Nonfiction

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019

  • Downloads：3303
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-01-23 18:16:17
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Ibram X. Kendi
  • ISBN：1529114675
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

A chorus of extraordinary voices comes together to tell one of history’s great epics: the 400-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present - edited by Ibram X。 Kendi， author of How to Be an Antiracist， and Keisha N。 Blain， author of Set the World on Fire。

The story begins in 1619 - a year before the Mayflower - when the White Lion disgorges "some 20-and-odd Negroes" onto the shores of Virginia， inaugurating the African presence in what would become the United States。 It takes us to the present， when African Americans， descendants of those on the White Lion and 1，000 other routes to this country， continue a journey defined by inhuman oppression， visionary struggles， stunning achievements， and millions of ordinary lives passing through extraordinary history。

Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume "community" history of African Americans。 The editors， Ibram X。 Kendi and Keisha N。 Blain， have assembled 90 brilliant writers， each of whom takes on a five-year period of that 400-year span。 The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays， short stories， personal vignettes， and fiery polemics。 They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places， laws， and objects。 While themes of resistance and struggle， of hope and reinvention， course through the book， this collection of diverse pieces from 90 different minds， reflecting 90 different perspectives， fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith - instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness。

This is a history that illuminates our past and gives us new ways of thinking about our future， written by the most vital and essential voices of our present。

Download

Reviews

Don ，

As the title suggests， a community history of the African American experience in America， beginning with the first Africans who arrived in Virginia aboard the White Lion in 1619。 The history is presented in a fascinating fashion - chronologically， in five year segments （meaning there are 80 chapters）， with each segment written by a different individual。 It makes for a unique way of telling history， and hits home the point that how the story of history is told， and by whom it is told， does make a As the title suggests， a community history of the African American experience in America， beginning with the first Africans who arrived in Virginia aboard the White Lion in 1619。 The history is presented in a fascinating fashion - chronologically， in five year segments （meaning there are 80 chapters）， with each segment written by a different individual。 It makes for a unique way of telling history， and hits home the point that how the story of history is told， and by whom it is told， does make a difference in how that history is understood and how it can be learned from。The one disadvantage I found， as compared to some other histories， is that the book tended to lack a cohesiveness or flow。 At times it was more like reading a bunch of individual short essays on African American history than one cohesive history book。 That said， I imagine there is a lesson to be drawn from that fact as well。Ultimately， I am glad this is a book that I own， and the way that it is broken down makes is an easy resource book - to pull whenever reading about a particular time period， to get a glimpse of a history and a perspective that is all too often left out of other books。 Probably a 3 star reading experience based on the Goodreads model， but bumped it up because of the value of having the book for a resource for my future history reading。 。。。more

Hanna Hagström ，

Merkittävä kirja， joskin minulle hyvin hidaslukuinen。 Luin tämän， koska en tunne aihetta kuin pintapuolisesti， ja kuitenkin kirjan aiheet ovat merkittävä osa Amerikan historiaa。 Itselleni ehkä kirjasta jäi päällimmäiseksi se， että muutos lähtee siitä， että joku yksilö uskaltaa olla ensimmäinen。 Ja kuinka yksilöistä voi tulla symboleita， ja symboleista katoaa inhimilliset piirteet。 Monessa kohtaa kirjaa en voinut välttyä ajattelemasta miten rohkeita ja jopa pelottomia osa henkilöistä tuntui oleva Merkittävä kirja， joskin minulle hyvin hidaslukuinen。 Luin tämän， koska en tunne aihetta kuin pintapuolisesti， ja kuitenkin kirjan aiheet ovat merkittävä osa Amerikan historiaa。 Itselleni ehkä kirjasta jäi päällimmäiseksi se， että muutos lähtee siitä， että joku yksilö uskaltaa olla ensimmäinen。 Ja kuinka yksilöistä voi tulla symboleita， ja symboleista katoaa inhimilliset piirteet。 Monessa kohtaa kirjaa en voinut välttyä ajattelemasta miten rohkeita ja jopa pelottomia osa henkilöistä tuntui olevan。Miten sattumanvaraista on， että tietyt historialliset tapahtumat ovat tapahtuneet。 Ja miten yksittäiset tapahtumat/valinnat/teot muodostavat rakenteita ja normeja ajansaatossa。 。。。more

Claire ，

Huge amount of history in one book， appreciated the mix between poetry， family anecdotes， historical recreations etc。 Would recommend reading one five year period a day to really focus in rather than reading like a traditional book。

Nikki Penda ，

A MUST read！！！ Best comprehensive African American history book ever！

Jan Sandro ，

This book took me several weeks to get through because if I read more than a few essays at a time my brain became overloaded。 The poetry was a stand-out and there are a number of essays that would be great to use in a classroom。

Sophie's Books ，

I'm not sure why I took so long to read this fantastic book。 This novel isn't just a collection of lesser-known historical events about African Americans; it's a compilation of truth that confronts both misleading and inaccurate accounts about African American History。 The writing is concise and straightforward。 This book is a must-read！ I'm not sure why I took so long to read this fantastic book。 This novel isn't just a collection of lesser-known historical events about African Americans; it's a compilation of truth that confronts both misleading and inaccurate accounts about African American History。 The writing is concise and straightforward。 This book is a must-read！ 。。。more

Chris Peck ，

An extraordinary collection of 80 essays and poems of 400 years since 1619， the ominous date of the first enslaved Africans landing on Turtle Island （USA）。 Each essay covers 5 years， which provides a wide variety of events and show an interconnected and layered history of systemic and institutional racism and the forces of Black joy， resistance， and liberation。

Katherine ，

I enjoyed this book。 It required a lot of processing and introspection on my part as I progressed through this anthology of amazing writing。 Each piece has a different voice yet they all harmonize。 Ibram X。 Kendi and Keisha N。 Blain did an amazing job of editing this collection。 They allowed each individual to shine while keeping the theme progressing down its narrative。 This book will remain on my bookshelf to be referenced and reread often。

Lamia Lilly ，

It was heavy with information our school system failed to teach us。 I love African American history and this book gave me all the information I never knew I needed。 Loved it。

Jackie Whitus ，

After 2 weeks of listening I finally finished。 This was a really good one to listen to with some interesting new （to me） stories in black history。

Laura Bernheim ，

This should be a must read for everyone。 The essays/different voices paint a detailed picture of the history of Black America。

Micebyliz ，

i thought this book was outstanding。

Emily ，

I have been holding onto this book since I received it on launch day。 I knew that I needed to be in the right frame of mind with an openness to learn。 This was an ambitious project and took time to truly absorb the contents。 Ninety authors covering five years of history each from 1619-2019 is a lot of content。 Each voice was different - some with a scholarly approach， some with a storyteller vibe， and others more memoir - which made it difficult to absorb the information at times。 That lack of c I have been holding onto this book since I received it on launch day。 I knew that I needed to be in the right frame of mind with an openness to learn。 This was an ambitious project and took time to truly absorb the contents。 Ninety authors covering five years of history each from 1619-2019 is a lot of content。 Each voice was different - some with a scholarly approach， some with a storyteller vibe， and others more memoir - which made it difficult to absorb the information at times。 That lack of consistency prevented me from flying through the book as I have done with others。 I had to slow down and shift my brain at each new chapter/voice。 Overall， I enjoyed the book and learned quite a bit。 It was well-organized and edited。 I applaud the team that was able to get 400 years of history down onto 400ish pages。 This would be a good starting point for anyone wanting to begin their education and understanding of Black America。 Use the chapters that make you go “huh， I didn’t know that” to further your research and continue your learning。 。。。more

Rosemary Dolata ，

“Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America， 1619-2019” is a rich patchwork of 80 five-year quilt square essays stitched together with ten 40-year embroidered poems。 90 writers。 Two editors。 Four centuries。 So much learning gifted through storytelling。

Emily ，

This book covers so much history， but the short essay format makes it fly by。 Accessible to high school students - I've used excerpts from this book in several of my classes。 This book covers so much history， but the short essay format makes it fly by。 Accessible to high school students - I've used excerpts from this book in several of my classes。 。。。more

Robyn ，

Notable Books #118

Katrina Thaxton ，

A powerful book。 I feel everyone should read this book。

Josh Joyner ，

Listened to AudiobookGreat used of structure。 Overwhelming content

Caleb Lagerwey ，

I read this on the heels of 1619， and they're great companion pieces。 FHS is all short pieces so it's really easy to pick up and read a chapter or two （or to assign a chapter or two if you're a teacher）。 The chapters are an enjoyable mixture of different genres: most are straight non-fiction histories， but some have autobiographical parts， some are historical fiction， etc。 This book would make a really great companion in an African American history course as it lays out a fairly comprehensive hi I read this on the heels of 1619， and they're great companion pieces。 FHS is all short pieces so it's really easy to pick up and read a chapter or two （or to assign a chapter or two if you're a teacher）。 The chapters are an enjoyable mixture of different genres: most are straight non-fiction histories， but some have autobiographical parts， some are historical fiction， etc。 This book would make a really great companion in an African American history course as it lays out a fairly comprehensive history。 It's not all-encompassing， but the diversity and depth in the early years are especially needed （i。e。， there are lots of books that detail African American history in the 20th century--I've read many of them--but not as many on the 17th and 18th centuries）。 Standout essays included one on the Stono Rebellion， the Middle Passage， Maroons， the American Revolution， the Louisiana Slave Revolt （by Clint Smith， author of How the Word is Passed）， Denmark Vesey， the Great Migration， the Civil Rights Movement， the War on Drugs， and #BLM。 。。。more

Colleen ，

"In August 1619， when the twenty “Negroes” stepped off the ship White Lion and saw the British faces， they didn’t know。"What an incredible collection of essays。 Read this。 "In August 1619， when the twenty “Negroes” stepped off the ship White Lion and saw the British faces， they didn’t know。"What an incredible collection of essays。 Read this。 。。。more

Erin ，

What an astonishing book。 And the concept of having different authors every five years to pull together a collective history is fabulous。 And not surprisingly some essays drew me in more than others。 But the book itself is pretty darned amazing。

Kaylyn ，

Love the format - breaking down 400 years into distinct segments of time and then incorporating the arts of language， poetry， literature into history。 Black History Month approaches and this would be a very fine introduction for those of us that are curiously learning a more complete history of this nation。

Slagle Rock ，

This is a solid read that served as a useful primer/refresher on African American history for me。 Taken in chronological order and in small bites （each story examined a 5 year period and was about the length of a newspaper article）， it reset for me the context in which events， characters and cultural events unfolded。 I read it all in a clip because I had a library copy but this would make a great reference book to have around for occasional reading too。

Victoria Peters ，

Informative， thought provoking essays。

Dr。 Been ，

Well composed history of Africans and then African Americans。 The book is actually essays on timeline divided in chunks， written by numerous authors。 This made things repetitive。 I felt like reading the same thing over and over in different words。 Overall a good book if you like heavy legislation talk。 Honestly， I had to skim through the second half of the book。

Chrissy ，

This should be required reading。

Luther Cobbey ，

This is an excellent collection of essays and poems that helps us reflect on the story of "Black America" since its symbolic inception in 1619。 And because the stories of Black Americans cannot be extricated from the story of all citizens of the United States of America， this is a story for all of them， as well as anyone who wants to know how then affected and continues to affect now。 If I could， I would make it required reading。 。 。 or listening if you have the option to hear the authors and po This is an excellent collection of essays and poems that helps us reflect on the story of "Black America" since its symbolic inception in 1619。 And because the stories of Black Americans cannot be extricated from the story of all citizens of the United States of America， this is a story for all of them， as well as anyone who wants to know how then affected and continues to affect now。 If I could， I would make it required reading。 。 。 or listening if you have the option to hear the authors and poets read their own works in the audio version， for every US citizen， especially those who continue to deny its relevance and truth （thereby ensuring a sequel）。 。。。more

William Haverinen ，

The book traces 400 years of black history and racism， with 5 year segments written by various black authors and poets。 Some of the authors were familiar， but most were not。 I had never read poetry from Patricia Smith and found her work as powerful as anything in the book。I rate the book 4 on the scale of 5， although I was not as captured by it as I expected to be。 But the importance and timeliness （democracy and voting under attack） of the message make this a book worth reading。The daily A Hist The book traces 400 years of black history and racism， with 5 year segments written by various black authors and poets。 Some of the authors were familiar， but most were not。 I had never read poetry from Patricia Smith and found her work as powerful as anything in the book。I rate the book 4 on the scale of 5， although I was not as captured by it as I expected to be。 But the importance and timeliness （democracy and voting under attack） of the message make this a book worth reading。The daily A History of Racial Justice email from Equal Justice Institute makes good companion reading for Four Hundred Souls。 。。。more

Dipika ，

Four Hundred Souls could be the model for curriculum on American History， period。 Even when not written in first person narrative directly each story captures personal experiences exceptionally well。 Super vivid descriptions transport you not only into each snapshot of history provided， but into the broader history of Black America。 The list of bits of critical history I had no idea about until reading this book feels both astonishing and unbelievable， and frankly is reflective of one of the poi Four Hundred Souls could be the model for curriculum on American History， period。 Even when not written in first person narrative directly each story captures personal experiences exceptionally well。 Super vivid descriptions transport you not only into each snapshot of history provided， but into the broader history of Black America。 The list of bits of critical history I had no idea about until reading this book feels both astonishing and unbelievable， and frankly is reflective of one of the points of this book which that history is written by the winners with no regard for the individual and communal experiences of everyone else。 The book starts with the premise and challenge to the notion that "history is lies agreed upon"， but is beautifully bookended with the critical and uplifting notion that Black America's present stories deserve to be reflected， heard， and reacted to as well。 。。。more

Erika Anderson ，

This book has one chapter for every 5 years of African American history， which gives a sweeping view and highlights how very long slavery lasted。 I also liked how many of the chapters introduced me to lesser-known historical figures。I'm used to thinking about the ways people resisted and fought to end chattel slavery， but this book taught me a lot about how the system started。 It wasn't inevitable or immediate， but constructed over time through a series of deliberate choices。 An early chapter ci This book has one chapter for every 5 years of African American history， which gives a sweeping view and highlights how very long slavery lasted。 I also liked how many of the chapters introduced me to lesser-known historical figures。I'm used to thinking about the ways people resisted and fought to end chattel slavery， but this book taught me a lot about how the system started。 It wasn't inevitable or immediate， but constructed over time through a series of deliberate choices。 An early chapter cited a James Baldwin quote that sums up my takeaway from the book， "We made the world we are living in and we have to make it over again。" 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0