Before We Were Black is a groundbreaking exploration of the forgotten nations, identities, and civilizations of the American South.

For generations, the history of Southeastern Black Americans has been told almost entirely through the lens of slavery. But long before racial labels were imposed, the people of the South were members of powerful town-nations, confederacies, and ancient societies rooted in law, diplomacy, and sacred tradition.

Drawing on historical records, maps, eyewitness accounts, and cultural memory, Before We Were Black uncovers the hidden story of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeast and the complex world that existed before colonial racial systems reshaped identity.

The book challenges the modern idea of race and invites readers to reconsider who the original Americans were—and how their descendants came to be reclassified over time.

More than a history book, Before We Were Black is an invitation to rediscover ancestral memory, reclaim lost narratives, and see the American South through a deeper historical lens.