Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619–2019

This is an outstanding collection of essays on being Black in the U.S. from 1619 to 2019. The dozens of contributors, including Donna Brazile, Alicia Garza, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Kiese Laymon, and Wesley Lowery, each reflect on a single five-year period of history. The essays consider the social and political effects of Black history on contemporary U.S. society, as well as the legacy of racism that treats people of color, Black people especially, as second-class citizens. The audiobook does not include the book’s supporting material, like endnotes or table of contents, but listeners should be able to easily track down sources if they wish to follow up on historic events. Those looking for a more scholarly treatment of the history of racism in the United States should look to Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning. Most essays are read by their author.