Michael Harriot Biography

Michael Harriot is an award-winning American journalist, author, cultural critic, poet, and podcaster known for his incisive commentary on race, politics, and culture. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Harriot has become a prominent voice in Black journalism, often hailed as the “Dean of Black Twitter” for his witty, unapologetic takes. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and history from Auburn University and a master’s in macroeconomics and international business from Florida State University.

Harriot’s career spans major publications like The Root, The Guardian, The Grio, and The Washington Post, where he covered events like the 2008 Olympics and Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. His 2023 New York Times bestseller, “Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America” (2023), reexamines American history through a Black lens. He also wrote “The Situation in South Carolina” (2008) and founded ContrabandCamp.com, a Black journalism collective. Harriot’s podcast, “Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History," highlights Black resistance and focuses on untold stories.

Harriot has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets, discussing critical race theory and the origins of "woke." Harriot received the 2024–2025 Harvard Nyhan Prize for Public Policy Journalism and awards from the National Association of Black Journalists.

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