The central plot revolves around a debate between a Pullman porter and a white racist Southern politician. From 'Superman' to Man is a polemic against the ignorance that fuels racism. Rogers' first book From 'Superman' to Man, self-published in 1917, attacked notions of African inferiority. He self-published the results of his research in several books. Through this travel, he was able to feed his appetite for knowledge, by using various libraries in the cities which he visited.

His job of Pullman porter allowed him to travel and observe a wide range of people. While living in Chicago in the 1920s, Rogers worked as a Pullman porter and as a reporter for the Chicago Enterprise. He became a close personal friend of Hubert Harrison, an intellectual and activist based in Harlem. He was there during the Harlem Renaissance, a flowering of African-American artistic and intellectual life in numerous fields. He became a naturalized citizen in 1916 and lived in New York most of his life. Rogers emigrated from Jamaica to the United States in 1906, living briefly in Chicago before settling in Harlem, New York. Rogers claimed to have had a 'good basic education'.

His parents could afford to give Rogers and his ten siblings only a rudimentary education, but stressed the importance of learning. One of eleven children, he was the son of mixed-race parents who were a minister and schoolteacher.

Joel Augustus Rogers was born September 6, 1880, or 1883, in Negril, Jamaica. His book, 'World's Great Men of Color' was recognized by John Henrik Clarke as being J.A. He was one of the earliest popularizers of African and African-American history in the 20th century. He challenged prevailing ideas about scientific racism and the social construction of race, demonstrated the connections between civilizations, and traced achievements of ethnic Africans, including some with mixed European ancestry. His research spanned the academic fields of history, sociology and anthropology. He became interested in the history of African Americans in the United States. After settling in the United States in 1906, he lived in Chicago and then New York City. Joel Augustus Rogers (September 6, 1880/83 – March 26, 1966) was a Jamaican-American author, journalist, and amateur historian who focused on the history of Africa as well as the African diaspora. ( January 2009) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations.

Nature knows no color line j. a. rogers