education

#TheVeryBlackSyllabus: 7 Books That Will Revolutionize Your Understanding of African-American History

Photo Credit: Tamarcus Brown

After observing a gap in content regarding Black history across his social media timeline, Sharreiff R. De’Johnette, an EdD. candidate at Northcentral University and an alumnus of Virginia State University, constructed a syllabus of content addressing practical ways that ordinary people can read and expand their understanding of Black history from home at their own pace.

De’Johnette is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education with a focus on E-learning and his list of books is perfect for people who are interested in furthering their knowledge and exploring their histories.

According to De’Johnette:

This syllabus is designed to provide a foundational understanding regarding the history and contributions of Africans and African Americans to world history and the United States and then to understand how to use the information to build the Black self-concept, which is about the liberation of the self and the race and to transform American institutions and organizations that will allow the reader navigate the American political and social landscape in individual and collective ways for the socio-political improvement of descendants of slaves in the United States.

#TheVeryBlackSyllabus covers the seven different themes of history, politics, finance, spirituality, Black contributions in antiquity, American history, and organizing.

Check out the list of books below:

1. Black History: African-American Odyssey, The, Combined Volume (6th Edition)

2. Politics: The Logic of American Politics, 5th Edition

3. Financial History: Black Labor, White Wealth : The Search for Power and Economic Justice

4. Spirituality: Stolen Legacy: The Egyptian Origins of Western Philosophy

5. Black Contributions in Antiquity: Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization (Exploding the Myths)

6. American History: The Story of American Freedom (Norton Paperback)

7. Organizing: Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow: an organizing guide

If you want to reach out to De’Johnette about his #TheVeryBlackSyllabus reach out to him on Twitter @sharrieff__ and let him know your thoughts.