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

by Jermaine Fowler

New York Times Bestseller

This sweeping survey of Black history shows how Black humanity has been erased and how its recovery can save the humanity of us all.

"An innovative reading of Black history, gracefully joining it to the larger history of all humankind." — Kirkus Starred Review

Using history as a foundation, The Humanity Archive uses storytelling techniques to make history come alive and uncover the truth behind America's whitewashed history.

The Humanity Archive focuses on the overlooked narratives in the pages of the past.

Challenging dominant perspectives, author Jermaine Fowler goes outside the textbooks to find recognizably human stories. Connecting current issues with the heroic struggles of those who have come before us, Fowler brings hidden history to light.

Praise for The Humanity

From the African Slave Trade to Seneca Village to Biddy Mason and more, The Humanity Archive is a very enriching read on the history of Blackness around the world. I was hooked by Fowler's storytelling and would recommend others who want to pore over a book that outlines critical moments in history—without putting you to sleep. — Philip Lewis, Senior Editor, HuffPost

Fowler sees historical storytelling and the sharing of knowledge as a vocation and a means of fostering empathy and understanding between cultures. A deft storyteller with a sonorous voice, Fowler's passion for his material is palpable as he unfurls the hidden histories. — Vanity Fair

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Race, Politics, Social Justice, Historical, American History

Audible Audio

First published February 28, 2023

About the author

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Jermaine
Fowler is a storyteller and self-proclaimed
intellectual adventurer who spent his
youth seeking knowledge on the endless
shelves of the free public library. Between
his research and lecturing he is host of the
top-rated history podcast The Humanity
Archive, praised as a must-listen in Vanity
Fair. Challenging dominant perspectives,
Fowler goes outside the textbooks to find
stories that are recognizably human. He
connects current issues with the heroic
struggles of those who’ve come before us,
brings hidden history to light, and makes it
powerfully relevant.

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fowler did a phenomenal job of both revealing aspects of history that are often ignored or obscured but also of making it eminently readable and engaging. Neither date heavy nor burdened by academic jargon it seems everything about this book was fine tuned to be accessible to any reader.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't ignore me screaming from the rooftops to READ THIS BOOK.

Seriously. Read it.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of Black history that is packed with information and ideas. This is ambitious in scope and Fowler covers a lot of territory. Because it’s jam packed, the content doesn’t get much of a chance to breathe, resulting in this being on the dryer side. He highlights tons of Black people I hadn’t heard of before so it was worth reading for that alone. The familiar names are there as well but the focus is on the erasure of Black history and those who have been overlooked, making this a good accompaniment to books like The Warmth of Other Suns.

Where the book really shone for me was the way Fowler weaved in a global perspective and anchored it with African and pan-African history. This was such an important and fascinating component. It reminded me of how little I was taught on that front, a massive oversight. I definitely plan on rectifying that knowledge gap. I'm so glad I read this.


Content notes: rape, forced breeding, racism, racial violence, hate crimes, racial slurs, enslavement, Native American genocide, Japanese internment camps, Holocaust, infanticide, mass execution, murder, torture, mutilation, gun violence, police brutality, war, colorism, sexism, colonialism, abduction, forced family separation, pandemics, drug epidemic, sex work shaming, ableist language


Disclosure: I received a free advanced copy from Row House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well researched and documented history of humanity, focusing on racial injustices and setting the record straight. Fowler has a powerful voice which he uses to teach in a constructive way with hopes for healing and education. He is a talented writer, educator, and social media presenter.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Jermaine Fowler’s The Humanity Archive: Recovering the Soul
of Black History from a Whitewashed American Myth (Row House, 2023) to be an accessible, well written, and valuable work of history and culture. This will make an excellent reference book on your shelf, a wonderful gift for a history/cultural studies lover, and also a good book to share and discuss so you get your money’s worth and have fun at book club. My kids will be reading this for homeschool work too:)

I have enjoyed listening to The Humanity Archive Podcast (especially the episodes on Socrates and Pocahontas) and found reading Jermaine Fowler’s book an insightful extension of his podcast episodes, where you have a very smart friend sharing really cool historic insights in an accessible and thoughtful way that makes you actually enjoy learning (often difficult) historic lessons (and helping undue a bunch of the propaganda that you were taught as a child). I find Fowler’s teaching style to be solid, kind, and approachable, with excellent research and insights- it is exciting to learn from him and I am grateful that he keeps sharing the podcast episodes (and hopefully another book) soon. This is one of my favorite paragraphs of many, when he discussed folks enduring the times of the US slave society:

“But it is important to remember that during this time people still
clung to life: They still built communities and fell in love. They formed
networks. They got married. They laughed. They joked. They played games.
They hoped and dreamed. They raised children. They showed inexhaustible
human fortitude and resiliency, a resiliency that is still part of Black culture.” (found on page 182).

-Sarah B. (MA trained Historian, homeschool mom, and student of humanity)
(received an Advanced Copy before my hardback copy I bought mailed and will be buying more books as gifts- Hello History Holidays 2023: )

[Tino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good general history book. I liked that it didn’t only focus on the issues in America but also worldwide. 4 stars.

[Beth Mowbray]

”Hoaxed into believing that history’s sole objective is to foster nationalism or pride, we end up engaging history only as a balm for our fragile feelings or as evidence of our greatness. To the contrary, the real purpose of history should be to find the truth. History should tell us something about the human condition, those things that transcend time and space to help us understand who we are.”

THE HUMANITY ARCHIVE does just this. Jermaine Fowler is not a historian, formally speaking, but he has spent his life passionately digging through books, learning more about the truth of our country’s history. He shares this knowledge with others via his podcast and now this book of the same name. Fowler moves past the most commonly told tales of Black American history to reveal what he calls “stories of the historically unheard.”

The book is divided into 4 parts which are expansive but I’ve done my best to summarize as follows: 1) Uncovering how history has been whitewashed, (2) Black history across the globe, 3) “Anti-Black history” covering slavery and discrimination, and (4) Progress and the intersection of history with the present.

There is SO much ground covered in this book, it is impossible to provide a succinct summary, so you really need to read this one for yourself. I really like how Fowler focuses on pulling the humanity from history, calling out what we can and must learn from it, and how we must apply what we learn going forward. The text is super engaging, but dense with facts. I love the stories shared of specific individuals throughout history, many of which I’ve never heard. I learned so much by reading this book and was reminded how much more there is to learn. Always!

Many thanks to the author for gifting me an advance copy of this excellent work. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[David Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A critically important book for all readers. Fowler delves into the history of the United States to show how the history of the United States has been whitewashed of its African American contributions. The book is a wake-up call for all Americans, white and non-white, native born or naturalized, young and old. The book has imperfections - factual errors and uneven editing - but it is a must read.

David J. Kent
Author, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius
President, Lincoln Group of DC

[Sara Pezzoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a white person who was not adequately taught Black history in school (and had only learned about the existence of Juneteenth a few years ago at age 28!), this book is quite literally life changing. Thank you, Jermaine.

[Alicia Rusthoven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special to have been reading this when I took the undoing racism/community organizing workshop from the peoples institute. Ringing in my ears is no story is uncomplicated

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overwhelming amount of information about black thought, culture and history it is expansive. This book seems written for black history classes. There is a study guide so that is telling. He begins with religion and history in ancient Egypt and moves through to the current day with mentions of black political leaders. This book contain sections on slavery and Jim Crow. I recommend the book for classes and students wanting a large overview of where black Americans came from and where they have been. In the final chapter he mentions the Reagan administration and during the last year of that administration the black poverty rate was 30% three times that of white Americans. The reason was the black populations propensity for black violence and drug use-according to white American beliefs. He comments that moments of tragedy have brought Americans together like 9/11. He ends with a brief discussion of Barack obama’s administration which he credits Shirley Chisholm for laying the groundwork for that coalition. The Trump administration in its first term was anti-black and anti-people of color in general.

[Kaytee Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read along (mostly) with Katie and Candice. This was good, but had issues with the audio (contacted Hoopla about it). It also didn't break a lot of ground for me because I've read a bunch of this already.

[Miranda Esser]

“The principle of humanity is our best chance of winning. If the goal is democracy, to be ourselves together, we need to connect not around identity, which in the end is too fickle, but our underlying values and shared interests.”

[Katie ratherbereadinggg]

3.5 stars rtc

[Sophie Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very broad history that has inspired me to set off and learn more!!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely need to buy a physical copy to study and mark up.

[Julie Rylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The work behind all the research to write this book is beyond impressive. It is also refreshing to hear history spoken through the lense of the oppressed. Very relevant read. Totally recommend

[Rachelle]

I'm going to call The Humanity Archive an aspirational book. Do I wish I was the type of person who read nonfiction books that informed me about the world, racial injustice, and changed my point of view on how history is taught? Yes. But sadly, I could not get into this one.

I can tell Fowler did an incredible amount of research and has laid out his arguments on how Black stories have been oppressed, sanitized, and relegated to a few weeks a year. And I love how his last chapters talk about possibilities for the future, and ways that change has happened. I gave it 50 pages, and it's just not the right fit for me.

Thank you Row House for my copy!

[James C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm amazed at the stories that never made it into my American history books ... but should have.

I had always imagined slavery as being a Southern institution. It was surprising to learn that it was a colonial institution.

I was surprised to discover that Puritan theologists were not adverse to owning slaves. (I'm ashamed to think that he at least one might be an ancestor according to my YDNA.)

I was enlightened to learn that inoculations against smallpox were known in Africa and brought to the "New World."

I can't imagine the courage involved in mailing yourself to freedom.

I am embarrassed that politicians can circumvent the Constitution to continue slavery by another name. Sadly, it began in the 1860s and continues through today.

This needs to be taught throughout the educational process and spoken about throughout life.

[Julia Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was incredibly ambitious. I appreciated the author's approach to focusing on lesser-known stories from Black history in the U.S. and Africa, and he is clearly enthusiastic about the topic. This book really shone when it went into detail about an event or individual story, however, it often made broad leaps across time and was over-reliant on grandiose language and sweeping turns of phrase. This would be a great book for someone seeking an introduction to Black history, but I've read a lot of historical books in this vein, so a lot was familiar to me and it dragged on a bit too much for me to love it.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archival

4.5/5

I first came across Fowler's work on Instagram. His account, "The Humanity Archive," is one of the most informative sources of free historical information out there. I was immediately impressed by the breadth & depth of his historical knowledge.

This book is no different. Akin to a comprehensive textbook, this serves as an excellent aggregate source of Black American history. Augmented by meaningful personal anecdotes, this is a sweeping look at the erasure of Black lives dating from pre-transAtlantic slavery all the way to present day. Everything I was taught in schools was Euro-centric & revolved around white people's contributions: "settling" the wilds of America, "ending" slavery, the Civil Rights movement, all of the key Black or Indigenous pieces of history were viewed & taught from white people's perspective. But this book kicks that door in to reveal brutal, horrific truth: white supremacy has been the defining American theme since before the country had a name. In fact, this country had many names from the Indigenous peoples who populated it prior to its colonization & genocides.

Likes
+ Great use of personal anecdotes to accentuate the historical themes & accounts in the book.
+ Absolutely packed with information.
+ Good overall structure in the material -- it does not just touch on the Great Migration, but also on the unique racism of the north that Black folks encountered. This is a crucial detail that no textbook I had as a youth ever covered!
+ Pays homage to so many iconic Black leaders who helped pave the way -- not just MLK or Malcolm X, but Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, Charles Cobb, Jr., Ida B. Wells, etc.
+ Serves as a poignant reminder to remain CURIOUS. Fowler's own thirst for knowledge led to his IG account & book, both of which serve to educate so many on hidden truths. He never would have created them if not for his quest to fill the void in Black knowledge he felt as a kid in Kentucky.

Dislikes
- There is such a massive amount of information that the topics are not as explored as some could/should have been. This is obviously impossible in such a dense subject matter, but it read a bit like a textbook, which made it challenging to get through at times.
- On a personal level, Fowler's observations struck me as naive or even a bit centrist -- America being a democracy, etc. All of the evidence in the book is contrary to these thoughts. America has never been a democracy & has ever been a conservative, white supremacist machine that crushes all but its white oligarchs under foot. Perhaps Fowler's musings are simply an entreaty to more egalitarian readers to widen his reader base....? This was incongruent with the horrific material & history of the US.

Summarily, this is a fantastic book to recommend to someone who wants a broad look at some of America's most despicable treatment of Black people. It is well researched, well written, extremely informative, & one of the most academic takes out there (in terms of scope). Recommended for fans of James Baldwin, Richard Wright, & Malcolm X. Also recommended for all white Americans!

[Shadira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jermaine Fowler's "The Humanity Archive" is more than a book; it's a vital, soul-stirring reclamation. I finished this book feeling simultaneously heartbroken by what has been lost and incredibly hopeful for what can now be seen. This work doesn't just present history; it breathes humanity back into a narrative that has been deliberately flattened, sanitized, and whitewashed for generations.

​Fowler's approach is revolutionary. He masterfully cuts through the cold, academic myths to reveal the vibrant, complex, and profound soul of the Black experience in America. It’s an immersive deep dive that honors the full spectrum of life the joy, the resilience, the love, the intellectualism, and the resistance that often gets lost when history is only taught through the lens of trauma and oppression.

​The writing is compelling, urgent, and deeply personal without ever sacrificing rigorous research. It challenged my understanding of American history in the most necessary ways and left me with a much richer, more nuanced appreciation for the foundational contributions and enduring spirit of Black people.

​If you are looking for a book that will fundamentally shift your perspective, educate you without lecturing, and leave you feeling more connected to the true narrative of this country, buy this book.

It's a powerful archive, an essential text, and a definitive 5-star masterpiece.

​Highly, highly recommended.

[Gracia Collins Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Humanity Archive has been one of my FAVORITE reads of this year! As a person who reads 99% historical nonfiction, I loved Jermaine Fowler's stand on the humanity of history and how it is presented. He not only shed incredible light on Black History moments that we are familiar with, he also gave great insight and information on those that may not be widely know. He gave us history in context, which I feel like is one of the most important things if we are ever to understand the "WHY" which is always my starting point when it comes to reading and understanding history. Another wonderful thing about this book is the way it's written. Fowler gives SO MUCH information in this book, but it is also incredibly easy to read and understand. You will not get that textbook feeling, which stops many people from reading nonfiction. This is a book that I will definitely go back to as a research tool and recommend wholeheartedly to the historians and scholars in my community. Whenever he writes his next book, it will be an AUTO-BUY for me.

[Michelle L. E. Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I was capable of describing how important, how necessary this book is. I did not just read it, I experienced being taught and neurologically rewired. I found I needed to take breaks between the chapters, both to dig deeper into the named people, places and events, and also to absorb the information. I did not received all of my education in the US; however, I now know that even my understanding of African history and European history, (nevermind my US history) has been infected with a nearly exclusive white, Western ideology and racism. And, I took special note of the stories of Black Americans who’s lived experiences and cultural contexts were exactly as complicated as every other human’s revealing men and women of great ordinary-ness and also depths of valor and bravery and steel that has simply not been required of so many white Americans; the “angels and demons” dichotomy that usually wraps around history had created in my mind fictional characters out of ordinary (even extraordinary) people. This book went far to challenge that narrative, and I applaud the author’s inclusion of his own experience and knowledge gaps. My ordinary approach to non-fiction (wherein I highlight as I go, and take occasional note of new ideas / vocabulary / people) utterly failed. By the first chapter I realized I knew too little, and had highlighted too much, for it to be an aid. I fear I will need to read this book many, many more times to fully appreciate the research and incredible narrative writing that went into it.

[iLa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My main takeaway: The importance of recognizing the humanity of each person you meet. We are all connected. The importance of being open to different perspectives. That it is important to make an effort to research and study both sides of a story.

One reason I love reading is because it helps me to do that. I'm able to see life from different perspectives, and try to gain a greater understanding of how others may see the world. I hope that it has helped me to be better at seeing other's humanity.

One correction: I am not an expert in any sense, but I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The brief section where he mentions their western migration, he made reference to the whites riding on horses while the blacks walked. While there may have been a very small percentage that had a horse to ride, the vast majority of them walked west. Many pulling a handcart with their possessions.

[Vanessa Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is refreshing to read a book by an author who thinks about me in regards to history in general. You cannot understand our culture without looking at the mosaic that it is made of. I also love the books that are recommended, I have to say African history is a blank spot for me, as I have been trying to find good books that are about pre-colonized Africa. I look forward to looking through those books, and the books Jermaine Fowler recommended about different types of slavery in America, another area I am interested in. Mostly because it is something that we don't talk about in American history. Along with it's cousins peonage and indentured servitude, particularly when it is in regards to Asians in American sugar plantations or Mexicans/Indians.

[Kholan ᎪᎳᏄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid. The Humanity Archive is a series of historical articulations woven around a cumulative context that finishes in futurity. It Jermaine Fowler has spent so much time and effort on presenting information in the trappings of respect, while not denying or hiding the brevity and harshness of reality.

In starting this book I was worried that it would be a bit apologetic, that it may cater to notions of white fragility or white fury but it is sincerely aspirational in the presentation of information to appeal to humanity while discussing much of the inhumanity of history. The book gives a rather in-depth look at the author's process and mentality approaching this work.

Definitely worth it for those who have or haven't listened to the podcast.

[Marielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't get to finish listening to this book because it was overdue but I absolutely loved the 40% I did read. It's a really well balanced critique of the way black narratives are ostracized and overlooked in American history, and advocates for a more integrated re-telling of the narratives which played a huge part in the formation of society today.

The author is genuine, down to earth, and presents all of the information in a way that values humanity, not domination of the masses via changing the story. The title is a perfect look into what the author's argument centers around: humanity and how to nourish and provide equality within a people-centered public sphere. I would recommend it based off of the parts I read and hope to one day get my hands on another copy.