The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers by Cheryl McKissack DanielPublication Date: August 12, 2025
Pages: 288
Add on: Goodreads
Buy the Book: Amazon
Rating: ★★★★½
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Non-Fiction / History / African American & Black
Publisher: Atria / Black Privilege Publishing / Simon & Schuster
The riveting story of the McKissack family—the founders of the leading Black design and construction firm in the United States, from its beginnings in the mid-1800s to its thriving status today—in a moving celebration of resilience and innovation.
Captured in his native West Africa and enslaved on American shores by a North Carolina plantation owner, Moses McKissack I began to build his way to emancipation right from the start. Becoming an enslaved craftsman, he picked up the trade his family would become famous for in the earliest years of the 19th century, passing his learnings down to his children and seeing them off to freedom after the Civil War.
The family would settle in Tennessee, getting its bearings in the building trades despite rampant discrimination, establishing a foothold that now sees its latest generations working at the absolute peak of its industry.
The family’s fingerprints have been left all across the United States, spanning from Reconstruction to contemporary times, through projects like the Morris Memorial Building, Capers C.M.E. Church, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Here, Cheryl McKissack Daniel, CEO and president of McKissack & McKissack, reveals the full fascinating story of her family. So much more than an exploration of architectural achievements, The Black Family Who Built America is also a compelling illustration of how history rhymes and reverberates, and a celebration of the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity and drive change. From Moses’s humble beginnings to Cheryl’s current role as a trailblazer and champion of diversity, the family’s journey underscores the importance of perseverance, innovation, and strategic vision in shaping a legacy that continues to inspire and impact the construction industry.
REVIEW
Cheryl McKissack Daniel’s The Black Family Who Built America is more than a history lesson; it’s a vibrant, multi-generational saga of grit, vision, and resilience. Starting with Moses McKissack, an enslaved craftsman in 19th-century North Carolina, the story traces five generations as they transform hardship into opportunity, breaking barriers to found McKissack & McKissack, the oldest Black-owned architecture and construction firm in the U.S. Their fingerprints are all over the country’s landmarks, but their legacy is just as much about perseverance as it is about blueprints.
What stands out here is the family itself: from Moses’s hard-won skills, passed down and sharpened by his children and grandchildren, to the indomitable women who often held the business—and the family, together. Through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights era, and up to the present day, the McKissacks’ journey tells a bigger story about Black excellence and the fight for recognition in a country that often tried to ignore them.
Daniel, alongside Nick Chiles, writes with clarity and heart. The prose is straightforward but never dry, weaving historical facts with personal anecdotes that pull you in. The emotional weight here is real; you feel the setbacks and the victories, the everyday struggles and the big wins.
There’s a ton to admire: the book shines a light on Black achievement in American industry, challenges the usual historical narrative, and does it all with inspiration that feels earned, not saccharine. Still, the sweep of two centuries means some details and personalities get less attention than you might want, and readers looking for deep dives into technical feats or architectural specifics might find themselves wishing for more.
The verdict? The Black Family Who Built America is a moving, necessary read, especially for anyone interested in the untold stories behind the cities we live in. It’s a testament to what Black families have built, both literally and figuratively.
A solid 4.5/5.
