Van Sertima, Ivan

Presents an argument that suggests Africans were in North America before Columbus, and provides documentary evidence to support the claim, citing the trade of plants, animals, and textiles between continents, as well as the diaries, journals, and accounts of explorers.

Offers an account of the black queens, madonnas, and goddesses that existed in the history, art, and imagination of ancient times, particularly in Ethiopia and Egypt.

Contains eighteen essays in which various contributors examine the lives and achievements of great black leaders from America, ancient Egypt, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Discusses the contributions of Africans and African-Americans to science and invention in a wide variety of fields including agriculture, architecture and engineering, mathematics, medicine, and physics.

Explorers' diaries and journals, carbon-14-dated sculptures, Arab documents and maps, and dated skeletons provide evidence for the pre-Columbian presence in the Americas of black men and their influence on the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations.