Ivan Van Sertima’s Revolution: Black Africans in pre-Columbian America - Their Overwhelming Impact on the Civilizations, and Everything You Wanted to Know.

Welcome to the Playing Books podcast. We thank you for tuning into the history episode of the podcast.What if the "New World" wasn't new to everyone?Our conversation is about Ivan Van Sertima’s They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America (Journal of African Civilizations). We step outside the lines of traditional history to explore a masterpiece that didn’t just stir the pot; it shattered it.Forget the standard 1492 narrative. Van Sertima presents a meticulously researched, revolutionary case for a pre-Columbian African presence in the Americas. From the colossal Olmec stone heads with distinct African features to the botanical mysteries of the African bottle gourd and the chemical signatures of West African gold alloys found in the Caribbean, this isn’t just speculation; it’s a forensic investigation into our global past.This episode is not about portraying any race as the most ancient and intelligent; it is about uncovering history as it is.Ivan Van Sertima’s They Came Before Columbus is more than a history lesson; it’s a paradigm shift. It challenges us to rethink the capabilities of ancient civilizations and the vast, interconnected nature of our world long before the age of steam and steel. If you’ve ever felt like the story of human achievement was missing a few vital chapters, this episode is your invitation to find them.We recommend you read about the research and archaeological evidence that answers questions about the pre-Columbus era, settling controversies that are accepted without books like Sertima’s They Came Before Columbus. You can purchase the book on Amazon, at your regular bookstore, or get it through your local library.Get ready to change how you view the map, prevailing historical perspectives, and the Columbus Day holiday in the U.S., celebrated every October since 1937. How have you always doubted the narratives about Columbus as the first to discover and settle in the New World? Or are you a proponent of that history?Please leave us your feedback, follow, and subscribe to the Playing Books podcast to continue to learn the realities of our world as objectively as possible.Please, connect with other art and literature advocates on our social media: playingbooks.orgYouTubeInstagramTwitterTikTokHappy Columbus Day in advance :). Thank you for tuning in and for giving us some of your precious time.