MICHAELHARRIOT

When CNN wanted to trace the origins of the word woke, they called Michael Harriot. When MSNBC needed someone to unpack critical race theory, they called Michael Harriot. And when the culture needed a name that captured the collective voice of Black Twitter, Michael Harriot was the runaway answer.

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Michael Harriot is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, celebrated poet, and public historian hailed as “one of the most eloquent writers in America.” Since its 2023 release, his New York Times bestseller, Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, has been the top-selling Black history book in the country since it's. He is the 2024–2025 recipient of Harvard University’s Nyhan Prize for Public Policy Journalism and the founder of the Black journalism collective ContrabandCamp.com.

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Known for his acerbic wit and unflinching reporting, has served as a columnist for The Guardian, The Grio, and The Root, shaping everything from presidential politics to pop culture. As the originator of the phrase “invited to the cookout,” his viral social media threads contextualizing Black history have reached millions, earning him the unofficial crown as “The King of Black Twitter.” He co-created the award-winning podcast Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History alongside Pharrell Williams, and his journalism has appeared in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New York Times—and, as he likes to note, his mother’s refrigerator. His work has been recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists, the Emmy Awards, the Webby Awards, and the American Library Association.

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Harriot holds degrees in mass communications and history from Auburn University and a master’s in macroeconomics and international business from Florida State. Today, he serves as founder and lead columnist at ContrabandCamp and is one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers on the intersections of race, history, politics, and media.

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