African History
Editor’s Featured Picks
Five powerful stories shaped by conflict, trade, resilience, and identity.
Severed Hands — Belgium in Congo (DRC)
Exposing the infamous severed-hands regime under Belgian colonialism.
A Lucrative Voyage in the Black Ivory Trade
How violent trade networks fueled global wealth at catastrophic human cost.
Slaves Bought and Sold Like Baseball
A provocative comparison exposing the commercial nature of slave markets.
Before 1776: America & Africa’s Shared Story
The deep African roots woven into America before independence.
From Human Zoos to Music Videos
How colonial displays echo through today’s music-video imagery.
Diaspora & Identity
The African Bookshelf
Essential African literature and its cultural legacy across time and place.
From African Shores to Florida Streets
How African people and culture shaped Florida’s streets and social memory.
Why Didn’t Former Slaves Leave America?
Complex realities that led many freed people to remain in the U.S. after emancipation.
How Did Black People Get to Norway?
Lesser-known pathways that brought Africans into Scandinavian history.
African Men & Emotions
Masculinity, feeling, and cultural context—how history shapes today’s conversations.
The Power of Twa Naming & Identity
Why names matter—identity, community, and memory among the Twa.
Living Between Birth and Death
African perspectives on life, death, and the in-between—ritual, ethics, and meaning.
Before 1776: America & Africa’s Shared Story
Early links between Africa and America long before U.S. independence.
Empires & Kingdoms
Oyo Empire: Prisoners of War & Labor
War practices, labor systems, and state power in the Oyo Empire.
Why Study the Kingdom of Kongo?
A foundational Central African state with global significance and enduring influence.
Ghana’s Gold Glistens in Sun
Gold, trade, and the political economies that shaped West Africa.
Colonialism & Resistance
Severed Hands — Belgium in Congo (DRC)
Exposing the atrocities of the severed-hands regime under Belgian colonialism.
Libya Under Italian Control
Timeline and legacy of Italian colonial rule and its long afterlives.
Stolen Colonial Artifacts Have No Soul
Why looted cultural objects lose spiritual context outside their communities.
Economic Tool of Manipulation
How economic instruments were used to control African societies.
Human Rights vs. Local Customs
Understanding tensions between universal rights and customary law.
Silenced Voice of Dawit Isaak
Press freedom, imprisonment, and the stakes for democracy in Africa.
From Human Zoos to Music Videos
How colonial exhibitions echo in modern media and imagery.
Arrogance Named Africa
How outsiders named, framed, and valued “Africa” across history.
Religion & Scholarship
Harar’s Gates of Learning
Harar as a center of Islamic teaching, trade, and cultural exchange.
Canadian Missionaries in Ghana
Faith, education, and influence—missions and Ghana’s modern history.
Call and Response: The World’s Oldest Tradition
Oral pedagogy, worship, and performance as social technology.
Slavery & Trade
A Lucrative Voyage in Black Ivory Trade
Counting the human cost: the economics and violence of the trade.
Slaves Bought and Sold Like Baseball
Provocative metaphor exposing the commodification of human life.
1787: First Settlers Landed in Sierra Leone
Diasporic return, British policy, and the founding of Freetown.
Before 1776: America & Africa’s Shared Story
Trade, labor, and ideas linking continents before U.S. independence.
Language & Names
Different Historical Names of Ethiopia
Tracing Ethiopia through names across empires and eras.
Legacy of Nine Names of Ethiopia
What shifting names reveal about identity and political history.
Cairo Name Origins
How one of Africa’s great cities got its name and global stature.
Arrogance Named Africa
Naming, power, and the politics of how “Africa” is framed.
Natural History & Environment
Water in Africa
Scarcity, access, and the technologies that move water across history.
Vital Artery for Humanitarian Aid
The strategic corridor that keeps relief and trade flowing.
Shea Butter: A Complete Guide
Trade good, beauty staple, and cultural balm with a deep past.
Jurassic Period Apex Predators
Prehistoric Africa and what ancient fauna reveal about the continent’s story.
Modern Cultural Movements
The Mushmouth Stereotype
How cartoons and media spread harmful caricatures over generations.
The 1772 Hurricane: Beyond Hamilton’s World
Re-centering a famous storm’s impact beyond elite narratives.
How Norway Helps Africa
Policy, aid, and responsibility examined with historical context.
Starvation Cults in Africa
Dark intersections of faith, famine, and survival strategies.
Living Between Birth and Death
Philosophy and social change—how old ideas guide modern life.
City, Names & Empire Crossovers
Different Historical Names of Ethiopia
Names as evidence—how power and identity shift across eras.
Legacy of Nine Names of Ethiopia
Nine titles, one civilization—threads that bind a nation’s memory.
Cairo Name Origins
From etymology to empire—how a city’s name encodes status.
More to Explore
Looking for food heritage and plant medicine? Visit the African Medicinal Plant Collection.
