Michael Harriot: Exploring Black History From a Black Perspective
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, and BET. 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 learn more about Michael by visiting: https://www.michaelharriot.com/ and by following him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this post, Michael discusses how his one-book proposal turned into a two-book deal, what surprised him the most in the writing process of his history book, and more.
Michael Harriot (Photo credit: Fatima Michon)
Name: Michael Harriot
Literary agent: Tanya McKinnon
Book title: Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release date: September 19, 2023
Genre/category: Nonfiction/History
Elevator pitch for the book: 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.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I often write Twitter threads on Black history. In 2019, I submitted a book proposal for a project entitled: Wypipology: Toward a more Critical Race Theory. In meeting with publishers, every imprint asked if I had something planned for a history book.
The one-book proposal became a two-book deal. But when I began the process of writing Wypipology, we decided to change the order because, at the time, no one had really heard of this arcane concept called “Critical Race Theory.”
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I began writing the book in 2020 and finished in late 2022. I decided to consult with historian and author Blair Kelley, who took the initial idea and expanded it into a curriculum of ideas, stories, and eras that should be covered in the book.
One of the major elements that changed was the idea of tying the book to personal stories of my family and centering the history on the story of Black South Carolinians.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
My original publishing deal was with HMH, who I selected after the proposal went to auction because editor Kate Napolitano immediately saw my vision for the book. The other contender was Dey Street, because I was a fan of their design elements.
Halfway through the writing of the manuscript, Kate left HMH for HarperCollins, which devastated me. A few months later, Harper Collins purchased HMH and Kate and I reunited to finish the project. Once the manuscript was done, Kate left HarperCollins, but I got to work with the design team at Dey Street.
This was my first time going dealing with a major publisher, so the entire process was a learning experience. Every writer goes through three different editors, right?
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Perhaps the biggest surprise during the writing process was how much of Black history has been lost, erased, or intentionally destroyed.
I wanted to present this history through the lens of how Black people viewed America at the time of each specific era. To do that, I relied heavily on the Black newspapers, educators, and historians. There is a recurring sentence that I often encountered, especially in regards to the Black press:
“Burned by a white mob… No copies survived.”
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
There are many books that present the story of Black history through the eyes of Black people. There are thousands that filter the story of America through the lens of whiteness. Black AF History uses the experiences of Black people in America to tell the story of American history from a Black perspective.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Writing is not a talent or a gift. It is a skill that can be learned, strengthened, and expanded by studying, refining, and practicing the craft.