Listen to "Howard French on "Born in Blackness"" on Spreaker.
Reframing six centuries of world history in a single book is no easy feat. Doing it in lively, engaging prose that keeps you hooked the whole way through is even harder. But such is the talent of Howard French, longtime foreign correspondent and author of “Born in Blackness,” our Devex Book Club selection for this month.
The history taught in most Western classrooms centers on European dominance, with Africa relegated to the distant sidelines. But through meticulous research and the diligent reporting for which he’s known, French uncovered a very different truth: Africa is at the center of the story to a much greater extent than many of us have been led to believe.
In this episode of the Devex Book Club, French gives Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar a look behind the scenes at how “Born in Blackness” came to be, and a new lens through which to understand the last 600 years.
About the author
Lauren Evans@laurenfaceevans
Lauren Evans was formerly an Assistant Editor/Senior Associate in the Office of the President at Devex. As a journalist, she covers international development and humanitarian action with a focus on climate and gender. Her work has appeared in outlets like Foreign Policy, Wired UK, Smithsonian Magazine and others, and she’s reported internationally throughout East Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.