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

Two years ago, I loved Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist, and I’ve been eager to read more from him. Along with Keisha N. Blain, he co-edited the 2021 book, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019. Divided into 80 chapters, each focusing on a five-year span of history and written by a different contributor, this book offers a sweeping view of African American life in the United States over the past four centuries. From historical events, figures, and pieces of legislature to media and overarching themes relevant to the times, this book is an ambitious collection of essays for anyone who cares about Black Americans today.

Review

Four Hundred Souls represents four hundred years of African America, across 80 chapters and 10 poems, plus a forward and afterword. There are different writers for each piece, including some I’ve read before—Ibram X. Kendi, Isabel Wilkerson, Ijeoma Oluo, Alicia Garza—and many more whom I had not previously read.

This is not a comprehensive history, nor a simple chronology of events. Instead, each chapter is situated in a five-year span of time and focuses on a specific person, movement, law, or idea. I’m no expert in history, and especially in the first half of the book, I found myself doing a lot more learning at an introductory level. There is so much here that was new to me and eye-opening. However, from the mid-1800s onward, I had a lot more foundational knowledge to work with, and even expectations going into those chapters, which allowed me to learn on a deeper level within those sections.

The chapters don’t always focus on who or what I thought they would. For example, there are no chapters about Harriet Tubman or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; those figures are already widely known, and this book instead shines a light on lesser known (or lesser discussed) people and moments.

One thing that stood out to me was the variation in writing styles across these 80 chapters. Many are heavily rooted in historical research and read like a section from a history book. Others are more personal and threaded through with the contributor’s own life. Some read like a fictionalized account from a historical figure, as if they’d written a memoir or diary entry. Still others connect past events to current events, making the through-line much clearer. This diversity in writing styles is actually to the book’s benefit: It makes for a more engaging and less predictable read, better holding the reader’s attention across all four hundred years.

The subjects here range from harrowing to empowering. The writers don’t shy away from the harsher facts of racist legislature, cruel societal norms, and ongoing violence against Black Americans. However, they also highlight points of resistance, joy, and progress, too. Some of my favorite chapters were about the Harlem Renaissance, hip-hop, and the modern #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Final Thoughts

Four Hundred Souls is an incredible book of African American history and ongoing social issues that affect Black Americans to this day. There are so many vital topics introduced here, and all of the chapters can serve as springboards to further learning. Indeed, there are several figures and subjects I would like to read more about. This is an immensely important book that I encourage all Americans to read.

Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
Audiobook Narrator	Multiple
Audience	Adult
Genre	Nonfiction: History & Race
Length of Book	14 hours
Format I Read	Audiobook
Original Publication Date	February 2, 2021

Official Summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A chorus of extraordinary voices tells the epic story of the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present—edited by Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist, and Keisha N. Blain, author of Set the World on Fire.

FINALIST FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post, Town & Country, Ms. magazine, BookPage, She Reads, BookRiot, Booklist • “A vital addition to [the] curriculum on race in America . . . a gateway to the solo works of all the voices in Kendi and Blain’s impressive choir.”—The Washington Post

“From journalist Hannah P. Jones on Jamestown’s first slaves to historian Annette Gordon-Reed’s portrait of Sally Hemings to the seductive cadences of poets Jericho Brown and Patricia Smith, Four Hundred Souls weaves a tapestry of unspeakable suffering and unexpected transcendence.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

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.