This novel thesis explains “the erroneous world opinion that the African continent has made no contribution to civilization, and that its people are naturally backward ” “the misrepresentation that has become the basis of race prejudice, which has affected all people of color.” Instead, James offers a “New Philosophy of Redemption for Black peoples.”
The message of the book is sensational and revolutionary: “The Greeks were not the authors of Greek philosophy, but the Black people of North Africa, the Egyptians” (p. Stolen Legacy also deals with the status of Black people, but in ancient history rather than in modern times. James was an African-American teacher of Greek, whose other writings deal explicitly with racial issues. James, has been a best-seller among peoples of African descent in this country.
Since its publication in 1954 Stolen Legacy, by George G.
