Resilience in Blackness. [Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain]

The story begins in 1619—a year before the Mayflower—when the White Lion disgorges “some 20-and-odd Negroes” onto the shores of Virginia, inaugurating the African presence in what would become the United States. It takes us to the present, when African Americans, descendants of those on the White Lion and a thousand other routes to this country, continue a journey defined by inhuman oppression, visionary struggles, stunning achievements, and millions of ordinary lives passing through extraordinary history. 

Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume “community” history of African Americans. The editors, Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, have assembled ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span. The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics. They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places, laws, and objects. While themes of resistance and struggle, of hope and reinvention, course through the book, this collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives, fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith—instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness. 

This is a history that illuminates our past and gives us new ways of thinking about our future, written by the most vital and essential voices of our present.

A collection of essays penned by various Black authors of note, Four Hundred Souls is a chronological telling of the past 400 years plus of Black American history as recounted by Black authors. Centering the Black American experience in the United States, the essays retell the stories of known and lesser known movers and shakers in the story of the fight for Black equality, relating the status quo to the historical. I could go on and on about the pedigree of the essay writers or the nature of the work, but, to get to the heart of it, this was a really good read and it more than speaks for itself.

American history is often learned as a revisionist white supremacist fever dream, so it's important to learn and speak truth whenever possible. For instance, I always figured Washington had slaves but I'd never heard of Ona Judge before. Why are there so many other crucial stories one has to learn outside of the education system? So much of American history is localized and regionalized, so I always appreciate getting a more holistic state of affairs. 

Unfortunately, expectedly, and horrifically, that ongoing state of affairs is and has been rife with injustices and targeted abuses. Many of which I learned about for the first time with this read.  But at the heart of the book is the theme of Blackness, specifically African diasporic Blackness, and the respective legacy of resilience, resistance, and innovation that defines its survival. Whether that's adaptation, assimilation, or full pushback, it's imperative those stories of persistence and travails continue to be known and told. 

Essays were grouped into successive chronological parts, each part ending with a summarizing work of verse. For me the verse endpieces were the weakest, despite oftentimes also being the most straight to the point. Like I said, I learned a lot and really enjoy my read of the collection. Would I recommend this? Absolutely. Would I buy this for my home library? Double yes. 5 stars from me.

Four Hundred Souls (ISBN: 9780593134047) was published February 2021.