What Was it Like Being Black in America 250 Years Ago?

“Becoming American” explores the founding of the United States through the lens of Philadelphia, America’s first capital. From indigenous people and enslaved Africans to lawmakers and artisans, the film reveals how diverse communities shaped a new nation. Though rooted in Philadelphia, this is a...

56 min - Society & Culture - PBS

More: Race & Racism documentaries

Read Deeper: Race & Racism

  1. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (4.6/5) - View on Amazon
  2. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (4.1/5) - View on Amazon
  3. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (4.2/5) - View on Amazon
  4. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (4.5/5) - View on Amazon
  5. So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo (4.4/5) - View on Amazon
  6. Mujeres, Raza Y Clase (Cuestiones De Antagonismo) by Angela Y. Davis (4.9/5) - View on Amazon
  7. White Fragility by Robin J. DiAngelo (4.4/5) - View on Amazon
  8. Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi (4.6/5) - View on Amazon
  9. The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein (4.6/5) - View on Amazon
  10. Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (3.8/5) - View on Amazon
  11. Black looks by bell hooks - View on Amazon
  12. Sum of Us by Heather McGhee - View on Amazon
  13. Without sanctuary by James Allen - View on Amazon
  14. killing rage by Bell Hooks - View on Amazon
  15. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States by Paula S. Rothenberg - View on Amazon
  16. How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith III - View on Amazon
  17. Racism without Racists by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva - View on Amazon

Watch Next