In the early 1500s, a West African man named Juan Garrido joined the ranks of Spanish explorers who ventured out in hopes of discovering new parts of the world. With their sights set on locating the fountain of youth, Garrido and other travelers landed in what we now call Florida in 1513.

While history books would have us to believe the first black people in America were slaves, Garrido’s existence and freedom to explore contradicts those sentiments. He is now etched in the nation’s history as the first black man to step foot on American soil.

In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., with additional commentary from Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University, we will take a closer look at an African pioneer whose international exploration earned him a very special place in American history.

Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a 4x Webby Award winning series.

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Archival Materials Courtesy of:

• Alamy Images

• Getty Images

Additional Archival by:

• Acción Cultural Española (AC/E)

Executive Producers:

• Robert F. Smith

• Henry Louis Gates Jr.

• Dyllan McGee

• Deon Taylor

Produced by:

• William Ventura

• Romilla Karnick

Music By:

• Oovra Music

Be Woke presents is brought to you by Robert F. Smith and Deon Taylor.

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