“Before the Mayflower” by Lerone Bennett Jr. is a Black Classic book.
"Before the Mayflower" grew out of a series of articles Bennett published in Ebony magazine regarding the trials and triumphs of Black Americans before and after the Mayflower. Bennett’s history is infused with a desire to set the record straight about Black contributions to the Americas and about the powerful Africans of antiquity. The book is comprehensive and detailed, providing little-known and often overlooked facts about the lives of Black folks from Africa through slavery, Reconstruction, America's wars, the Great Depression, and the civil rights movement. The book includes a useful timeline and some fascinating archival images.