The Kuba kingdom of modern Democratic Republic of Congo was one of 22 literate societies that inhabited Africa during the last 5000 years. The Kuba kingdom existed from 1625 to 1884. The Kingdom of Kuba has evidence of human habitation before 1000 AD, including Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts (source: “Art of the Lega,” by Elisabeth […]
Using any available books or studies already published, I estimated the numerical estimates (with sources) for European people enslaved or used as forced labour during these periods of oppression, conflict or global changes. Between 10.2 million and 14.8 million Europeans have been enslaved or used as forced labour since 300 Bc. I don’t know every
Enslavement of Europeans Read More »
Apartheid is a mind-set that took 300 years to put in place in South Africa, which relied on racist attitudes of successive white-settlers who accumulated power over time. The major social-engineers of apartheid included prime minister Daniel Malan (the 4th prime minister of the Union of South Africa), prime minister Johannes Strijdom, and prime minister
James Pinson Labulo Davies (1828 – 1906). Davies was a businessman, farmer, merchant-sailor, naval officer, industrialist, statesman, philanthropist, and the husband of Sara Forbes Bonetta (Princess Aina). Davies was a lieutenant on HMS Bloodhound , the vessel which capture Lagos in 1841 ousting the Oba Kosoko, with the objective of ending the slave trade. Davies is credited
James Pinson Labulo Davies (1828 – 1906) Read More »
There are some people who don’t know the history of wars involving European nations and African nations. Between 700 and 2020 there have been at least 104 wars, mainly initiated by European nations on African nations or the Diaspora of African nations. Only 1 of those wars was initiated by African nations. There have been
Colonial Wars involving France and the United Kingdom Read More »
Egypt from 306 BC to Today Part I The impact of the Greeks Scholars in the ancient library of Alexandria Egypt was conquered by the Greeks in 332 BC, bringing an end to the Late Period of Ancient Egyptian civilization. The Greeks founded their own dynasty, the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which reigned for nearly 300 years
Egypt: the 2,000 year wait to return to indigenous rule (332 BCE to 1953) Read More »
His works were entertaining and clear. The plots in his plays were absorbing. Monasteries and convents used his works to learn Latin during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. By copying his works, scribes in later generations were taught to write in Latin. 650 manuscripts created after 800 AD contained parts or all of his
Terence the African playwright Read More »
Philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952) once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it..”
How to teach children history Read More »
The Good Ol’ Days During the Colonization of Africa As we look back to see how we got here, it becomes obvious that a few Africans were not taught what the colonization of Africa was like and why almost all African territories were handed back self-rule. To solve problems like poverty, misrule, dictatorships, corruption and
The Colonization of Africa and why it came to an end Read More »
In the 1700’s, science in the western world exploded at a frantic space. There were huge advancements in science, and many new technologies were discovered. However, in work published by Sam Kean in Science magazine, we find out that a lot of these advancements were achieved in part due to slaves. We discover that scientists
Scientists who benefitted from the slave trade and uncredited contributions of slaves Read More »
“Segregation now,
Segregation tomorrow,
Segregation forever”
George Wallace, former Alabama Governor, 1963
United States racial wealth gap since emancipation Read More »
A few citizens of South Africa don’t know who Nigerians are. Although black South Africans suffered immensely due to racist ideas and racist oppression, I have observed that racism has become internalized by some, not all, South Africans and those individuals are unable to see greatness in others, only absurd stereotypes about Nigerians. So, allow
Nigerians for those who don’t know Read More »
Why study African History? Why is it important to learn about Africa’s history? Why is it important to teach history? Why Africa is important to the world? African History important is to the world and also important to Africa. Some people don’t know that modern humans emerged from Africa. They don’t know that 15 African
Why Study African History Read More »
There are a lot of misconceptions about what happened during the Trans-Sahara slave trade and the Atlantic slave trade in black Africans, including how it began. Many people believe the slave trade in Africans began in 1619. In truth, we know that slavery itself began much earlier. Refer to the laws of Hammurabi as one
The Slave Trade in Black Africans Read More »
Makoko Floating System With the rising of unpredictable climate transitions, fascinating design strategies of have evolved to cope with such transitions. The innovative design tactics involve observing the stability and adaptation of coastal communities in different populations around the world. In the Lagos lagoon of Nigeria, Africa, the coastal city of Makoko, was being treated
Makoko floating system: new architecture from Nigeria Read More »
The Barghawata Confederacy were a small group of Berber Muslim tribes that banded into a confederacy for safety against their more ambitious neighbours. Their kingdom was based on the Atlantic coast of present-day Morocco. At first, they allied with the Masmuda confederacy, who were the owners of Morocco in the 8th century AD. Then in
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The eight Christian Berber kingdoms are the states which emerged out of the Mauro-Roman kingdom. The Mauro-Roman kingdom was an independent Christian Berber kingdom located in present day Northern Algeria. It had its capital at the city of Altava and controlled the major portion of the ancient Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis. This kingdom was
Eight Christian Berber Kingdoms Read More »
Every person we throw away or failure to protect and nurture has value.
The Africa We Want Read More »
Many countries from Europe, Asia Minor and America were involved in the slave trade, transporting Africans against their will from Africa to their own countries or colonies to profit from their re-sale or value in use. In the following table, the estimates of the numbers of people transported, the flags of the carriers and their
10 Non-African Nations involved in the slave trade Read More »
ThinkAfrica explainer African Nations Involved in the Slave Trade The slave trade was the horrific trafficking of Africans as enslaved persons to the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. It was a catastrophe of violence, extraction, and human degradation—driven above all by external demand and imperial systems, but also, tragically, involving some African states and
10 African nations involved in the slave trade Read More »
If you’re looking for your next travel destination, make sure not to be deceived by the media’s fake propaganda. They usually display the African continent as a risky destination that is not safe, or even not worth the visit. This is far from the truth. Africa is home to some of the safest
10 Safest countries in Africa Read More »
A nation is a body of people with shared descent, language, history and culture. By that definition Nigeria is country of 372 nations.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not … They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” Donald Trump Oh, the irony! Role of convict labour and penal military units in Europe’s civilizing mission (15th-20th Century) History is often told today in terms of the civilizing influence of Europe on regions they subjugated. Countries that did not live
Role of convicts in Colonization Read More »
In popular culture there is a common perception that Africa has always been on the periphery of world advancements, that Africa did not contribute anything. The stereotype is that in the past Africa offered the world slaves – through the Atlantic slave trade – while today it offers the world child labour, horrifying news headline,
Iron technology started in Africa Read More »
If you think that slavery has been eradicated, think again. Modern-day slavery takes place in the form of human trafficking which involves forcing, pressuring or defrauding victims into labor or sexual exploitation.
How human trafficking affects Africa today Read More »
Were the Ancient Egyptians black? And… Were the Ancient Egyptians African? These are controversial questions. To answer the questions, we need to agree certain things first. We even need to agree “Who are Africans?” for instance, as odd as that may seem? In modern logic, Africans tend to be those who are either first,
Were the Ancient Egyptians black? Read More »
The Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Trans-Sahara slave trade were the horrific human trafficking of Africans as slaves by slave traders to Europe, America, North Africa and the Middle East. Despite the prices that could be earned, there were many African nations which did not take part in the slave trade and resisted these abhorrent
10 nations that didn’t take part in the slave trade Read More »
The number of tribes in Africa exceed 3,000. To understand the various cultures of Africa it’s easy to focus on the largest tribes and overlook the smallest tribes in Africa. There are many tribes in Africa that are very small, but no less diverse in their culture than the larger ones. Here are 10 of
10 smallest tribes in Africa Read More »
The Almoravid dynasty was a Berber Muslim dynasty, based around central Morocco. While it came from humble beginnings, established in the 11th century, eventually this empire would come to control large swaths of the western Maghreb (Northern Africa) and Al-Andalus (Southern Spain and Portugal). It was founded by Abdallah ibn Yasin, a charismatic leader, who
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The Almohad Empire was a Berber Muslim empire, founded in Northern Africa in the 12th century AD. At the peak of its power, it controlled most of North Africa (presently the Maghreb area) and the Iberian Peninsula (presently Spain and Portugal). The Almohad were a people that believed in the doctrine of Ibn Tumart. This
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10 largest tribes in Africa Africa has within it more than a billion people in 54 countries. It also has around 3,000 tribes, from diverse regions with varying numbers of people. 30% of the African population come from ten people groups or if you would prefer “tribes”. In almost every case, these tribes were precolonial
10 largest tribes in Africa Read More »
This reading list is named after Cheikh Anta Diop in recognition of the impact Cheikh Anta Diop had on the advancement of knowledge of Africans, descendants of Africans and Africans in diaspora of African history and African achievements in the context of world history. The reason for creating this list is to provide: This reading
Cheikh Anta Diop Reading List Read More »
Between 6,000 to 9,000 years ago, North Africa went through a humid phase in their climate. This was known as the African Humid period. A German explorer Heinrich Barth discovered paintings from that time depicting a very different African landscape, filled with elephants, antelopes, giraffe, and other wildlife, being pursued by hunters. The incongruence of
African Humid Period Read More »
The Silver Treaty, also known as the Eternal Treaty or the Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty, is the earliest known surviving peace treaty and is sometimes called the Treaty of Kadesh after the well-documented Battle of Kadesh that had been fought some 16 years earlier although Kadesh is not mentioned in the text. It is also the
The silver treaty – Earliest surviving written peace treaty Read More »
Dutch wax prints fabrics go by many names; Ankara wax prints, Ankara, African wax prints, African prints, Holland wax, Dutch wax, wax Hollandais, veritable Dutch Hollandais.
Dutch wax prints: aka AFRICAN WAX PRINTS Read More »
In a time without the media, or intoxicants, what could cause violence?
What causes violence? Africa (11,700 BC to 3,000 BC) Read More »
The kingdom of Oyo, also known as the Oyo Empire, is a West African monarchy, that at its peak, covered 270,000 square kilometres (1). It stretched from parts of the Republic of Benin in the west to the southwest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the east. To the north, it bordered the Nupe
When you talk about the richest humans that have ever existed whose accounts were recorded in history, the name Mansa Musa is always right up there. All evidence indicates that he is very likely the richest human being that has ever lived[1]. His wealth is estimated to be worth over $400 billion[2]. Mansa Musa of
The richest man in history: Who was Mansa Musa and why was he so Famous? Read More »
Medicine, medical writing, medical schools, surgery, pharmacy and medical algorithms were first developed in Ancient Egypt Africa.
Africa’s inventions: Medicine Read More »
Queen Aissa Koli Ngirmaramma served her seven years term as a queen, and when her term was up, she transferred power to a successor. Something, some African heads of state of today would not do willingly.
