In the West, so many histories of Africa only focus on a depressing narrative that conveniently neglects many inspiring parts. Omitted are the triumphs of empires and heights of humanity shown in the African people; instead, only colonialist attitudes are amplified to disparage the Africans as an inferior continent. Many of us intuit that these negative narratives are lacking somehow, but we don’t have any new information to replace it. The Oxford-educated, Sudanese-born Zeinab Badawi writes this history much like we’d expect any other history to be written: fair and balanced with highlights on cultural triumphs. And she does a spectacular job.
Badawi herself is not an erudite historian but rather a popular writer who consults historians and first-hand evidence to gather together her narrative. She covers the entire continent, not just Europeanized segments like North Africa. She doesn’t just speak of recent centuries of colonization but of the entire history of tribes and non-European empires. She reminds us of all the diversity embedded within this huge, complex continent.
I particularly enjoyed hearing of the cultural triumphs and practices like the Golden Stool. I loved hearing of the dignity with which Africans faced invaders, whether from European or from fellow African nations. Stories like a queen offering her son as a sacrifice for her people to escape across a river cannot but emotionally move even the hardest soul. These stories teach us of what great stock the African peoples come from.
Of course, I never heard much of this, aside from some Egyptian segments, in my education in the United States. Hopefully, Badawi will turn the tide of our lack of enlightenment. As she notes, with rich deposits of rare minerals and under-tapped human potential, Africa can disproportionately benefit from the smallest of economic investments with great yields. With proper investment, just treatment, and fair reparations, cities like Nairobi and Johannesburg and countries like Rwanda might just become large contributors to the global economy, as large as other productive centers. But first, we must come to terms with our human history and our unexamined biases, and Badawi gives the reading public great access to those stories.
An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence
By Zeinab Badawi
Narrated by Zeinab Badawi
Text copyright (c) 2025
Mariner Books
Audio copyright (c) 2025
Mariner Books
ASIN B0D231PNMH
Length: 15:32
Genre: History
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