me, Jason Johnson. Stay with us.
0:44.2	Welcome to a Word, a podcast about race and politics and everything else. I'm your host, Jason Johnson.
0:49.7	It took generations for America to begin teaching facts about black history. Now, several political leaders have made it their mission to reverse that hard-won progress.
0:59.5	They're removing books about civil rights and lessons about slavery from schools,
1:02.7	even from schools that primarily serve children of color.
1:06.7	Even before these attacks, most Americans, even black Americans, had limited exposure to
1:12.1	black history.
1:12.8	The backgrounds of the people enslaved on this continent were simplified.
1:16.3	The violence of that institution was softened.
1:19.2	And the achievements of black people throughout this country's history were ignored.
1:23.5	But one of the people fighting for a true retelling of black history is Michael Harriet.
	...

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