Bennett's companion to Before the Mayflower tells the Black American story developmentally rather than chronologically, in two movements: "Foundations," covering the first generations, Black founding fathers, and relations between Black and Indigenous peoples, and "Directions," tracing Black labor and Black capital. Its central claim is that Black America was not a bystander but a central force in shaping the nation as a whole. The 1975 edition is also known for its illustrations by Charles White, commissioned by Johnson Publishing.
Author: Lerone Bennett Jr. ยท Original publisher: Johnson Publishing Company, Chicago, 1975
