The Humanity Archive: Recovering the Soul of Black History from a Whitewashed American Myth

Perfect for fans of the book HOW THE WORD IS PASSED by Clint Smith and the podcast REVISIONIST HISTORY by Malcolm Gladwell. From chapter 1: "Denialism pollutes history, minimalizes acts of inhumanity, and stalls acts of reconciliation. Denialism weaves itself into US history censoring the voices of the enslaved." I am blown away. This book was magnificent! THE HUMANITY ARCHIVE explores different facets of Black history in order to better educate people about the ways in which the entire world has felt the impact of Black history. I was impressed with Fowler's ability to interweave storytelling with sharing historical facts. This book was so good and so in-depth that I actually ran out of annotation tabs while reading it and had to go buy more! Even though the book appears to be dense, Fowler structured his book in a way that makes it very easy to read. There are 4 parts to the book, which are split into smaller chapters, and then split into even smaller chunks within the chapters. This made it very easy to find stopping points when needed and helped drive the flow of ideas throughout the book as well. Part 1 is called "Buried Truth" and it delves into how history has been warped over time, specifically Black history, and talks a lot about the American education system. Part 2 is called "Foundational Presence" and dives deeper into the African diaspora in a wide-sweeping account of Black history all over the world. Part 3, "Anti-Black American History," is the biggest chunk of this book and, admittedly, the most difficult to stomach. It focuses on the traumatic experiences forced on Black people like the evils of chattel slavery, the Civil War, and the Jim Crow era. Part 4 is called "Let's Speak of Possibilities" and it explores the idea of where to go from here and uplifts the multitude of Black Americans who changed the landscape for this country, even if they didn't receive the proper recognition for it. I also decided to check out the audiobook once it was available on Audible and I also really enjoyed revisiting different sections to hear Fowler read the stories from his perspective. I highly recommend giving it a listen if that is your preferred medium. (Note: At the time of this post, chapter 12 is missing from the audiobook.) Thank you to Jermaine Fowler and Row House Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I pre-ordered this book 6 months ago and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival. I read about 20 pages in and immediately purchased a second copy to gift to a relative. This book will remain in our home library for a lifetime.

This book is a necessary read if we are to create a different future for humanity! Our history is happening now and this book does an phenomenal job of connecting the dots between our past, present & future. It's an incredible blend of storytelling, critical thinking & philosophy that reads so smooth. Jermaine makes going back to look at our history approachable & entertaining, even when parts of it are uncomfortable to be with. Jermaine is an incredible guide through the tangles of our past, bringing forth unsung heroes and their stories to the light.

I cannot praise this book and Mr. Fowler’s beautiful writing enough. After only a few pages, I realized I’d never read anything quite like it. The author seamlessly weaves scarcely known facts about Black individuals and their societal contributions, personal narratives, and how each particular topic has shaped the U.S. as we know it. Mr. Fowler’s writing is incredibly thoughtful as he lays out the enumerable yet whitewashed/erased contributions of Black individuals throughout the fraught history of this country. Most importantly, this book is for everyone! No one with an American public school education learned the stories and histories found in this book. Frankly, it should be required reading in schools. I plan on having my children read it, as Black history, is American history.