Before there were countries, before there were flags, before there were languages or
religions or borders drawn on maps, there was Africa.
Every single human being alive on earth today traces their oldest ancestry back to the
African continent. No matter where you were born, no matter what you look like, no matter
what language you speak. Scientists have confirmed this through decades of research into
human DNA. Africa is not just the homeland of Black people. Africa is the homeland of all
people. We all began there.
This book is the story of what happened in Africa and what happened to the people who
came from there. It is a story of kingdoms so wealthy they made the rest of the world's eyes
go wide. It is a story of scholars who studied the stars and wrote hundreds of thousands of
books while Europe was still in its Dark Ages. It is a story of people stolen from their
homes, carried across an ocean in chains, and yet somehow, through courage and faith and
an unbreakable will, surviving, rebuilding, and rising.
It is also your story. Whether your family is Black or not, this history belongs to you. It is
the history of where all of us began.
For the next 365 days, we are going to read it together, one story at a time. Some days will
fill you with pride. Some will make you angry. Some will break your heart a little. But all of
it is true, all of it matters, and all of it has been waiting for you to know it.
Let's get started.