African History Film Response
In the film Congo: hite King, Red Rubber, Black Death, the filmmakers endeavor to show how the nation known as Congo came to be. Like many modern African countries, Congo was originally divided into regions based upon the indigenous tribes who made the land their home. During this period, it cannot be honestly proclaimed that all was peace and cooperation between factions, far from it. However, things were far better during pre-colonialism for the native people of Congo than they would become following the expansion of European powers into the African continent. This film endeavors to remove the veneer that has been placed on events and show Congo's history for what it truly was.
Many people suffered under the control of European imperial powers. In Congo, the oppression of the native population was decimated by King Leopold II who ruled Congo as a colony of his kingdom Belgium.…...
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Works Cited
Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death. (2004). YouTube. YouTube, 27 Oct. 2012. Web.
Islam in East Africa
Analysis of writings on East Africa show that religion, culture, and tradition in traditional Africa were very important, but they were also altered over time by the entry of other religions and other cultures, aspects of which became entrenched in Africa, sometimes in altered form and sometimes in a way that altered local customs and beliefs. Islam today is well established in East Africa, as well as some other parts of Africa, and the religion moved into East Africa slowly and largely peacefully, beginning with economic and trade connections between the Muslim world and Africa and eventually leading to some areas in Africa becoming centers of Islamic learning, education, and worship.
Trade began when Arab traders sought certain goods from the continent:
As well as being an important market-place for the traffic between East and West, Arabia also annually sent a fleet of ships down the east coast of…...
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Bibliography
Burke, Fred G. And Stanley Diamond. The Transformation of East Africa: Studies in Political Anthropology. New York: Basic Books, 1966.
Duiker, William J. And Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History: Volume I. New York: West Publishing, 1994.
Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Hansen, Holger Bernt and Michael Twaddle. Religion and Politics in East Africa: The Period since Independence. London: James Currey, 1995.
African-Americans History And Culture
The false and misleading notion that "African-Americans created themselves" completely ignores and invalidates the rich history of those whose ancestry lies in the great African continent. While African-Americans have adopted and incorporated many cultures into their own (not unlike any other cultural group in America) that in no way signifies that African-American's have no culture or history of their own.
"Black people have no history, no heroes, no great moments," this was told to a young Arthur Schomburg by his 5th grade teacher. Schomburg, with both African and Puerto ican ancestry went on to become a great historian and curator of African-American history; helping to dispel the very "truth" that his teacher tried to feed him about his own history and culture many years prior. The statement that "African-Americans created themselves" simply means that the Black American is devoid of history and a culture to call his own.…...
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References
Bascom, L.C. (1999). A renaissance in Harlem: Lost voices of an American community. New York, NY: Bard.
Painter, N.I. (2006). Creating Black Americans: African-American history and its meanings, 1619 to the present. London: Oxford University Press.
Social dissent and unrest should not be the result of multiculturalism, the authors point out, but nonetheless those are the social realities, in many instances, of the new global picture. There is now, like it or not, a "blurring of cultural borderlines," the authors report; and as a result, the notion of culture within the word "multiculturalism" no longer refers to habits and customs of a people in anthropological terms. Rather, "culture" in the term "multiculturalism" alludes to race, creed, sexual orientation, gender, and lifestyles of various and divers groups within the greater culture.
A very poignant quote is offered in the conclusion of the editorial, a quote which cries out to be read to those reporting on, studying and/or dealing with today's dramatic cultural changes in estern societies; it is a statement by Aijza Ahmad, who reflects the perspective of "the less-well-to-do colonial states," according to the editorial. "It is…...
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Works Cited
Fourny, Jean-Francois, & Ha, Marie-Paule. "Introduction: The history of an idea." Research in African Literatures 28.4 (1997): 1-8.
Frazier, Herb. "Basket making is historical link: Craft provide link between cultures." NABJ
Journal 13.5 (1995): 4-7.
Gikandi, Simon. "Chinua Achebe and the Invention of African Culture." Research in African
African Voodoo
Voodoo, also named Vodun, is an ancient polytheistic religion originating in West Africa. Voodoo spread from West Africa to the New World through the slaves. Today it practiced by an estimated 30 million people in Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Haiti, Benin, Jamaica, and other places throughout the world. Voodoo is often thought of as a "primitive form of magic and belief in ghost" (igaud, 7) however, Voodoo is more complicated than that. It consists of a complex system of beliefs which developed from many ancient world religions and cults. Due to the complexity and origin of Voodoo, there is no central authority to define orthodox beliefs or practices. Each Spiritual House acts independently and therefore a wide variety of theory and practice exists among those who practice Voodoo.
One of the basic beliefs of the Voodooist is that there is one primary creator, named Nana Buluku, who created everything. This prime…...
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References
Burnett, John. "Voodoo and West Africa's Spiritual Life." NPR (2004): n. pag. Web. 29 Nov 2010 .
Espie, E, and J.F. Ade Ajayi. A Thousand Years of West African History: a handbook for teachers and students. 1st. Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1969. Print.
As the vast majority of African-Americans do not know where their ancestors came from, it is difficult to trace one's roots back to the African continent. At the same time, the United States, while certainly the nation that nearly every African-American would consider to be home, has hardly been hospitable to African-Americans throughout history. Even today, nearly a quarter of all African-American families in the United States live below the poverty line.
Nation plays a more prominent role in Hispanic-American communities, as these communities tend to organize themselves around national heritage. For example, the Puerto ican community in the United States is distinct from the Mexican-American community.
It should be kept in mind, however, that both Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans tend to identify their national heritage with the United States of America - despite their troublesome relationship with their home country over the centuries.
Institutional Networks
Institutional networks continue to play a vital organizational…...
Harmony to Holocaust
The Portuguese reached the Gold Coast of Africa in 1439. At first, they were impressed with the culture they found. As they worked their way down the coast "[t]hey found people of varying cultures. Some lived in towns ruled by kings with nobility and courtiers very much like the medieval societies they left behind them." (Obadina). Many years later, a visitor from Holland was equally impressed and records his impressions of Benin City in 1600: "As you enter it, the town appears very great. You go into a great broad street, not paved, which seems to be seven or eight times broader than the Warmoes Street in Amsterdam... The houses in this town stand in good order, one close and even with the other, as the houses in Holland stand..." (qtd. In Obadina). Clearly, at this early stage, the Europeans had a fairly positive view of the…...
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References
Beard, Oscar L. "Did We Sell Each Other Into Slavery." Hartford-Hwp.com Web Site.
Social Protection Policies in Africa
Social Protection report in Botswana
The Social Protection Assessment presented by The orld Bank (2013) reports that Botswana has emerged from one of the poorest countries in the world to an "upper middle income country with a per capita GDP of $8,533 in 2011" (orld Bank). Extreme poverty is down to 6.4% (from 23.4% in 2003). Still, there remain big problems: 31.4% of children under the age of 5 suffer malnutrition; unemployment is 17.8%; the rate of HIV / AIDS was estimated at 23.4% in 2011 -- the second highest rate in the world (orld Bank). Botswana has many social protection programs, but many are small and ineffective; an example is the "Destitute Persons" program, in which "only a small fraction" of the very poor receive assistance, and a "large share of the budget goes to administration" (orld Bank). That said, The orld Bank says 84,000 families…...
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Works Cited
Ake, C. (2001). Democracy and Development in Africa. Washington, D.C.: Brookings
Institutional Press.
Falola, T. (2006). Oil, security revived interest in Africa, expert says. University of Delaware. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www.udel.edu .
Gettleman, J. (2011). Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dies at 71. The New
Mariama Ba's So Long A Letter. It discusses how the style used by the author hinders her presentation of the whole question of male/female relationships within the entire family structure, not just the nuclear family. It also discusses how the reader only has the main character's opinion and not those of the characters around her. Two sources used. APA.
So Long A Letter
Mariama Ba in her novel, "So Long A Letter," gives the audience a glimpse into the Islamic world. The book is written as a letter from the main character, Ramatoulaye, to her childhood friend, Aissatou. It is both a missive and lamentation of Ramatoulaye's life, more than half a century of years. She has reached a cross-road, and as one might retrace his route on a map if lost, she retraces her feelings and experiences that have brought her this far on her journey (Ba 1996). Her husband…...
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Works Cited
Ba, Mariama. Bode-Thomas, Modupe (Translator). So Long a Letter. Reed Publishing, Incorporated. September 1996.
Part A.The koonting, a three stringed plucked instrument among the Mandingos, sounds similar to a modern day guitar, which would have four or five strings that are plucked. This musical sound would have found its way into current forms of Black music by way of the blues movement, when black musicians would pluck their sounds on acoustic guitars. Blues became very popular and influential in America. It is still a form of music that figures predominantly in Black music today. It is also something that spans generations, as I listen to it, my father listens to it, and my grandparents listened to it as well.Part B:1. What is one limitation that Southern mentions impacts our understanding of West African music?One limitation is that a lot of the historical record comes from the reporting of Europeans and colonizers rather than from West Africans themselves.2. What is the relation to customs/rituals in…...
Mills (n.d) explains that historians often dichotomize African nationalism into two distinct groups according to their long-term nationalist goals for post-independence Africa. The first type of group was termed as being the primary resistance, which was characterized as consisting of individuals whose goal was to reinstate the traditional African societies that existed prior to the advent of colonialism. The second type of group was termed as the secondary resistance, which consisted largely of Africa's intellectual elites who wished to develop modern civil societies within post-independence Africa. Mills noted that groups tended to often display both types of resistance tendencies, thus making the dichotomy inapplicable to every situation.
African nationalism came about as a strong reaction towards the unjust political, economic, and social domination of Africa by its European colonialist masters. Nationalists were affected by several ideological influences from outside Africa. Foremost among these influences was the ideology of Pan-Africanism. This point-of-view…...
History African Diaspora (Subject)- Fredrick Douglass Ambassor Hatti. (Objectives )-Two primary sources Two secondary sources, Outline, Structure, Thesis, Arugument, Motives, Primaries a Tittle.
Frederick Douglass and the African Diaspora
Africa is presently perceived as a land of origin by millions of people from around the world, as numerous Africans have either willingly or unwillingly left their homes throughout time. Although the term African Diaspora generally refers to a series of Africans who left their home continent from antiquity and until the present day, it is widely used to relate to Africans who descend from individuals who were forcefully brought to the American continent during the Atlantic slave trade. In spite of the fact that they were persecuted and forced to work as slaves in the Americas, some Africans actually rose against their oppressors and are presently remembered as some of the most reputable individuals in all of history.
Africans have dispersed around the…...
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Works cited:
Gomez, William Angelo, Reversing Sail: A History Of The African Diaspora, (Cambridge University Press, 2005)
McFeely, William S. Frederick Douglass (New York W.W. Norton, 1991)
The Liberator, 27 March 1846; Reprinted in Philip Foner, ed., Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass, vol. 1 (New York: International Publishers, 1950), p. 138.
It also represents a series of extremely ingrained economic problems. The African Union proceeds from the OAU's ambition to bring some level of cohesiveness to the fiscal and monetary policies driving the continent. Like the EU and APEC before it, the AU takes the position that in the scheme of globalization, its interests are likely best represented in some mode of unity. Accordingly, we find that "economic and monetary union is one of the aims of the African Union. Current African development initiatives envision regional integration in the context of effective macroeconomic management and corporate governance, and enhanced partnership between Africa's best- performers and international development partners. This entails promoting increased regional trade and convergence of monetary policies." (Amoako & Essy, p. 4)
This more concrete orientation suggests that in many ways, the AU would be a natural point in the evolution of the modern African continent, bringing greater practical…...
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Works Cited:
African Union Commission (AUC). (1973). AU in a Nutshell. AU.Int.
Amoako, K.Y. & Essy, A. (2002). African Development Forum III (ADF III). UNPAN.
Globalization and Workers Rights (GWR). (2010). Organization of African Unity. ITCILO.org.
Organization for African Unity (OAU). (2001). Summit on AIDS. SYDAFRIKA.dk.
African Wars
The period after the Second World War saw the decolonization of Africa and the establishment of many new nations. But these new states often degenerated into conflict with their neighbors, internal uprisings and revolutions, as well as ethnic and religious clashes. The conflicts in Africa often mirrored global tensions as the Cold War reached its peak and both the Soviet Union and the United States vied for African allies and supporters. For example, Angola was the site of civil war in which both the U.S. And the U.S.S.. played an active part. The combination of problems which surfaced as a result of decolonization along with the geopolitical situation of the Cold War led to a number of situations in which ethnic and tribal rivalries, political ideology, and economic forces created conflicts throughout Africa.
As Africa was colonized in the 18th and 19th centuries the Europeans imposed upon the native Africans…...
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Reference List
Black, Jeremy. (2005). War Since 1945. London: Reaktion Books.
Clayton, Anthony. (1999). Frontiersmen: Warfare in Africa since 1950. London: UCL
Press.
Wood, J.R.T.. (2011). "Countering the Chimurenga." In Counterinsurgency in Modern
History As Myth
This-based Myth Atreus Thyestes In paper I conversational I supposed a myth teacher a continuing education program geared library patrons aged 50+, a conversation actual essay. Below directions assignment: Briefly describe a historical event, a controversy, a world event, a current event, a military group action, a political event group, a religious group action, a similar phenomenon.
Thyestes and Atreus: The great Civil War of Mycenae
Once upon a time, long, long ago there lived two brothers named Thyestes and Atreus. These two brothers were extremely power hungry and even their own father King Pelops was forced to exile them when they killed their half-brother to better their chances to ascend to the throne. Undeterred, the two brothers found another kingdom to dominate, the land of Mycenae. Proving there is no honor amongst thieves; Atreus was determined to be the sole ruler of this new kingdom. One day, he promised…...
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References
Freeman, Elsie, Schamel, Wynell Burroughs & West, Jean. (2992). The fight for equal rights: A
recruiting poster for black soldiers in the Civil War. Social Education 56 (2): 118-120. [24 Mar 2013] Retrieved:
The rise of the Ghana Kingdom is a pivotal moment in West African history, characterized by its wealth, power, and political organization. Numerous factors played a crucial role in the establishment and expansion of this influential kingdom, shaping its cultural, economic, and social landscape. By examining these factors, we can gain a deeper understanding of the forces that propelled the Ghana Kingdom to prominence and its enduring impact on the region.
One important historical factor that contributed to the rise of the Ghana Kingdom was its strategic location. Situated at the crossroads of major trade routes in West Africa, Ghana became....
Archaeological Evidence Illuminating the Enigmatic Origins of the Nok People
The Nok civilization, an enigmatic society that flourished in central Nigeria between 900 BCE and 200 CE, has left behind a captivating archaeological trail that has captivated researchers for decades. Despite advancements in archaeological techniques, the origins of this remarkable culture remain shrouded in mystery. However, a meticulous examination of the archaeological evidence has shed light on tantalizing clues that illuminate the possible roots of the Nok people.
Terracotta Sculptures: A Window into Nok Society
The Nok civilization is renowned for its exquisite terracotta sculptures that depict human figures, animals, and intricate scenes.....
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