The Real History of the White House

The White House is often seen as a symbol of freedom, but it was built by enslaved people. Learn more about the people who created this iconic site and how they are being acknowledged in modern times. Discover how Benjamin Banneker, a free Black land surveyor, mapped Washington, DC. Learn more about the first White House memoir, which was written by an enslaved person. Then read about how young people staged a protest in the White House.

Have you ever considered what’s missing from history books? In Left Out of History, explore the misunderstood and underexamined past in this engaging series. Compelling photographs and primary sources help bring previously buried history to light.

Read Woke™ Books are created in partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke librarian. Inspired by a belief that knowledge is power, Read Woke Books seek to amplify the voices of people of the global majority (people who are of African, Arab, Asian, and Latin American descent and identify as not white), provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised, share perspectives of people who have been underrepresented or oppressed, challenge social norms and disrupt the status quo, and encourage readers to take action in their community.