African History

African urbanization scholars, everyday Nigerians, and policymakers have a responsibility to do more than just honor the man who pioneered modern building regulations. The African continent has a responsibility to Akin Mabogunje to work toward his goal of creating truly welcoming urban environments. In Kano State on October 18th, 1931, …

Archaeological findings and historical documents have indicated that the ancient city of Meroe was the capital of the kingdom of Kush, which is now in present-day Sudan. Kush was a northern African kingdom whose influence spread between c. 1069 BCE and 350 CE. Although the wider region around Kush, which …

Stolen during the colonial era, dozens of Benin bronzes that once adorned the Kingdom of Benin’s royal palace will be on display in Berlin for the final time on Saturday before being repatriated to Nigeria. The renowned pieces of African art and their turbulent journey up to the exhibition at …

The Kanem-Bornu Empire was an African trading empire that was ruled by the Sef (Sayf) dynasty that controlled a large swathe of the regions around Lake Chad from the 9th to the 19th country. Much of its territory, at various times of its existence, includes what is today known as …

In this article, we are going to delve into the interesting history of the Benin art of the medieval ages. Being art is the art ascribed to the kingdom of Benin or Edo people which existed right from 1440—1897, a precolonial west African empire that was located in what is …

Although this might come to you as a surprise, there is well-documented evidence that the City of Ile fie, an ancient urban center, and the cradle of Yoruba civilization located in present-day Osun state, south-western Nigeria, was first paved by a woman around 1067 BC. Ile-Ife was first occupied at …

Yoruba Metal Art: There is well-documented evidence that iron smelting and forging technologies may have existed in West Africa among the Nok people of Nigeria as far back as the 6th century BC. From 1400 to 1600, iron technology appears to have played a crucial role in the fundamental social …

While western and Chinese tech billionaires and captains of industries are considered some of the world’s richest men today, the title of the richest man that ever walked the face of the earth belongs to a little-known ancient ruler in a part of the world that is today associated more …

The mysteries of the world we live in are often in plain sight, and many times humans overlook them, as they chase other flimsy trends and social conditioning. The Vadoma people are the only ancient African ethnic nationalities in the world who have this rare and unique type of toes. …

The Amazons of Dahomey are the world’s only documented female army and one of the world’s unsolved mysteries. While the West turns their story into fetishized cinema, their homeland has immortalized them in bronze. The ‘Esplanade des Amazones’ is a public square in the Benin capital of Cotonou. It is …

Many years ago, when most women around the world were relegated to housework, Ethiopian women were becoming increasingly involved in their national duty of protecting their country. They were defending Ethiopia’s sovereignty by carrying arms or participating in war expeditions against foreign invaders while also assisting in the administration of …

Brown University’s Kona Shen outlines in detail how voodoo played a crucial part during the Haitian Revolution in History of Haiti: “Despite strict regulations, voodoo was one of the few areas of unlimited autonomy for African slaves.” It was a source of psychological liberation as a religion and a crucial …

Eredo, Yoruba Land: Just off the highway in this nondescript town, in a dirt path that meanders through the dense vegetation and trees of the heavy Nigerian rainforest, lies the relics of what is arguably one of the most impressive monuments in sub-Saharan Africa: an extensive, 100-mile-long wall and moat …

The historic Trans-Atlantic slave trade was one of the most heinous crimes against black people, resulting in the eviction of millions of Africans. Between 12 and 15 million Africans were transported from Africa to labor on plantations in the Americas as a result of the trade. After the Portuguese began …

By 1976, Robert Nesta Marley and his Wailers band had become well-known and influential both in Jamaica, where they had many hits and internationally, where Marley was regarded as reggae’s leading exponent. However, tensions in his home country of Jamaica were anything but calm. Citizens were poor, and followers of …

While the west may have entrenched the erroneous belief that Africa was bereft of any form of education and civilization before the arrival of the colonialists, historical evidence has pointed out otherwise. According to history, one of the oldest and first universities in the world was in Timbuktu, Mali. Mali …

Not until recently did most commentators on African literary history believe that African societies had any form of writing tradition. Since the rediscovery of ancient manuscript collections, with some dating back to at least the 8th century AD, this perception has gradually lost popularity. Just about 250,000 old manuscripts from …

The use of enslaved Africans, both living and dead, as guinea pigs for extreme medical experiments is one practice that was rampant during slavery. And even till today, in America, the less privileged in the society, majorly people of African descent are used as test subjects in various experiments. African …

The most significant African challenge to German colonial rule during the brief period when Germany had African colonies was the Maji Maji Uprising in Tanganyika. The Uprising involved indigenous African people living inside over 10,000 square miles and lasted two years. During the “scramble for Africa” that took place in …

The contributions of Black inventors to the technological advancement of the world is one subject that must always be in the spotlight of black history all year round, and not just a topic to be discussed during black history month. In a world where African American history has become a …

By the 19th century, after the Berlin conference, there was great European hunger for the resources and lands of Africa. The transatlantic slave trade was no more profitable for the Europeans and Americans, and they had to focus on other resources that would enrich their countries and thrones. Between 1820 …

Dr. Gladys West Invented The GPS (Global Positioning System): The movement of people from one location to the other has been the backbone of the interaction between societies and people. Over human history, people have had to move from familiar to none familiar locations, for various reasons. The movement of …

We have mentioned in many of our articles, that Black people were the first humans on this planet, and that Black people were originally found in all corners of the earth. There were indigenous or migrated Black populations all over Europe, Asia, America, and other parts of the world. But …

This article and accompanying video showcase the magnificent power and ingenuity of the Twa people of Africa. They were also referred to as Akan by other African tribes, and Leprechaun by Europeans. The name Leprechaun comes from the old Irish ‘luchorpán’, which is a compound name composed of lú meaning …

During the brutal scramble for Africa and Africa’s resources, at least two million Africans were killed in the scramble for ivory tusks for piano keys and billiard balls. At the time, the center of the ivory trade was Connecticut. 80% of the Nama and Herero peoples of Namibia were murdered …

German Government Murdered Over 100,000 Namibian People: The atrocities and crimes against humanity which was perpetrated by the Europeans in Africa, are really painful to recount or tell, but we will talk about them nonetheless. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, various European nations agreed among themselves to invade Africa, …

After the Berlin conference of 1884-1885, various European nations set out to mount their flags all over Africa, murder the people, and then steal their resources to make Europe richer. King Leopold II of Belgium, through his employed conquerors, set sail for Congo and declared it to be his territory …

The common knowledge that all men were made from Adam and Eve and that the world started at the garden of Eden is completely false. Humans have lived on earth for thousands of years, and the first humans were Black people. Blacks were the original humans, and from the Black …

Thomas Fuller, The Virginia Calculator (LWA): In many of our articles and publications, we have strongly and boldly praised the ingenuity of the Black race, being the first humans on earth and paving the path for subsequent civilizations. Littered all over human history are pieces of evidence of our exceptionalism …

It is the day Nigeria agreed to stop the Genocide of 1966-1970 against Ndị Ìgbò and our brothers of the Old Eastern State. On the 15th of January every year, we as Ndị Ìgbò (of Biafra), must remember our people (soldiers and civilians alike) who gave up their lives that …

When will Africa wake up to realize that we have sold ourselves short among the commonwealth of nations? How can we be bold enough to tell our future generations that we abandoned the medical science of our ancestors and left the care of our women and children in the hands …

Till today, many Africans do not fully know the extent to which African ancestors (children and babies) were brutalized by European and white American slave dealers. The slavers were intentional about their brutality to the Black children, and it was to instill fear in the young ones, thereby making them …