Before the Mayflower

A History of Black America

By: Lerone Bennett

Narrated by: John Ridle

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

The black experience in America - starting from its origins in western Africa up to 1961 - is examined in this seminal study from a prominent African American figure. The entire historical timeline of African Americans is addressed, from the Colonial period through the civil rights upheavals of the late 1950s to 1961, the time of publication.

Before the Mayflower grew out of a series of articles Bennett published in Ebony magazine, regarding "the trials and triumphs of a group of Americans whose roots in the American soil are deeper than the roots of the Puritans who arrived on the celebrated Mayflower a year after a Dutch man of war deposited twenty Negroes at Jamestown."

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. While not a fresh history, it provides a solid synthesis of current historical research and a lively writing style that makes it accessible and engaging listening.

After discussing the contributions of Africans to the ancient world, Before the Mayflower tells the history of "the other Americans", how they came to America, and what happened to them when they got here.

The book is comprehensive and detailed, providing little-known and often overlooked facts about the lives of black folks through slavery, Reconstruction, America's wars, the Great Depression, and the civil rights movement. The book includes a useful time line and some fascinating archival images.

©2020 African History (P)2020 African History

This is a must read

This book provides relevant information about the position of African Americans in the United States and the world. Thank you for shining a light on the gains made and those yet to manifest into reality.

This is American History

Before the Mayflower should be required reading for all US High School Reading. Bravo!
Before the Mayflower should be required reading for all US high school students. Bravo!

Historically Brilliant

A rich account of history highlighting major figures, movements, and milestones concerning the African American experience in America.

History of the Negro/Black in America.

Excellent information on the Black race.. Truethful honest accounts. I recommend Black folks to read this book
.

Greatness

Great book for any American. I hate that I was not taught this in school.

great narrator

Enjoyed the history of the black population, a little dated but the comparison is there.

Excellent history lesson

I have heard glowing reviews about Mt Bennett's Before The Mayflower for decades and I have FINALLY listened to it.

The narration could have been better.

Thorough and Insightful

This book was recommended as a starting place for understanding the African American struggle and sentiment. I think this is a comprehensive read full of little known characters and surprising statistics. It should make you curious about aspects of history you maybe didn't know much about and bring up questions worth exploring.

Real

It amazing sad when one ingests such great revealing literature about historical truths of the past, which declares how much in our current time how much further we still need to travel. Remember when God would deliver the children of Israel their circumstances. And afterwards there would be a tabernacle set up for them for remembrance? This book is a token of remembrance. Recommended

Good information up to MLK, excluding his assassination, which hadn't happened yet.

The narrator mispronounced a lot of words. Like "consumMATE" as when you consumate a marriage, instead of CONsummate, like a connsumate professional. Stuff like that throughout. The information is timeless, but the language is dated. Standard use of "negroes," for example. I liked learning more about Civil Rights eras that are rarely discussed anymore, since there has been so much history since MLK and Malcolm (who wasn't even mentioned).