In the era of “The 1619 Project” and of right-wing attacks on what is characterized as critical race theory, African American history poses different challenges and questions than did a study of British folkways. Yet Fischer has titled his book “African Founders,” a term that resonates within our national history and mythology with its implications of defining and enduring influence. He argues that in struggling for their own freedom, Black people expanded and transformed America’s understanding of what freedom meant. How do we explain why the United States has incarcerated the highest percentage of its population of any country in the world, with Black men imprisoned at more than five times the rate of white men? As he acknowledges, good history does indeed require us to go beyond both celebration and condemnation.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 31, 2022 10:53 UTC