Black Indians provides a potentially paradigm shifting look at history only hinted at in most American public schools. The truth of the history of mixed race "Black Indians" is often either unknown by teachers and therefore not taught in classrooms or it is uncomfortable for stakeholders (teachers, administrators, students, parents, community members) as it shows the efforts to which white colonizers went to subjugate and separate indigenous and black populations. Taken as individual stories and narratives, this book focuses on influential people and actions often left out of history textbooks. Taken collectively this book reveals the complexities of race relationships between three races of people and how those in power have historically manipulated the other two groups to ensure the survival of their existing power systems.

Sadly this book is still viewed as "controversial" by many although it largely leaves it up to the reader to connect the dots over a 400 year time span to see the systemic and overarching racism. I mean, its absolutely obvious to anyone who has minimal reading comprehension, but I digress. News of recent educational laws in Texas have me very aware of the lengths to which people will go to hide the obvious historical narrative and those who criticize the content of this book are in the same camp as the Texas legislature.

As far as delivery is concerned there's a lot of content crammed into these pages and that sometimes feels like events and people are covered to quickly for them to have sticking power in my mind. Too many accounts have already blurred together in my memory. But, as an introduction, this one is absolutely serviceable and largely interesting. I'll be looking through it again to spark further research to inform my own teaching.