Joel Augustus Rogers Biography

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. After settling in the United States in 1906, he lived in Chicago and then New York City. He became interested in the history of African Americans in this country. His research spanned the academic fields of history, sociology and anthropology. He challenged prevailing ideas about the social construction of race, demonstrated the connections between civilizations, and traced achievements of ethnic Africans, including some with mixed European ancestry. He was one of the earliest and greatest popularizers of African history in the 20th century.