Unit 1, Pt. 1 - Orgins of African Diaspra

Dr. Carter G. Woodson

-Father of Black History,

-Created “Negro History Week” (1926),

-worked to promote the study Black studies,

-made matierals for teachers & students.

- (Miseducation of the Negro)

African American Studies

Anaylzes history, culture, and contributioons of Black people & African diaspra.

-Reframes misconceptions about early africa

- Recongnize african & contributions.

-Examines ongoning rationships of diaspra

Student Activism

-Swept college campus from coast to coast

-Fueld by Blk. Power

Black Power

-radical back dignity

-revolutionize higher education

Self-Determination

-Bring control of education

-Moving history of African-Americans

Stokley Carmichael

-Biggest activist for Black Power

-Freedom Writer

-Jail 27 times

1968

-Protest @ San Fransico State College

-BSU —> Strike for 5 moths

Results of Student Protest

-SFS spread to 200 colleges

-More hires for black faculty

-creation of black studies

African Ancestral Home

Early African societies brought:

-arts

-architectures

-technology

-politics

-religon

-music

5 Major Climate Zones

-Tropical rainforest

-Grasslands

-Deserts

-Semiarid/Sahel

-Mediterranean

Grasslands

Cultivation of grain

Sahel

Trade of livestock

Population centers in Sahel & Grasslands

1. Major water routes represents movement of people & goods

2. Fertile land = massive amount of agriculture & animals

3. Regions connect communities in North & South

Bantu Migration

Largest & influential migrations in human history

Push Factors

Reasons to leave a place

Pull Factors

reasons to find a place

Who are the Bantu?

-Bantu = people

-600 ethnic groups (Zulu, Sawzi, Hutu, Khoisan)

Bantu language group

spoken by 140 million people in Africa with 535 seperate languages

Innovations Impacts

Technological-tools & weapons

Agricultural-Bananas, yams, cereals

What did population growth do?

Trigerred migrations throughout Africa from 1500 BCE to 500 CE —> BANTU EXPANSION

Reasons Bantu migrate

1. Drying of Sahara Grasslands

2. Occupation, agriculture, hunting, blacksmith, etc.

3. Tribal Wars

4. Slave Trade

5. Territorial Expansions

Concequences of Bantu Expansion

1. Knoweledge of special crafts (USE OF IRON TOOLS & WEAPONS)

2. New crops (BANANAS & YAMS) in new areas of Africa

3. Spread centralized government (one ruler)

4. Idea of permanent homes

Linguistic Influence

The Bantu lingustics family has hundreds of languages in West

Xhosa

Swahili,

Kikongo

Zulu

Egypt

Earliest civilization → Links back 3,000 years (BCE during 1st civilization)

Egypt Acheivments

-Writing

-Architecture

-Geometry

-Astronomy

-365 calendar

-irrigation

-agriculture

Nubia: Kush (Meroe)

1. Emerged in Egypt & Sudan

2. Developed own system of writing

3. Established Kingdom called Kush

Kingdom Kush

• Established by decline of Egypt

• Richest gold-bearing area

• thrived w/ trade

• Kushites migrated with ideas of state organization & skills

Aksumite Empire

• Emerged in Eastern Africa (100 BCE)

• Red Sea connected empire to major maritime trade networks

• Had rise & explosion due to strategic location

• Made own currency & script (Ge’ez)

Nok Society

• Earliest iron-working societies 500 BCE

• Known for terracotta, sculptures, pottery, and stone instruments

• oldest surviving evidence of society in sub-Saharan Africa

King Ezana

• 1st to adopt Christianity

• Ge’ez still used in Ethiopian Orthodox Church

• exemplifies African societies who adopt Christianity

Sudanic Empires

• GHANA, MALI, SONGHAI

• Renowned for gold mines & strategic location

Ghana

• 600-1200 CE

Mali

1200-1600 CE

Songhai

1400-1500 CE

Trans-Saharan Trade Netwrok

• Brought together

- merchants (economic)

-scholars (social)

-administrators (political)

• ALL Islam

Mansa Musa

• richest man

• established Mali as centre for trade, learning, cultural exchange

Timbuktu

• Hundreds of thosands of books (14th-17th centruy)

• Books include: math, astronomy, philosphy, & mainly religon

• learning communites flourished in Timbuktu

Griots

• Prestigious historians, storytellers, & musicians

• maintained & shared history through traditions and practices

• Kept marriages, births, deaths,

Epic Of Sundiata

• Means- Lion prince

• still celebrated in Mali

• epic tells Sundiata Keita (founder of Mali Empire) and keeps history of Mande ppl

Sundiata Keita

• Led revolt against powere Ghana empire

• Became ruler of Mali in 13th century

• Became a legend

• Created first charters of human rights → MANDEN CHARTER

• Manden Charter talks about peace & aboliton of slavery, education & food security