Pre-Colonial Africa

Pre-Colonial Africa

The disturbing account of a black baby thrown into boiling water and flogged to death by slave-ship captain

Today, many Africans are still living with memories of the pains and brutalities meted out to their ancestors by European and American slave traders. The slave masters didn’t just brutalize adults; black children were also treated with cruelty.

China’s unending demand for rosewood furniture is damaging African forests

Since first being crafted in China as far back as 1,000 BC, rosewood furniture, or hongmu as it’s also known, has been fashioned into imperial-era styled furniture pieces.

The skull of humanity’s oldest known ancestor is changing our understanding of evolution

The recent discovery of a 3.8m-year-old cranium (skull without the lower jaw) is the hottest topic of conversation among palaeoanthropologists right now.

The African American who moved to Ghana 'to escape US racism'

Having vowed to quit the US after being the victim of what he believed was a racially motivated arrest by police officers, African American Obadele Kambon relocated to Ghana in 2008 - and has never looked back.

Ghana's Year of Return 2019 - Traveler, Tourist or Pilgrim?

"We may call ourselves African Americans but we are truly disconnected from Africa. I say WE because I'm not excluded! I thought 'my people' came from South Carolina ...

The problem with Ghana’s Year of Return diaspora campaign to boost tourism

By & Albert N. KimbuGhana has designated 2019 as the Year of Return to commemorate 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in the United States.

Africa: Colonialists Didn't Fail to Root Out Africa's Tribal Politics. They Created It.

Standing in line at a Nairobi polling station to cast my ballot in Kenya's 2017 presidential election, I struck up a conversation with fellow voters in the queue. The result was a foregone conclusion, said one of the gentlemen proudly. We had the numbers and our candidate was going to win.

Kenya: Time Is Ripe to Fight for Return of African Artefacts

A few years ago, retired American actor and novelist Eugene Hackman and a Hollywood film producer, Art Linson, donated some 30 totems to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado.

Artifacts from British and African museums show the transatlantic slave trade’s inhumanity

It marks 400 years since the first documented enslaved Africans arrived at the Point Comfort, which is today Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. Upon their arrival on the former British colony, some 20 or so Africans were forcibly traded to colonists in exchange for food and supplies.

Ghana: How 'Bride Price' Reinforces Negative Stereotypes - a Ghanaian Case Study

Marriage is an institution common to all cultures. Very often it's accompanied by transfers - in most cases in the form of payments - between the families of the groom and the bride. These payments can be categorised into two: dowry and bride price.

The Who, What and How of Reparations for Slavery

In the aftermath of the hearing—and in honor of civil rights leader Queen Mother Moore’s 121st birthday—an online “Reparations Toolkit” was published last Saturday (July 27) by the Movement for Black Lives Policy Table.

Liberia: Beyond the Celebrations - Time to Transform Liberia's Independence Day

or far too long, the government and people of the Republic of Liberia have celebrated Independence Day in different forms and manners. From time immemorial, it has become a tradition and norm for the government to showcase a fancy and expensive Independence Day celebration.

Benin’s new museum for artifacts looted by France is being built using a French loan

By The construction of a new museum in Benin, which is slated to house 26 artifacts looted by France in the colonial era, will be funded by a French loan. The French Development Agency, the development arm of the French government, will lend 20 million euros (or $22.

H.R. 40 – The Study of Reparations: How America Remembers and Defines African American Enslavement

Nationwide — House Resolution Bill 40 (named for the 40 acres and a mule that Black people never got) introduced by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, if passed, establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans to examine slavery (enslavement) and discrimin

A Ghanaian royal family’s conflict of collaboration and resistance in the African slave trade

“Yes, you can see the keys. But, you must make an appointment and come back another day.

The enslavement of Africans fuelled capitalism in the West. It's time to make amends

The dilemma of how to make reparations to descendants of African slaves in America has been a thorn in the country’s side since the abolition of slavery in 1865.

AfricanAncestry.com to Host Historic Ancestral Reveal at Ghana’s ‘Door of N

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The 1619 anniversary of Africans in the United States is significant but not the whole story

By In 2017, the United States Congress passed the 400 years of African-American History Commission Act which is charged with developing activities throughout the country to commemorate the arrival of Africans in the English colonies in 1619, an event widely regarded as the commencement of the Trans-

Africa: Ancient DNA Is Revealing the Origins of Livestock Herding in Africa

Visitors to East Africa are often amazed by massive herds of cattle with a gorgeous array of horn, hump and coat patterns. Pastoralism - a way of life centered around herding - is a central part of many Africans' identity.

South Africa: Connecting With Centuries-Old Stories About Women's Painful Struggles

This is an edited extract from a chapter in the recently published "Teaching for Change". In 2016 female students at South Africa's universities started the #EndRapeCulture campaign to mobilise against the pervasive culture of sexual violence on the different campuses.

Why Western museums should return African artifacts

A large number of artifacts held in Western museums and libraries are known to have been appropriated over the ages through conquest and colonialism. The looting of African objects anthropologists, curators and private collectors took place in war as well as in peaceful times.

African Elements: Explorations in Black and Africana Studies

African Elements: Explorations in Black and Africana Studies shared a link.

Africa: Western Sahara - Natives of the Desert, Natives of Africa?

This is the final article in the seven-part series Living In Translation about language and identity. They are guest edited by Nanjala Nyabola. See all the articles here.

New Water-Cycle Explains Why Mars Is A Barren Planet

The study of a new water-cycle in the Martian summertime offers clues as to why Mars is a dusty barren land. Once upon a time, billions of years ago, Mars was a waterlogged world, rich in rivers and oceans. But all of that water was lost and even today, the planet leaks hydrogen out into space.

The US Confederate flag continues to ignite racial tensions—in Brazil

The aroma of fried chicken and biscuits roused my appetite as the country sounds of Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, and Johnny Cash played over the loudspeakers. This might have been a county fair back home in Tennessee, but it wasn’t.

The Expense of the American Dream

Professor Gerald Horne shows that the Dark Continent was Europe, not Africa. The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, and Capitalism in Seventeenth Century North America and the Caribbean by Gerald Horne Monthly Review Press, 2018.

South Africa Social Ills Are Part of the Legacy of Apartheid - ANC

The ANC says South Africa's social ills are part of the legacy of apartheid. The party said this at its manifesto briefing on Social Cohesion and Moral Regeneration on Sunday. The briefing was part of its series of manifesto engagements.

Last survivor of US slave ships discovered

The last known survivor of the transatlantic slave ships, brought to the US in 1860, has been identified by an academic at Newcastle University.

How a Movement to Send Freed Slaves to Africa Created Liberia

The biggest question facing the leaders of the United States in the early 19th century was what to do about slavery. Should it continue or should the U.S.

New Study Suggests That America May Be Ready For Reparations To Blacks

If a new survey is accurate, most Americans are receptive to the controversial idea of the federal government granting reparations to African-Americans.

Africa: Activists in France Prevent Auction of African Artefacts

The auction of 40 artefacts taken from the ancient kingdom of Dahomey during a French military campaign in the 19th century, and held in a private collection for decades, was cancelled following a dramatic intervention by African activists in the city of Nantes.

Archaeologists Find Bound Bodies Of Enslaved Africans In Portuguese Trash Dump

In the early 15th century, Portuguese explorers like Henry the Navigator began sailing to Africa, bringing back both goods and enslaved people.

The Ethiopian king who shot himself rather than be captured by the British

The recent announcement that a British museum will return two stolen locks of hair from a 19th century Ethiopian king was hailed as an “exemplary gesture of goodwill” by the Ethiopian Embassy in London.

Ethiopia: Why It's Significant That the UK Has Returned the Locks of Hair of an Ethiopian King

The recent announcement that a British museum will return two stolen locks of hair from a 19th century Ethiopian king was hailed as an "exemplary gesture of goodwill" by the Ethiopian Embassy in London.

The Museum of Women’s History in Zambia is changing how a whole country sees itself

The Museum of Women’s History in Zambia has no physical space and yet it is already changing the narrative of the role of women in Zambia.

Ethiopia’s Remote Afar: an Ancient Way of Life Continues in a Modernising Country

This story includes downloadable print-quality images -- Copyright IPS, to be used exclusively with this story.

Southern Africa: Debunking the Colonial Myth of the "Naked Bushman"

To dress is a unique human experience, but practices and meanings of dress are as different as the people populating the world. In a Western cultural tradition, the practice of dressing "properly" has for centuries distinguished "civilised" people from "savages" .

A Detailed Map of Medieval Trade Routes in Europe, Asia, and Africa

Grad student Martin Jan Månsson has created this incredibly detailed map of trade route networks in Europe, Asia, and Africa in the 11th and 12th centuries. Even before modern times the Afro-Eurasian world was already well connected.

New Textbook Makes Black History Relevant 365 Days Of The Year

It always seems like Black History Month is over before you know it. For just 28 days out of the year, the country is exposed to the rich history of Black folks beyond the two chapters they were taught in grade school: slavery and civil rights.

Nigeria: Lagos Asks British Museum to Return Historical Sculpture

The Lagos State Government has formally requested the return of an important sculptural woodcarving, known in the UK as the Lander Stool, from the British Museum.

1619: 400 years ago, a ship arrived in Virginia, bearing human cargo

After having been kidnapped from their villages in what is present-day Angola, forced onto a Portuguese slave ship bound for what Europeans called the New World and stolen from that ship by English pirates in a confrontation off the coast of Mexico, “some 20.

Look at All These Monuments From Around the World That Honor Those Who Fought Against Slavery

When Haiti unveiled Le Negré Marron statue in 1967, it became a symbol for freedom of black people across the world. The sculpture is a reminder of the rebellion against the French that set the Haitians free.

Africa: How We Know That Ancient African People Valued Fossils and Rocks

It's been nearly 50 years since geologist and author Dorothy Vitaliano coined the term "geomythology". This refers to the study of oral traditions from around the world that explain geological and other natural phenomena through metaphor and myth.

The 19th century Kingdom of Hayti was the Wakanda of the Western hemisphere

Marvel’s blockbuster “Black Panther,” which recently became the first superhero drama to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award, takes place in the secret African Kingdom of Wakanda.

Dakar’s Museum of Black Civilizations is a vital step for a people reclaiming their history

By in Dakar SenegalThe recent release of the groundbreaking study by Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Bénédicte Savoy calling for the restitution of Africa’s looted assets has sparked debates from the art historians of Paris and London to the museums and cultural centers o

Black Chronicle Book Re-Issued For Historic 400 Year Celebration

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Nigeria: Exploring Yoruba Santeria Religion in Cuba

I recently travelled across Cuba, an island in the Caribbean still developing, due to the economic embargo put in place by its closest neighbour, the United States of America after the socialist government of Fidel Castro was established in 1959.

South Africa: We Will 'Declare Independence' If Ramaphosa Doesn't Respond to Demands - Khoisan Leader

Khoisan leader Chief Khoisan SA has given President Cyril Ramaphosa until New Year's Day, or else he says the Khoisan people will declare independence from South Africa.

Museum Of Black Civilizations In African Wants Europe To Return Stolen Artworks

A new museum in Africa that displays artworks from across the African Diaspora opened earlier this month, but it’s missing important pieces that Europe plundered during the colonial era.

White Supremacy, Colonialism and Fatphobia are Inherently Tied to Each Other

“People are so enamored with white mediocrity they think I should be grateful to sit at a table I’m probably overqualified to be at.” – JerVae Everything that we know about “obesity” is an indictment on white supremacy, and everything about who we listen to regarding it is bullshit.

Rwanda: Statement on the Early Release of Aloys Simba

Kigali — In the strongest terms possible, Rwanda opposes the early release of Aloys Simba from prison. The International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda convicted Simba of genocide and the crime against humanity of extermination, and it sentenced him to 25 years imprisonment.

Egypt: 4400 Year Old Tomb Discovered in Egypt

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a tomb which they say is the final resting place of a high priest undiscovered for 4400 years. The secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri described the discovery as "one of a kind in the last decades".

Why the ancient village square remains a central force of Igbo life

People and places are inextricably linked. Your knowledge about life and how you move through the world is based on the environment where you were raised. A good example is what we found among the Igbo, where landscape provides space to discuss and decide on social structure and social processes.

Nigeria: Ancient Village Arenas Remain a Central Force in Igbo Life. Here's Why

Netflix is finally investing in original African content

African subscribers of Netflix will soon have more local options of shows to watch. The global streaming giant has confirmed plans to order original series from Africa next year to add to its ever-growing roster.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart 60 years on and the power of Africa’s universal English

“One of the most infuriating habits of these people was their love of superfluous words,” thinks the colonial district commissioner to himself in the final chapter of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

The return of Benin’s looted bronzes is about restoring a century’s worth of heritage—and pride

More than a century after they were looted, the decades-old campaign for European museums to return African art—particularly Benin bronzes—is finally looking like a real possibility.

The economy of Ancient Egypt laid the groundwork for building the pyramids

In the shadow of the pyramids of Giza, lie the tombs of the courtiers and officials of the kings buried in the far greater structures. These men and women were the ones responsible for building the pyramids: the architects, military men, priests, and high-ranking state administrators.

Common Brings Zora Neale Hurston's 'Barracoon' to TV

He will adapt the long-unreleased book, about the last known enslaved person to survive the Middle Passage, into a limited series.

What a Danish slave trade castle in Accra revealed about Ghana’s history and my family

As a Ghanaian archaeologist, I have been conducting research at Christiansborg Castle in Accra, Ghana. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the castle is a former seventeenth century trading post, colonial Danish and British seat of government, and Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana.

The incredible quest to find the African slave ships that sank in the Atlantic

OFF THE COAST OF DAKAR, SENEGAL — The archaeologist rose in the bow of the speedboat, pointing to the choppy waters where the 18th-century slave ship had gone down.

Africa: 'The African Free Trade Area Could Be a Reality by March Next Year'

The agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has the potential of boosting intra-African trade and supporting Africa's economic development. Yet some are still sceptical about its implementation.

Ghana: Slavers in the Family - What a Castle in Accra Reveals About Ghana's History

Scientists have worked out the age of the Cradle of Humankind caves and what it says about our origins

As a species, we humans have always been fascinated in where we came from. Initially, it was believed humans couldn’t have originated from Africa.

Africa's 'First Peoples' Are Gaining Ground

analysis The past 20 years have seen a complete transformation of the political and legal landscape for Africa's indigenous people The term "indigenous people", and the identification of particular groups in these terms, evokes strong emotions, outright hostility even, among many Africans, or at le

How Ghana made itself the African home for a return of the black diaspora

In a recently released music video, Fuse ODG and Damian Marley (Bob Marley’s youngest son) explore the themes of slavery, colonialism, black pride and modern day police brutality.

First Wrecked Slave Ship Discovery Yields Brutal Details

The small, 340-ton São José-Paquete de Africa set out from Mozambique in December 1794. Even though the ship was no more than no more than 130 feet long (and

The dark history of Togo’s slave house ran by an African royalty and a British trader until 1856

For many, it is very hard to believe that the slave trade business was lucrative not only for western slave traders and merchants but also for many local chiefs and warriors who made so much money selling off their own people even after the trade was banned.

An African American artist’s “remixing” of apartheid-era images is raising questions about appropriation

Wandering around this year’s Johannesburg Arts Fair in September, photographer Graeme Williams stopped dead in front of a familiar image. The photograph of black South African children marching past a tank of white police officers was his—except that it wasn’t.