ABHM Book Club: How Black History Can Save Your Life by Ernest Crimm III
History Toward Tomorrow: Why This Matters
In the year 2026 the United States is celebrating its semiquincentennial. At ABHM, we are using this as an opportunity to create programs where we can collectively reflect on our country’s history honestly to build a better, more equitable future. The selections for the ABHM Book Club in 2026 will emphasize historical truth-telling, compelling storytelling, and diverse perspectives on our collective past. We invite participants to consider what they want the country to look like over the next 250 years. What can we learn from visionaries, historians, and thought leaders from the past in how we envision the United States of the future? In the spirit of Dr. Cameron, we invite you to join us on this journey of reflection, healing, and dreaming.
ABOUT THE BOOK
How Black History Can Save Your Life by Ernest Crim III is an accessible and contemporary exploration of Black history as a practical tool for understanding racism, identity, and social change in the United States. Written by an educator known for making history engaging and relevant for younger generations, the book connects major moments in African American history to present-day conversations about race, policing, protest, education, and civic participation. Crim argues that Black history is not simply a subject confined to the past, but a living body of knowledge that helps people navigate the realities of the present while imagining a more just future.
Blending historical analysis, cultural commentary, personal reflection, and educational insight, Crim examines how racism has evolved across different eras while highlighting the resilience, creativity, and leadership of Black communities throughout American history. The book moves between discussions of enslavement, Reconstruction, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary events such as the murder of George Floyd, encouraging readers to think critically about how history shapes everyday life. At its core, How Black History Can Save Your Life presents historical knowledge as a means of empowerment—offering readers tools for dialogue, empathy, civic engagement, and meaningful action in their communities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ernest Crim III is an American educator, public speaker, digital historian, and author whose work focuses on making Black history accessible, engaging, and relevant to broad audiences. Known widely through social media, public lectures, and educational initiatives, Crim has built a national following by presenting history through contemporary cultural connections that resonate with students and younger generations. His work emphasizes the importance of historical literacy in understanding present-day social issues and encourages audiences to approach Black history not as supplemental knowledge, but as an essential part of the American story.
Before becoming a full-time public historian and content creator, Crim worked as a classroom teacher, where he developed innovative approaches to teaching history through music, popular culture, and storytelling. His educational philosophy centers on connecting historical events to lived experiences in ways that inspire critical thinking, empathy, and civic participation. Through How Black History Can Save Your Life, Crim continues his mission of helping readers use historical understanding as a tool for personal growth, social awareness, and community transformation.