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Black History Spotlight | Michael Harriot

Black History Spotlight | Michael Harriot

Michael Harriot was a former Senior Writer at TheRoot.com where he covered the intersection of race, politics, and culture. He is currently an author, poet, and writer for The Grio, The Amber Ruffin Show, and his books Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America and The Situation in South Carolina: A Novel. Harriot holds a degree in mass communications and history from Auburn University and an MA in macroeconomics from Florida State University.

A post.

If you didn’t read that in the same voice you use in your head when you see ‘a thread’ from Michael Harriot on Twitter, I don’t know what to tell you. You really need to up your cool factor. Also…follow Michael Harriot on Twitter. He’s a delight who shares mini-history threads when the time calls for it. And these days, time calls often.

Michael Harriot

Michael Harriot

When you think of the cool uncle, oft times he is a person who can regale the kids with stories of things back in his day. All while possibly doing the things that the kids can’t openly do. Like cussin’ or smokin’. I’m not sure Harriot smokes, but he uses well-placed cuss words to get points across on how messed up this world is toward Black folk. And he does it while still encouraging us to smile, dance, and learn.

Politics was always important in our household. My parents made sure that we knew when elections were happening and who was running for what. We may not have understood all of the intricacies the way that they did, but we were aware. There are days when Twitter feels like a cesspool, but through connections that I’ve made there, I’ve been connected to the brilliant minds of folks like Harriot.

I’ve known of TheRoot.com where he’s been a writer, and I’ve loved several of the articles that he’s penned, but let’s be honest, it’s the historical context threads that he shares on Twitter that have me hooked. ANY TIME he puts a seemingly finite statement out and then concludes with ‘A thread,’ you know that you’re going to learn something and maybe get irritated in the process.

Racism as a whole is enough to make caring people upset, but the many facets and far-reaching connections it’s established go much further than I ever considered. He recently took on the whiteness of the NFL and the history of the lack of Black coaches in a sport that currently boasts a 70% roster of Black players. It’s something to give pause to folks who tune in regularly for sure while giving us random watchers, even more, to focus on.

As you can imagine, there has also been quite a bit stated about Critical Race Theory and how the ridiculous reaction to it further shows just how rooted this country is in being the least with the most.

Michael Harriot

You can follow Harriot’s work on TheRoot.com | The Grio | Twitter | Instagram

Updated to add that Michael released his book – Black AF History: The Un-whitewashed Story of America – in 2023 and it is a MUST for those who want to dive deeper into the history of this country so that they aren’t the perpetrators in repeating it.

If you’re feeling up to it, tell me your favorite Michael Harriot thread where you learned something that has stuck with you harder than you anticipated.

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