Pre-Colonial Africa

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

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.