Michael Harriot

Michael Harriot is a journalist, author, poet, and public historian who covers the intersection of race, politics, and social issues. An economist, writer, and cultural critic, Harriot has served as a columnist for The Guardian, The Grio, and The Root, contributing to national conversations on presidential politics and pop culture. His work has appeared in Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC, and BET.

Harriot is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America," a book that combines storytelling with research based on primary sources and the work of Black historians, scholars, and journalists. The book addresses debates over critical race theory and the teaching of America's racial history in schools. His debut novel, "The Situation in South Carolina," explores a community's response to the abuse of a civil rights leader's son by law enforcement officers.

Harriot's political and social commentary has sparked national debate and earned recognition, including an Emmy nomination, two NAACP Image Award nominations, and four National Association of Black Journalists awards. He is the recipient of Harvard University's Nyhan Prize for Public Policy Journalism and founded the Black journalism collective ContrabandCamp.com. Harriot served as the sole writer for BET's Midterm Election Special and "Young, Gifted and Broke," a program examining the student debt crisis. His college course "Race: An Economic Construct" has been adapted by university economics departments as a model for integrating history, economics, politics, and class structures.

Harriot has been consulted by CNN on the origins of the word "woke" and by MSNBC for analysis of critical race theory. He is a writer for the Amber Ruffin Show and is known for originating the phrase "invited to the cookout." His social media posts contextualizing history are widely shared. Harriot also launched the podcast "The Black One" and founded the online community NegusWhoRead. With a background spanning journalism, economics, poetry, and public history, Harriot is recognized for his contributions to American media and discourse on race and culture.