This is indeed the ultimate primer, a masterful and lovingly written book on two distinct threads of Black culture in America. Never before has this approach been taken on these topics. There are books on Black humor and there are books on Black history, but no one has ever attempted to merge those two threads into the eye of a single needle. And the Smiths have accomplished this with pinpoint precision. Just when you have laughed so hard that you need a little break, they throw the history book right back at you. Next, you find yourself reading an incredible story about some Black person that you’ve never heard of before, and by the end of it, you’re thinking, Why have I never heard of this dude? And you find yourself blessed by the authors for having brought this story to your attention, as well as to the attention of all those who make it a priority to stay well-read in terms of any pertinent new material woven into the fabric of the Black consciousness.

The breadth and depth of the research that went into this book is totally astonishing. No stone has been left unturned. From the comedy perspective, the reader is provided with a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of Black humor from the late 1800’s through the modern-day.

Black heritage has been blessed by their thoroughness and so has society’s. In the heart of the book, you will be blessed by gal-pal stories such as the first Black woman to publish a book (a 12-year-old slave), enlist in the Army (passing the physical while posing as a male), and serve as a WW II spy (before Coretta Scott King asked her to head the civil rights movement after MLK’s assassination). For the he-men, stories are shared about the first Black rodeo star (his secret was to bite the steer’s lip), the Wild West’s most maniacal marshal (inspiration for the Lone Ranger), and the oldest musical artist to score a Top 40 hit. (remember Here Come Da Judge ?)

This book should be in every home across America.