September 5, 2025 • 9 mins
Guest host Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati speaks with Michael Harriot, an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, celebrated poet, and public historian hailed as “one of the most eloquent writers in America.” Since its 2023 release, his New York Times bestseller Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America has been the top-selling Black history book in the country. He is also the founder of the Black journalism collective ContrabandCamp.com.
🌐 Website: www.michaelharriot.com
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🌐 Website: www.michaelharriot.com
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- X (Twitter): @michaelharriot
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Baller tomorrow, and as you do,
once a month, every month we have the world Traveler,
the literary giant, the extraordinary founder of the African American
Children's Book Fair, Vaness Lloyd's Gumbody with her monthly feature
feelus Journeys. What's happening?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, you know I say this every year. Whoa, it's me.
September is the cruelest month, the unpredictable weather, the end
of my fabulous garden, and the uncertainty of what to wear.
But got to give a shout out to my September girls.
My sister's having a party and I thought it was
just a family gathering. And if one more person calls
(00:40):
me up and says what are you wearing? And I
bought a new dress, I'm like, dag, this is gonna
be that kind of party fancy. But my family they
didn't know how to party. You know, there's a tradition
right now while they're creating a tradition at black events
with the fans, so they're ordering like one hundred and
fifty fans, so we're supposed to dance with the fans.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Ye, but I went to a wedding and the fans
were in effect.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I was over my sister's house and I saw these fans.
They said they're not big enough. We got to order.
I said, this is crazy.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I gotta be big.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
So I'm going to be big too. I got to
get an outfit. Okay. And of course, my dear friend
Lorraine ballad Morel is born on September the eleventh, So
what are you going to do.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I am traveling. We're gonna go to New York City
of Play and then go up to Maine and chill
up there because I haven't taken a vacation in a
long time. So this will be my present to myself.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
And you got married in September, so this year.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yes anniversary. Also Gill's birthdays on the seventeenth September is
a great month.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I think we'll have a drink on me at any rate.
On a more serious note, as you know, I love, love,
love books, and this is a program about books, travel
and entertainment. Anybody who's lived in Philadelphia Longo has probably
walked through the doors of the African American children's book Project.
Black History has been I'm not going to say under assault,
but is much talked about in these past couple of months.
(02:01):
I say this every time when someone discussed black children's books,
that the first place that children learn about black history
is through black children's picture books. We're here getting ready
for the school year. Many of you parents out there,
you need to sit down and start learning about black
history if you don't already know that. Michael harriet He
(02:23):
is an award winning writer, economist, public historian, an author
thirteen weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list. He
has worked at a variety of organization and won a
ton of awards. With all those accomplishments, you are the
king of Black Twitter. So thank you for taking time
out of your busy schedule.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
So tell us.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
About this book, Black af History, The un White Watched
Story of America.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
So Black af History is the story of Black people
in America. Of course, there are many books about it
America through the lens of whiteness. But this is a
book about America through the lens of black people. So,
for instance, when we talk about the Revolutionary War, we
don't talk about Lexington and concord and about taxes and tea.
(03:15):
We talk about what black people saw that at the time,
which was the opportunity to free themselves. It was white
people fighting and black people saw the opportunity to free themselves.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Why should people read this book.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I think people should buy the book because it gives
you a perspective on America. We've often learned through the
lens of whiteness, and I think this is not replacing
a history, but giving additional contexts to some of the
people who were living in this country throughout its history.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
When a black author appears on the New York Times list,
that means that numerous demographics are buying the book. So
why do you think it has become so popular? And
I mean you high up, you were like number eight.
That's the major feet.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
It's due to black people and their word of mouth
telling each other about it. And I think the other
thing is that we're in a time where black history
is under assault and people want to know what they're
not being taught. And I think those two things combined
are contributing to the book's success.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Give me one other example of something that's in the
book that most people would know about.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
There's the story of Moses Dixon in the eighteen fifties
planned a national slavery vote. But what happened is just
before the planned date, John Brown struck and the Civil
War broke out, and there was no need for their
national slavery vote. So most of the people who were
planning this vote with him eventually joined the Union Army.
(04:46):
But this little known story of the national slavery vote
is just one example of how black people try to
free themselves.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So folks go out and buy the books. So how
can we find you the King of Black Twitter? Of course,
on Twitter, right.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
On all social media platforms at M I C H
A E L H A R R I O T
two R S one T and I write for as
a journalist for contrabandcamp dot com, which is a black
journalism collective that reports the news unfiltered and unwhite watched.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
But it is a great source of information about facts
you might not know about black history.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
We've come to one of my favorite parts of this segment,
what is Philadelphia Reading. I have a very special guest
who happens to be a dear friend. Many of you
know her work and maybe even know her name, but
not know all the fabulous scenes she's done behind the scenes.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Her name is Berlinda Garnett, producer of Good Day Philadelphia.
She's been there for twenty nine years and she works
at Fox twenty nine. She was inducted into the National
Academy of Television Arts and the Silver Circle Society. She's
an Emmy Award winner. She's Journalist of the Year for
the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and she's won the
(06:09):
Wilbert Award for a project she did call a Gospel
Rat Pioneer. You've been an advocate for so many people
here in the market. How long did it take you
to get your foot in the real door, because I
see you started at Channel ten and then you were
at CNBC, and I'm sure there are a lot of
young people out there listening and trying to figure out
(06:31):
how to get to where you are.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
Thank you for having me. I started in nineteen ninety
nine part time. It was an internship that actually turned
into a position for me at WCAU. I, as you said,
went on to work for CNBC in nineteen ninety six.
I started at Good Day Philadelphia and I've been here
(06:53):
ever since. That's twenty nine years.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I'm sure there are a lot of people out there
who labor in jobs, and there are a lot of
us who wonder how they manage to stay in a
job other than you love it for twenty nine years,
because you've got to navigate all kinds of people to
do that job.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
I do a little bit of everything. I come up
with ideas, I write and produce segments. I write longer
form pieces. I write a lot of what you hear
are anchors saying in the morning in terms of leading
into stories. It's my life work, and I do believe
that this is a calling. I've stayed here this long
because the most I can do is try and give
(07:33):
people a platform who otherwise might not have the opportunity.
And that's always been what fuels me into this day.
Continues to keep me here and try and open doors
as many as I can until you know that day
comes and I retire.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
So the simple response to that is something I learned
from Tavis Sally. Find something that you're passionate about and
that will make you endure, be happy to get up
every more to follow your passion.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
I just always tried to cease the moment and just
open towards as best I can because someone did that
for me. And the fact is, there's so many great
stories out here, and maybe people don't have access to
public relations folks and all that good stuff. But I'm here,
and so while I'm here, I'm going to do my
best to make sure that they get on because all
of our stories, as we know, are not bad stories.
(08:25):
They're not negative stories. There's a lot of joy in
our community, and it takes being from that community to
know that.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
We've come to the favorite part of this segment. What
is Philadelphia reading? What book are you reading?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
The Parable of the Sewer Bixavia Butler.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
First book you read?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
The Bible?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Best book you've read.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
I Dream a World by Brian Lanker.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
You go to author.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Doctor Sonya Sanchez, Bar Fire.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
What books should everyone have in their library?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin Fiction and nonfiction?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Nonfiction?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You have a literary dinner named three people from the
literary community.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
You must have doctor Siah Santez, Hockeymata, Booty and Chandon.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
If you wrote a book about your life, what would
be the title?
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Better?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Well, thank you so much, and folks, we come to
the end of this segment, but have a blessed eag
and continue to read and buy a book.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
That was Vaness Lord's Gumbadi with VLS Journeys. I'm Lorraine Ballard.
Morrow we'll have more insight after these messages
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Baller tomorrow, and as you do,
once a month, every month we have the world Traveler,
the literary giant, the extraordinary founder of the African American
Children's Book Fair, Vaness Lloyd's Gumbody with her monthly feature
feelus Journeys. What's happening?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, you know I say this every year. Whoa, it's me.
September is the cruelest month, the unpredictable weather, the end
of my fabulous garden, and the uncertainty of what to wear.
But got to give a shout out to my September girls.
My sister's having a party and I thought it was
just a family gathering. And if one more person calls
(00:40):
me up and says what are you wearing? And I
bought a new dress, I'm like, dag, this is gonna
be that kind of party fancy. But my family they
didn't know how to party. You know, there's a tradition
right now while they're creating a tradition at black events
with the fans, so they're ordering like one hundred and
fifty fans, so we're supposed to dance with the fans.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Ye, but I went to a wedding and the fans
were in effect.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I was over my sister's house and I saw these fans.
They said they're not big enough. We got to order.
I said, this is crazy.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I gotta be big.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
So I'm going to be big too. I got to
get an outfit. Okay. And of course, my dear friend
Lorraine ballad Morel is born on September the eleventh, So
what are you going to do.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I am traveling. We're gonna go to New York City
of Play and then go up to Maine and chill
up there because I haven't taken a vacation in a
long time. So this will be my present to myself.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
And you got married in September, so this year.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yes anniversary. Also Gill's birthdays on the seventeenth September is
a great month.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I think we'll have a drink on me at any rate.
On a more serious note, as you know, I love, love,
love books, and this is a program about books, travel
and entertainment. Anybody who's lived in Philadelphia Longo has probably
walked through the doors of the African American children's book Project.
Black History has been I'm not going to say under assault,
but is much talked about in these past couple of months.
(02:01):
I say this every time when someone discussed black children's books,
that the first place that children learn about black history
is through black children's picture books. We're here getting ready
for the school year. Many of you parents out there,
you need to sit down and start learning about black
history if you don't already know that. Michael harriet He
(02:23):
is an award winning writer, economist, public historian, an author
thirteen weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list. He
has worked at a variety of organization and won a
ton of awards. With all those accomplishments, you are the
king of Black Twitter. So thank you for taking time
out of your busy schedule.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
So tell us.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
About this book, Black af History, The un White Watched
Story of America.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
So Black af History is the story of Black people
in America. Of course, there are many books about it
America through the lens of whiteness. But this is a
book about America through the lens of black people. So,
for instance, when we talk about the Revolutionary War, we
don't talk about Lexington and concord and about taxes and tea.
(03:15):
We talk about what black people saw that at the time,
which was the opportunity to free themselves. It was white
people fighting and black people saw the opportunity to free themselves.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Why should people read this book.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I think people should buy the book because it gives
you a perspective on America. We've often learned through the
lens of whiteness, and I think this is not replacing
a history, but giving additional contexts to some of the
people who were living in this country throughout its history.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
When a black author appears on the New York Times list,
that means that numerous demographics are buying the book. So
why do you think it has become so popular? And
I mean you high up, you were like number eight.
That's the major feet.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
It's due to black people and their word of mouth
telling each other about it. And I think the other
thing is that we're in a time where black history
is under assault and people want to know what they're
not being taught. And I think those two things combined
are contributing to the book's success.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Give me one other example of something that's in the
book that most people would know about.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
There's the story of Moses Dixon in the eighteen fifties
planned a national slavery vote. But what happened is just
before the planned date, John Brown struck and the Civil
War broke out, and there was no need for their
national slavery vote. So most of the people who were
planning this vote with him eventually joined the Union Army.
(04:46):
But this little known story of the national slavery vote
is just one example of how black people try to
free themselves.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So folks go out and buy the books. So how
can we find you the King of Black Twitter? Of course,
on Twitter, right.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
On all social media platforms at M I C H
A E L H A R R I O T
two R S one T and I write for as
a journalist for contrabandcamp dot com, which is a black
journalism collective that reports the news unfiltered and unwhite watched.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
But it is a great source of information about facts
you might not know about black history.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Thank you and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
We've come to one of my favorite parts of this segment,
what is Philadelphia Reading. I have a very special guest
who happens to be a dear friend. Many of you
know her work and maybe even know her name, but
not know all the fabulous scenes she's done behind the scenes.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Her name is Berlinda Garnett, producer of Good Day Philadelphia.
She's been there for twenty nine years and she works
at Fox twenty nine. She was inducted into the National
Academy of Television Arts and the Silver Circle Society. She's
an Emmy Award winner. She's Journalist of the Year for
the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and she's won the
(06:09):
Wilbert Award for a project she did call a Gospel
Rat Pioneer. You've been an advocate for so many people
here in the market. How long did it take you
to get your foot in the real door, because I
see you started at Channel ten and then you were
at CNBC, and I'm sure there are a lot of
young people out there listening and trying to figure out
(06:31):
how to get to where you are.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
Thank you for having me. I started in nineteen ninety
nine part time. It was an internship that actually turned
into a position for me at WCAU. I, as you said,
went on to work for CNBC in nineteen ninety six.
I started at Good Day Philadelphia and I've been here
(06:53):
ever since. That's twenty nine years.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I'm sure there are a lot of people out there
who labor in jobs, and there are a lot of
us who wonder how they manage to stay in a
job other than you love it for twenty nine years,
because you've got to navigate all kinds of people to
do that job.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
I do a little bit of everything. I come up
with ideas, I write and produce segments. I write longer
form pieces. I write a lot of what you hear
are anchors saying in the morning in terms of leading
into stories. It's my life work, and I do believe
that this is a calling. I've stayed here this long
because the most I can do is try and give
(07:33):
people a platform who otherwise might not have the opportunity.
And that's always been what fuels me into this day.
Continues to keep me here and try and open doors
as many as I can until you know that day
comes and I retire.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
So the simple response to that is something I learned
from Tavis Sally. Find something that you're passionate about and
that will make you endure, be happy to get up
every more to follow your passion.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
I just always tried to cease the moment and just
open towards as best I can because someone did that
for me. And the fact is, there's so many great
stories out here, and maybe people don't have access to
public relations folks and all that good stuff. But I'm here,
and so while I'm here, I'm going to do my
best to make sure that they get on because all
of our stories, as we know, are not bad stories.
(08:25):
They're not negative stories. There's a lot of joy in
our community, and it takes being from that community to
know that.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
We've come to the favorite part of this segment. What
is Philadelphia reading? What book are you reading?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
The Parable of the Sewer Bixavia Butler.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
First book you read?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
The Bible?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Best book you've read.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
I Dream a World by Brian Lanker.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
You go to author.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Doctor Sonya Sanchez, Bar Fire.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
What books should everyone have in their library?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin Fiction and nonfiction?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Nonfiction?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You have a literary dinner named three people from the
literary community.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
You must have doctor Siah Santez, Hockeymata, Booty and Chandon.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
If you wrote a book about your life, what would
be the title?
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Better?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Well, thank you so much, and folks, we come to
the end of this segment, but have a blessed eag
and continue to read and buy a book.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
That was Vaness Lord's Gumbadi with VLS Journeys. I'm Lorraine Ballard.
Morrow we'll have more insight after these messages
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