African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals

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By David Hackett Fischer ’57

Published June 23, 2022

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Fischer explores the little-known history of how enslaved people contributed to the creation of new regional cultures in the colonial United States. Fischer’s decades of research demonstrate traditions, linguistic practices, and more that ultimately transformed America. African Founders (Simon and Schuster) explains how America was shaped by various African influences. 

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PAW’s December 2025 cover, with a photo of Michael Park ’98.
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December 2025

Judge Michael Park ’98; shifts in DEI initiatives; a night at the new art museum.