No single person has combed through as many books, traveled to as many places or reproduced as many historical documents – written and photographic – on the subject of black history as Joel Augustus Rogers. The father of anthrophotojournalism, Rogers laid a broad foundation for research into the history of blacks around the world. Some of his classic works are: World’s Great Men of Color, Sex and Race, Africa’s Gift to America, NAture Knows No Color Line and One Hundred Amazing Facts About the Negro with Complete Proof.
Born in Jamaica on September 6, 1880, Rogers came to the United States in 1917. Mostly self educated, he learned several foreign languages. This knowledge aided him tremendously with his research in Europe and Africa. He wrote for the Pittsburg Courier: The Journal of Negro History, Crisis and The Messenger. He self published most of his books. His goal was to present the complete history of blacks and their relationship with other races and cultures in order to promote better understanding among the branches of the human race.
Roger encountered public criticism from some black scholars who cited his lack of formal education and deemed his methods unacceptable in their lack of scholasticism. One of those critics, W.E.B. Du Bois, accurately described Rogers in his book The World and Africa. Du Bois wrote: “I have learned much from J.A. Rogers. Rogers is an untrained American Negro writer who has done his work under great difficulty, without funds and much personal sacrifice. But no man living has revealed as many important facts about the Negro race as has Rogers.”