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Robin Walker, aka the “Black History Man” wrote the amazing book "When We Ruled, first published in 2006. When We Ruled by is a great addition to proving that African Our story (not his-story) starts thousands of years before our enslavement. Although many have shown and proved to us that ourstory  started long before enslavement.  Interestingly enough the author like many people of African descent heard about our enslavement so much and so often that he (along with many of us) came to believe that that’s all there is to us.  The book is one volume covering about 700 to 834 pages of ancient and not-so-ancient African civilizations going up to about the 1800s CE. It has 22 chapters, heavily illustrated photos, some full-colored, watercolors, chronologies, and bibliographies. It has a reference and a teaching text. The first edition came out in 2006, and the second edition in 2011. And our brother Runoko Rashidi does the introduction to the book. The author makes five claims about the book which reframes everything. Walker makes the point that Black history is not slavery. He rejects the equation of "Black history" starts with the transatlantic slave trade. He uses Maulana Karenga's definition — "history is the record and process of a people engaged in struggle to shape the world in their interests and images" — to argue that the 500 years of slavery are a "minuscule part" of a far longer story of African world-shaping. Professor Anthony Browder states it this way: “if a book of African history was a thousand pages, our enslavement would be just two pages and start on page 996.” Walker states that evidence of African ourstory is all over the continent. It’s not just in Kemet (which the Greeks call Egypt). You'll find evidence in Nubia, Aksum, the Swahili coast, Great Zimbabwe, Mali, the Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire, the Ghana Empire, the Moors, and many others. He also demonstrates that the proof exists since many palaces, temples, mosques, churches still stands and that manuscripts and art have survived and can be verified, photographed, even Googled.  He has put it all in one place. Although he studied the works of Drs: Cheik Anta Diop, Ivan Van Sertima, Chancellor Williams, John G. Jackson, Yousef ben-Jochannan, John Hendrik Clarke and others. -  "...but no one has put all the stuff in one place before." When We Ruled is the attempt to gather the archaeology, documents, and historical linguistics into one accessible, illustrated volume. Finally, he argues that we could win the argument on any terms. African achievement holds up even judged by Eurocentric standards — e.g., the octagonal swimming pool at the Husuni Kubwa palace at Kilwa (Tanzania, c. 1300); glass windows and internal plumbing in African kingdoms; Mansa Musa of Mali as, by common estimate, among the richest individuals in human history. However, my understanding is that the African rulers (kings, queens, councils, etc.) don't personally own these resources. The resources belong to the people. The leaders(s) is the custodian of the resources on behalf of the society. Thus, Mansa Musa didn’t own the gold. He managed it and the Mali Empire's wealth for the people of the Mali Empire. Examples of our great civilizations are located in the Nile Valley, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and Southern and Central Africa. He also discuses The Moors in Spain, the slave trade, Black women's history, and the Pan-African movement round to it out.  The book has a number of strengths and only a couple of limits (certainly not weaknesses). It is very broad and has full-color illustrations. It can be used as a reference and teaching tool. It even has a companion study guide. It has something in it for everyone. Last but not least, it's Black/independently published—the second edition being by Black Classic Press. Its limitations are that it is dense. At 834 pages long it will take some time to read through it. Additionally, the reading can be rough. It was written for students, parents, homeschoolers, the general reader, anyone who wants the evidence in one place, and especially those who want to move beyond "Black history = slavery." When We Ruled is a great book. There's something in there for all of us, and it can be read by anyone at any level. The title of the book is more about when Black people ruled the planet, as opposed to when Black people were being ruled or were ruled. And to a large extent, the book exists because this one man refused to accept the education handed to him. All of us can do that. He has a standard of proof: know the truth and know the lies better than the liars. Read it, verify it, and reclaim us. This book helps with all of the above. View the book at Progressive Emporium & Education Center