In the Sex and Race series, first published in the 1940s, historian Joel Augustus Rogers questioned the concept of race, the origins of racial differentiation, and the root of the "color problem." Rogers surmised that a large percentage of ethnic differences are the result of sociological factors and in these volumes he gathered what he called "the bran of history"--the uncollected, unexamined history of black people--in the hope that these neglected parts of history would become part of the mainstream body of Western history.
A respected historian and gifted lecturer, Rogers was a close personal friend of the Harlem-based intellectual and activist.
Rogers addresses issues such as the lack of scientific support for the idea of race, the lack of black history being told from a black person\'s perspective, and the fact of intermarriage and unions among peoples throughout history.
He was one of the greatest popularizers of African history in the twentieth century.
He challenged prevailing ideas about race, demonstrated the connections between civilizations, and traced African achievements.
His research spanned the academic fields of history, sociology and anthropology.
About the Author: JOEL AUGUSTUS Rogers (September 6, 1880-March 26, 1966) was a Jamaican-American author, journalist, and historian who contributed to the history of Africa and the African diaspora, especially the history of African Americans in the United States.
The books are presented here in their original editions.
Self-trained and self-published, Rogers and his work were immensely popular and influential during his day, even cited by Malcolm X.
The series marshals the data he had collected as evidence to prove his underlying humanistic thesis: that people were one large family without racial boundaries.
Indeed his belief in one race--humanity--precluded the idea of several different ethnic races.
Drawing on a vast amount of research, Rogers was attempting to point out the absurdity of racial divisions.
In the Sex and Race series, first published in the 1940s, historian Joel Augustus Rogers questioned the concept of race, the origins of racial differentiation, and the root of the "color problem." Rogers surmised that a large percentage of ethnic differences are the result of sociological factors and in these volumes he gathered what he called "the bran of history"--the uncollected, unexamined history of black people--in the hope that these neglected parts of history would become part of the mainstream body of Western history
