Black History Begins before Slavery

Black History Begins before Slavery

By Jonathan Baymon

Knowing the positive contributions of our ancestors builds confidence.  It builds a sense of pride.  That was one of the original goals when Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in the 1920’s.  He recognized that the history of the descendants of African people was being taught incorrectly, or not taught at all.

As we go further into the 21st century, almost one hundred years since Woodson’s creation, we have to remember the purpose of teaching history, and the importance of teaching it correctly.  For African American history, we have to try to paint a picture of more than just the struggle against slavery.  We have to remind, or teach students about the civilizations that existed before slavery.

It is not about teaching that all Africans were kings and queens.  It is about teaching the complexity of the society that existed before slavery, and even during slavery.  Although the Atlantic  slave trade began in the late 1400’s, it lasted until the late 1800s.  That is over 400 years of history - longer than the United States has been a nation.  There is a complexity to the place where African Americans originate from.

Teaching students about their history can give them a sense of pride.  It can also give them something to attach themselves to.  The United States has an incredible mythology.  The stories of the Pilgrims who left Europe because of religious persecution is a great story of triumph.  The stories of Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers creating the world’s first modern democracy is a great story of triumph.  The stories of the United States coming to the rescue with military might in World War I and World War are great stories of triumph.  This gives American people a great sense of pride and confidence.  But within those stories are the tragedy of the descendants of Africans who would later be called African Americans.

These stories do not give African Americans a sense of pride.  In fact, it can turn a lot of students away from history altogether.  If a person reads deeper into those triumphal mythologies, there are stories of great civilizations being destroyed, and the people of those civilizations reduced to slaves, if not outright murdered (Native Americans).

That is why it is important to teach students about the complex societies that existed in Africa before the slave trade, and during the slave trade.  This way students can see themselves in history as more than just uncivilized people who were brought over by Europeans to work the land.  This can also make students want to learn more about the other places that Africans landed during the slave trade.  The Caribbean Islands and South America have a complex history with Africa, Europe, and the slave trade that would be a great addition to any lesson on African American history.

I tried writing this article before, and it became a history lesson, and that is not what I set out to do.  There are a number of stories to tell and it is extremely important that any teacher working with African American children take the time to learn those stories. It is extremely important to teach an in-depth African history to children who descend from that land.  The confidence from knowing one’s place in history works wonders in the decisions that a person makes in the future.  When people see their value, they expect greatness from themselves.

These lessons are also important for students who are not African American.  There is a history of misinformation on African American culture, and African culture.  As students learn more correct information, it can improve the perspective that people have of one another.

Here are some lessons that can help to increase student’s knowledge of Africa before and during the slave trade.  I encourage any teacher to look further into the stories, and look for other stories of Africa during this time period.  There is plenty of great research that exists!

Songhai Empire

When the earliest Europeans chose to trade along the coast of West Africa, it was the Songhai Empire that they encountered.  The Songhai Empire became dominant in the late 1400’s after defeating the Mali Empire which ruled the area since the 13th century.  The Portuguese learned of the gold that was abundant in Africa and this is what originally sparked trade between the two groups.  The Songhai empire also conducted trade across the Sahara with North African empires.  One of the great kings of Songhai was Sunni Ali who reigned from 1464 - 1492.

This story is important because it shows that the Portuguese recognized the importance of this African kingdom as a place of equality.  It was much later in history that Europeans made up the stories of entering Africa to civilized the continent.

University of al-Qarawiyyin

This University is considered the oldest standing university in the world.  It was founded by a Muslim princess from Tunisia - Fatima al-Fihri - in the year 859.  The University is located in Fez, Morocco. 

This university is important to the story of Africa because often, African history separates Northern Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa.  This creates the idea that Northern Africa - places like Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt are part of the Middle Eastern world, instead of the African world.  However, students should recognize the continent as a whole. 

This university taught students from around the world, including not just Morocco and North Africa, but also Central Asia, and West Africa.  The school had many applicants and thus had a rigorous selection process to attend.

Abu Bakr (of Jamaica)

Abu Bakr was an African Muslim who was captured and taken to Jamaica.  He was named after one of the most important figures in Muslim history, which makes finding information on him on the web very difficult. 

Abu Bakr’s story is interesting and very important because it shows that there was a high level of culture in Africa during the time of the slave trade.  His story combats the myth that Africans needed to be civilized by Europeans.  Abu Bakr was an accomplished, educated man who used his knowledge of the Arabic language to explain the complexity of his native land in West Africa.

Abu Bakr’s story is also important because it shows the connection of African Americans to different parts of the Western hemisphere.  In the United States, we learn the history of the slave trade with a focus on our country.  But many, many more slaves landed in the Caribbean Islands and South America.  This is a story of a shared history of African heritage.

Below are web sources for the information used.  There are incredible books and journals on these topics as well.

Songhai Empire

Tinashe. “Africa, Portugal.” South African History Online, 23 Jan. 2014, www.sahistory.org.za/topic/africa-portugal.

Cartwright, Mark. “Songhai Empire.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 1 Aug. 2019, www.ancient.eu/Songhai_Empire/.

University of al-Qarawiyyin (also written University of Al-Karaouine)

Ugc. “University of Al-Karaouine.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 31 May 2016, www.atlasobscura.com/places/university-of-alkaraouine.

“The Oldest University Is in Africa, and Was Founded by a Woman.” Face2Face Africa, 24 May 2019, face2faceafrica.com/article/the-oldest-university-is-in-africa-and-was-founded-by-a-woman.

Abu Bakr (of Jamaica)

Wisconsin Muslim Journal. “Muslim Slaves in America: Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq.” Wisconsin Muslim Journal, 9 Feb. 2018, wisconsinmuslimjournal.org/muslim-slaves-in-america-abu-bakr-al-siddiq/.

AFROZ, SULTANA. “The Unsung Slaves: Islam in Plantation Jamaica.” Caribbean Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 3/4, 1995, pp. 30–44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40653941.