Africans in the Americas provides a comparative history of African Americans, from the arrival of the first Africans in the Western Hemisphere to the present. Within a chronological organization, the book has topical chapters that compare the political, economic, social, and cultural contributions of African Americans to life in the U.S., the Caribbean, Brazil, and Spanish America.

By offering a complete view of African-American history and by considering the roles of Africans and their descendants in the development of all the Americas, the book is able to place the black diaspora in the larger context of world history.

The book begins with a chapter on African antiquity and early contacts with Europe. It continues with a comparative history of the slave trade and emancipation. Other topics include the role of free blacks throughout African-American history, women and gender relations, and African-American relations with Europeans and Native American populations.

Finally, the book concludes with chapters on modern race and economic relations in the Americas and a chapter on the continuing ties between African Americans and Africa.