Woodson wrote this text to educate teachers and the general public about Africa. Part I of the book presents a brief summary of Africa’s past, including chapters on "The Negro in Africa," "The Negro in the European Mind," "The Negro in America," "The Negro in Literature," "The Negro in Art," "The Education of the Negro," "The Religious Development of the Negro," and "Economic Imperialism." Part II contains bibliographical notes and comments on these chapters and the others in the book.