Fifteen percent of the World’s population comes from the richest natural resource Continent in the world – Africa. The home of the world’s most ancient civilization. According to Harvard Scholar, Researcher, DNA Expert, Author, and Professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, “Africa is home of the world’s most ancient civilization. Far too often Africa has been thought of as isolated and stagnant, there is nothing further from the truth. The roots of every family tree trace to Africa, and so does the history of Civilization 200,000 years old.”
Humanity began in Africa. Whether it is a debate on where in Africa human civilization began, or some who argue the oldest humans on the planet are Aboriginals from Australia 750,000 years ago, they were dark-skinned or black people – the Homosapien was black. The oldest DNA from sub-Saharan Africa—the place where the whole human story began—dates back less than 10,000 years ago (History.com).
The first civilization was Egypt or Kemet (Land of Black) fueled with agriculture, water, transportation, and trade along the Nile River. The Mali Empire was founded by Sundiata Keita , known also as the ‘hungering lion’ (ancient-origins). The Mali Empire was the largest and wealthiest Civilization in West Africa. Mali known as the Manding Empire or Manden Kurufa was a state that dominated the 13th and 17th centuries. At its height of power during the 14th century, the Mali Empire ruled over an area larger than western Europe. Additionally, the Mali Empire had a sophisticated military and political system, which allowed the empire to rule over such a large area.
The Kingdom of Kush was in the most Southern parts of Kemet. The third largest ancient Civilization was the King of Axum, a trading empire with its hub in Eritrea, Northern Ethiopia, and Tigray.
Black people are taught about Africa from Tarzan and slavery. Our history was stolen from us by the Europeans, and our history and the truth were robbed of us. When we are told about Africa, it is often a mockery and a place or history to be ashamed of. The talk of slavery magnifies this as well as the hateful stereotypes about remarkable people to whom much of our ancestry is linked to our DNA.
At the Berlin Conference from November of 1884 to February of 1885, the European Powers “neatly divided” Africa up among themselves, drawing boundaries of Africa as we know them today. They did this to exploit and export Africa’s resources – Gold, diamonds, rubber, and timber.
The countries that did this historic disservice were Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Germany – All of these nations had a direct hand in taking part in the Atlantic Slave Trade. However, the major slave-trading nations were Portugal, Britain, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark – all of these countries contributed to the largest crime against Humanity in the history of mankind - The Middle Passage (the Great Tragedy or in Ki-Swahili “The Ma’afa) – From 1525 and 1866, 12.5-million Africans were forced on slave-ships bound for North America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Before the Great Human Disaster, the people of Africa inhabited and ruled great Empires. Ghana was the first Empire, followed by Mali Empire, the West African Kingdom was larger than Western Europe.
As we are the Cradle of Civilization, Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus) wasn’t responsible for Africans ultimately coming to America. He did not discover America.
A man by the name of Abubakari II came to America 200 years before Columbus. Also known as Mansa Qu, he ruled the great Civilization of Mali as noted as the largest and richest in the world. “They came before Columbus.” Columbus was not the first to discover America. He was the last.
Therefore, the origins of American discovery from across Atlanta may have come from Africa. Columbus was aware that African Natives came before him, (Von Hotel, Dan, - Black Before Columbus Came, 2019). Leo Weiner of Harvard University wrote in the Discovery of America,” he said, “Columbus noted in his journal that the Native Americans confirmed, “Black Skinned people had come from the South-east in boats, trading in Gold tipped spears.” The ratio properties of “gold, copper, and silver alloy were identical to the spears then being forged in African Guinea. Certain plants Columbus discovered in America originally came from Africa, i.e., Cotton, Hot Bird Peppers, Bananas (650 AD), Yams, Millet, Watermelon, Black Eyed Peas, Coffee, and Okra – Now you know how our Soul Food did not just come eating the scraps of the slave masters, but our ancient African Explorers brought them.
In 1513, Spanish Explorer Balboa credited for discovering South America wrote in his journal that he met a tribe of Ethiopians in Panama.
Large Olmec head statues with African features are found throughout Central and South America showing evidence Africans settled in America way before the “apparent discovery” – Black men with large eyes, broad fleshy noses, and full lips.”
