Hello, this is the list of the History of Africa Series in Order.  It was twenty episodes long and lasted over two seasons.  This is a list of all the episodes in order.

Season 1
Mother Africa - YouTube (44:56)
Zeinab Badawi travels across Africa to learn about the origins of humankind in the first episode of History of Africa.  She learns how and why humans evolved in Africa.  She gets access to the actual bones that were discovered.  Her travels take her to Tanzania and learns about a tribe where they continue to live as hunter-gatherers.  This community has been rarely filmed and provides insights into how our ancestors lived.  *Recommended for a science class and anthropology.*

Cattle, Crops, and Iron - YouTube (45:16)
Zeinab Badawi works through the history of Africa.  She travels to meet the Maasai tribe of East Africa.  The Maasai are the best-known group from Africa.  The Maasai explain how humans started to domesticate animals and became pastoralists.  Then Zeinab travels to Zimbabwe and visits a lively family.  She looks at how humans make a living from farming after settling down.  Then she learns about the impact of the Iron Age which would pave the way for the development of urban civilizations.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Gift of the Nile (45:16)
Zeinab Badawi continues to explore the history of Africa and this time she is touring Egypt.  She explores Egyptian Civilization and the Nile River. They were the first civilization in Africa to invent writing.  They left behind spectacular monuments.  She films the mummy and the treasures of King Tutankhamun.   She goes beyond the mummies and the pyramids.  Who were the actual Egyptians?  What were the origins of Ancient Egyptians? *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Kush (44:48) 
Kush is a forgotten kingdom.  Kush is often overshadowed by Ancient Egypt and other kingdoms.  However, it was the kingdom that conquered its neighbor to the north and took over.  Kush ruled Egypt for one hundred years.  Their influence could be felt in the Middle East.  Today Kush is in modern-day Sudan.  Khartoum, the capital, is where the Blue and White Nile meet.  The waters merge to create the Nile River and it is from here the waters flow north and into the Mediterranean Sea.   Zeniab Badawi explores this kingdom and discovers an interesting history.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Aksum (48:48)
The Kingdom of Aksum was considered one of the four greatest civilizations of the ancient world.  Zeniab Badawi describes how the kingdom grew rich and powerful as a result of control of the Red Sea trade.  The Red Sea was the center of trade for the Middle East, Africa, and India.  According to local tradition, it was founded by the son of the Queen of Sheba.  It was the home to the Ark of the Covenant.  It gave a grateful world coffee.  Examining this civilization provides an insight into modern Ethiopia and Eritrea. *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Kings and Emirs (45:17)
Zeianab Badawi explores the fall of the Kingdom of Askum and how Christian Rulers followed in that fall.  She learns about the legacy of King Lalibela who ruled in the 12th/13th Century.  He built a complex of rock-hewn churches which would have been considered a great feat of engineering.  She also explores the arrival of Islam and how the emirs coexisted with the kings.  She then visits Harar and watches the hyena men of Harar who feed hyenas by hand.  *Highly recommended for a history class.  Part 1 on the churches can be shown to a geography class.*

North Africa (45:18)
Zeinab Badawi heads up to North Africa in this episode.  She is learning about the Berbers otherwise known as the Amazigh people.  She visits Carthage and looks into the history of Carthage and its place in African History.  Then she talks about the Berber and the Great Berber Kings and how they kept control during Roman Rule.  The tour continues to other ancient sites that were built by the Romans.  *Highly recommended for a history class.  A short clip can be showed to an English class.*

Ancestors, Spirits, and God - YouTube (45:11)
Zeinab Badawi examines the role of religion in Africa.  She first examines the indigenous religions that people still follow.   Her first stop is Zimbabwe to learn about a community that follows traditional African Religion.  Then she heads to Senegal and meets a Muslim man.  She discovers that he blends both Islam and ancestral beliefs and talks to trees.  Finally, she learns about the impact of Judaism and Christianity in Africa and how Africans had an impact on Christian thinking.  *Highly recommended for a history class, potential applications in an speech/communications class.*

Islam in Africa - YouTube (44:49)
Zeinab Badawi travels to several countries and looks at the spread of Islam.  She explores how many Africans practice Islam particularly the Sufi form of Islam.  Arab culture also had a huge influence in Africa and she explores that as well.  She then looks at the rise of Islamic Dynasties in North Africa.  These dynasties would build monuments, mosques, and empires and they would play a part in Africa’s history.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Season 2
Desert Empires - YouTube (45:11)
Zeinab Badawi visits historic and magnificent ruins in Mali and Mauritania, sites that are rarely seen.  She learns about the trans-Saharan trade that helped make these empires rich.  The trade-in gold gave rise to three great empires on the African continent, the Ghana Empire, The Mali Empire, and Songhay Empire.  Then under protection, Zeinab visits Timbuktu which was overrun by extremists in 2012.  Mansa Musa, the ruler of Mali was considered to be the wealthiest individual to have ever lived. *Highly recommended for a history class.*

City States - YouTube (44:47)
Zeinab Badawi travels to Nigeria and is granted a rare interview with the King of the Benin.  The Kingdom of the Benin is in Southern Nigeria.  She also meets with the Queen Mother of Lagos and learns about the history of the Yoruba People.  She learns more about the Benin Bronzes, these bronzes date back to the 13th Century.  She also interviews the Emir of Kano, a ruler in Nigeria’s Muslim city-states, and talks with the former governor of Nigeria’s central bank.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Coast and Conquest - YouTube (44:44)
Zeinab Badawi visits spectacular historic sites in Africa.  She visits the Swahili Coastal settlements of Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique on the Indian Ocean.  Then she talks about how the Arab’s arrival in this area trigged the start of the slave trade in Africa.  The Arabs and their Swahili partners were the first to trade in humans and Zeinab highlights how this slave trade was different from the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  She looks into this dark period of African history and how it is looked at by modern Africans.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Southern Kingdom (44:49)
Zeniab Badawi travels the width and breadth of Africa to learn more about the kingdoms of Africa.  Africa is home to a variety of civilizations that have rivaled other ancient civilizations.  In this series, Zeniab interviews a variety of historians, archeologists, and citizens to learn more about these civilizations.  She travels the length and breadth of Africa to discover its history.  Africa’s history is long, often complex, and not really well known.  Zeniab brings light into this hidden part of history and in this episode looks at the kingdoms of Southern Africa.  *Recommended for a history classroom.*

The Golden Stool - YouTube (44:48)
Zeinab Badawi travels to Ghana and the Ivory Coast and learns about the Asante people and the Asante Kingdom.  She learns about the history, myths, and legends of the Asante.  The tour continues with a trip to the festival of Akwasidae.  This festival features the king of the Asante, known as the Asantehene, and the king wears golden regalia.  Then Zeinab learns about the Asante queen who led the resistance movement against the British.  Finally, Zeinab learns about the golden stool.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

No Longer at East - YouTube (45:12)
Zeinab Badawi continues her exploration of the history of Africa.  This time, Zeinab explores the lives of Africans before the arrival of Europeans.  She goes to Kenya and sees traditional religious practices in Kenya.  Then she meets with a traditional medicine practitioner in Congo.  In Uganda, she sees traditional justice in action while community elders hear a marriage dispute.  She interviews a local king in Zambia.  This episode is a run-up to the episode on slavery and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Slavery and Salvation - YouTube (45:03)
Zeinab Badawi looks at the impact of slavery on Africa itself.  Much is known about what happened to the enslaved Africans when they arrived in the Americas and Europe, but little is known about the impact on Africa.  She explores one of the eviler chapters in human history the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  She travels to several countries to see where and why the trade began.  She also talks with academics to answer the question of why some Africans helped sell their fellow Africans into slavery.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Slavery and Salvation - YouTube (44:51)
Zeinab Badawi visits Ghana and learns about the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  The slave trade led to competition for enslaved Africans between European nations.  These nations build forts along the Atlantic coast.  She hears about the inhumane conditions that the slaves were kept in while waiting for shipment across the Atlantic.  Zeinab also looks at the driving forces behind abolition and why did many Africans return to the Continent, particularly to Liberia.  How were these returnees received by the local communities?  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Diamonds, Gold, and Greed - YouTube (44:58)
Zeinab Badawi travels to South Africa and Zimbabwe.  She learns about how Southern Africans came to grasp the destruction and suffering that was inflicted on them by white settlers.  Then she learns about how the original settlers of the Cape tried to resist the settlers and the cruel reprisals for their endurance.  Then she explores the history of the Zulu, particularly Shaka the King of the Zulus.  She meets with a descendant of Shaka and they talk about their illustrious ancestor.  *Highly recommended for a history class.*

Kongo and the Scramble for Africa - YouTube (44:56)
Zeinab Badawi travels to central Africa, focusing on Angola and the Congo.  She is exploring the great Kongo Empire.  She learns about the role played by women in African History particularly learning about Queen Nzinga.  Queen Nzinga was a leader who battled the Portuguese for a quarter of a century in the 1600s.  Decades later Kimpa Vita was burned alive after her failed resistance.  One woman also shares her memories from when the Belgians ruled the Congo.  *Recommended for a college history class, the first half can be used for a high school history class.*

Resistance and Liberation - YouTube (45:10)
Africa is made up of 54 nations that were united by their history despite the diversity of backgrounds.  For the most part, these nations got their freedom peacefully, however, there were times when the struggle for freedom got violent.  Zeinab Badawi looks at how across Africa freedom fighters rose up to fight for freedom in Africa.  She interviews a Mau Mau fighter in Kenya.  A member of the resistance in Algeria’s war for independence.  She talks about the families of Africa’s best-known independence leaders: Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Congo’s Patrice Lumuba, and Senegal’s Leopold Senghor.  *Even though it is fast, recommended for a history class.*

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening depending on when you are reading and planning for the school year.  Just like that, I am done with the History of Africa Series!  I will soon be working on March blogs and then April blogs!  Time continues to fly through the year.  Today’s episode is called Slavery and Suffering and the run time for this episode is 45:03.

Zeinab Badawi looks at the impact of slavery on Africa itself.  Much is known about what happened to the enslaved Africans when they arrived in the Americas and Europe, but little is known about the impact on Africa.  She explores one of the eviler chapters in human history the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  She travels to several countries to see where and why the trade began.  She also talks with academics to answer the question of why some Africans helped sell their fellow Africans into slavery.

The Trans-Atlantic slave trade was from the 16th to the 18th Century.  Zeinab stops in Ghana and tours a slave trading fort.  Cape Coast Castle was built by the Swedes and would have changed hands five times.  When it was initially built, it was poorly done before it was rebuilt.  There has been a lot written about the slave trade and the slaves.  However, not much has been written about how it impacted Africans themselves.

The Arabs first traded in Africans.  Traditionally slaves were captives that were captured during war or as a result of debt.  They were captive and not sold.  They were to be taken care of.  One academic argues that this type of slavery enabled the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.  He argues that with captives it was easier to sell them off because they did not belong to your village and by in large were “strangers.”  Zeinab continues to explore this issue of indigenous slavery.  It was fascinating to hear that women fetched a higher price in Africa because they could be married, have families, and help with household chores.  I rather enjoyed hearing from both Akosua Adoma Perbi and Esi Sutherland Addy and would love to hear more from them in the future.

After this interview, Zeinab goes to Senegal and learns about the origins of the slave trade.  In 1444 the Portuguese arrived in this area and they were trying to find routes to India for the spice trade.  She goes to Cabo Verde to learn about when the Portuguese first used slaves.  She interviews Antonio Correia for this section and learns that Africans had the skill and knowledge that the Portuguese needed to establish cotton plantations.  The first slaves that arrived in Cabo Verde provided knowledge and not strength.  I rather Antonio’s commentary in this section and felt like he did a really good job in adding to the story of slavery.

Zeinab continues her exploration of Cabo and talks about how the slaves would wave the cotton into fine cloth.  She looks at pieces of cloth that would have been woven.  She learns about the techniques that were used to weave and dye the cloth.  The lack of profits encouraged the Portuguese to engage in the slave trade.  The slaves were sent on over to the Americas and sold off.  Zeinab talks with a historian about what prompted the use of Africans in forced labor. 

Zeinab tours the market where the slaves were brought and sold.  Sometimes they were tortured and executed in the square if they were disobedient.  After taking in the square Zeinab tours one of the slaves’ houses.  It was where the slaves were kept before they were transported to the Americas.  One of the most impactful features of this tour is the “door of no return.”  It was through this door that thousands and thousands of people went through never to return.  To learn more about slavery’s impact on Africa tune into the rest of this episode.

This is a topic that can stir up high emotions.  Zeinab and the historians that she interviewed handled it with great care. They laid out the facts and reality of slavery. This episode was very straightforward and forthright about slavery.  I would highly recommend showing this episode to a history classroom.  It was very well done.

Good morning!  I have been researching the series further and discovered it was twenty episodes over two seasons.  It sounds like many episodes covering the history but I feel like there could have been explored.  It was a good start in discovering the history of Africa though.  Today’s episode is called Islam in Africa and the run time for this episode is 44:49.

Zeinab Badawi travels to several countries and looks at the spread of Islam.  She explores how many Africans practice Islam particularly the Sufi form of Islam.  Arab culture also had a huge influence in Africa and she explores that as well.  She then looks at the rise of Islamic Dynasties in North Africa.  These dynasties would build monuments, mosques, and empires and they would play a part in Africa’s history.

At the start of the episode, Zeinab takes in a bird hunt in Tunisia.  People gather for an annual event involving hunting with birds.  It is a sport loved by Arabs and this transitions to a discussion on the Arab arrival to North Africa and their impact on the region.  Zeinab holds a bird in this section and is encouraged to dance with the falcon.  She ends up with a falcon on the head and talks about how the locals keep the falcons to train and then release them back.  After the festival, the birds are released and they migrate back to Saudi Arabia.

In addition to the bird festival, Zeinab takes in a horse race in the Tunisian capital.  This is more evidence of Arab influence on Northern Africa.  Arabian horses are prized in North Africa and Zeinab sits in the saddle on the horse but is nervous about riding.  She explores the history of the Arabian stallion in North Africa.  After this detour, then Zeinab explores the history of the first arrival of the Arabs.  They went to Egypt first before moving on.

The Arabs would conquer Northern Sudan and destroy a cathedral.  There were other skirmishes and eventually, there was a truce between the Arabs and the Nubians.  The Nubians would hold on to their independence, however, the people could not resist the tide of Islam and today many people are that area are Muslim.  Africans and Arabs not only traded in goods, but they traded in customs as well.  The people also infused their own ideas with Islamic beliefs.  Islam in North Africa typically incorporated the mysticism of the Sufi tradition.

Then she explores the Islamic Dynasties that were established in North Africa.  She visits the tomb of one of the followers of Mohammad.  The Berbers were going to be subdued during this period because they resisted the Arab conquerors.  Zeinab also explores the story of Queen Kahina, she did not want Arab or Islamic rule.  She was a princess and tribal leader and it was believed that she could predict the future.  She predicted that she would be killed by the Arabs.  Queen Kahina should have been explored more, especially Queen Kahina as a person and ruler.

Zeinab then explores the Idrisites dynasty.  It was established by a holy man so known for his piety that the Berbers named him their leader.  He married a Berber woman and he established his dynasty in Morocco.  Unfortunately, the kingdom would eventually be divided which would weaken the dynasty.  Eventually, their rule would come to an end.  I was unclear about where this dynasty ruled, so Zeinab could have made it clearer.  Perhaps there should have been more exploration of the rulers of this dynasty.  To learn more about the Islamic dynasties continue to watch this episode.

Just based on the summary, I had a feeling that this was one episode that could have been broken up into two separate episodes.  As I watched the episode, I thought it was done well enough to warrant one episode, just make it longer, however as I watched further I changed my mind.  This episode could have been broken up into further timestamps because the timestamp on Sudan was long.  Zeinab had moved beyond Sudan during this time frame.  This continues to be a good primer on the history of Africa and would be something I would show in the classroom.

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on when you are reading this post.  I am working through the History of Africa series.  This series continues to inspire and amaze me as I go through it for this website.  I just wish that the episodes were slightly longer and there would have been some additional episodes because I feel like I am missing out on even more fantastic information.  The episode today is called Diamonds, Gold, and Greed.  The run time for this episode is 44:58.

Zeinab Badawi travels to South Africa and Zimbabwe.  She learns about how Southern Africans came to grasp the destruction and suffering that was inflicted on them by white settlers.  Then she learns about how the original settlers of the Cape tried to resist the settlers and the cruel reprisals for their endurance.  Then she explores the history of the Zulu, particularly Shaka the King of the Zulus.  She meets with a descendant of Shaka and they talk about their illustrious ancestor. 

Zeinab kicks off the episode by exploring the San culture and she interviews a guide from the San conservation center.  After this short interview, she explores how the Dutch East Indian Company came in and changed the way for the San people.  The Dutch would establish a settlement because of its location on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.  At first, the people would have welcomed the people and would have traded with the people.

However, things changed when more people came in and started to farm the land.  The farmers started to encroach on the ancestral lands of the San and the Khoikhoi people.  The Europeans would have looked down on the people.  Both groups of people would have fought against the Dutch settlers.  There were wars of extermination against the San and Khoikhoi people.  As part of this discussion, Zeinab tours a prison where people were kept and tortured for their resistance.

Eventually, the Dutch would be conquered by the British.  The British had military superiority and so the Dutch would tolerate the British presence because at least law and order would have been kept.  However, when the Dutch eventually left the Cape when British settlers came in.  There were rivalries and the Dutch would move out of the Cape and into the interior.  They would eventually become known as the Boers.

Then there is a discussion on the rise of the Zulu kingdom.  Zeinab tours a Zulu village and would interview an expert in the Zulu Kingdom.  She learns about the people who made up the people and then she tours a museum about the Zulu history.  Then there are some facts about Shaka Zulu and how his story comes down through history.  One side says that Shaka was an evil and vile man.  Other voices said that he carefully brought the people together and created the Zulu empire.  This section just touches on the Zulu Kingdom, so I feel like this could have been split off into a separate episode to go into more detail about the kingdom.

Zeinab interviews a Zulu Prince, who was a relative of Shaka.  He talks about his ancestor with pride.  He talks about how Shaka invented the short spear, introduced celibacy among the soldier, and devised new fighting techniques.  Zeinab visits where Shaka established the capital of the Zulu Kingdom.  It was here that Shaka was murdered by his half-brothers.  Even today, Shaka’s death is mourned.

After this interview, Zeinab goes to Zimbabwe to learn about the kingdom that was established there.  To learn more about this kingdom, continue to follow along with this episode.

Again, I have to remind myself that this is a primer but I would have appreciated some more background on the Khoikhoi and the San people.  Then there should have been a discussion about the impact of Dutch settlers on their way of life.  I also would have dedicated an episode to the Zulu, but that is just me.  This was also divided into chapters which will make things easy for a teacher to break up to use in a lecture.  This is a primer, but it is still recommended for a history class because it is very well done.

Good day my readers, I hope this day finds you very well.  February is passing by quickly and the month is winding down.  Today, I am working through the History of Africa Series with Zeinab Badawi.  This is a series that continues to provide an excellent overview of the history of Africa.  Who knew looking for documentaries on the Ancient World would lead me to this delightful series?  Zeinab’s narration is excellent as well.  The episode I am doing today is called Resistance and Liberation and the run time for this episode is 45:11.

Africa is made up of 54 nations that were united by their history despite the diversity of backgrounds.  For the most part, these nations got their freedom peacefully, however, there were times when the struggle for freedom got violent.  Zeinab Badawi looks at how across Africa freedom fighters rose up to fight for freedom in Africa.  She interviews a Mau Mau fighter in Kenya.  A member of the resistance in Algeria’s war for independence.  She talks about the families of Africa’s best-known independence leaders: Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Congo’s Patrice Lumuba, and Senegal’s Leopold Senghor.

The times were changing.  The people were starting to chaff against colonial rule.  The colonial system was a system that was determined to dominate and stamp out the people’s culture.  Nationalism was on the rise and the people were starting to rebel.  Zeinab interviews the grandson of the man who defeated British General Gordon in Sudan.  Sudan’s sovereignty would still be fought over and the Sudanese were defeated.  The Somalians also fought against the British and the Italians.  Ethiopia fought back against the British and the Italians as well. 

Zeinab looks at Emperor Haile Selassie and how he became a symbol of African independence.  She interviews his granddaughter who fondly remembers her grandfather.  I would have appreciated a longer look at Emperor Haile Selassie.  After this, Zeinab looks at Tanzania and how the Tanzanians launched a large-scale rebellion against the Germans.  The German officials were slowly imposing their power on the people and they would rebel against this encroachment.  The people would pay for their rebellion against the Germans.  However, there were instances of collaboration and negotiation too, especially when the interest of the leaders aligned with the colonial powers.  The Kingdom of Buganda allied itself with the British because their interests aligned.  However, this would cause trouble as people would see the Buganda kingdom as having a “favored” status.

World War I and World War II had a huge impact on the social structures around the world and had a big impact on Africa.  These wars would sew the seeds for freedom for Africans.  Zeinab interviews a professor about the impacts of these wars.  The political climate also changed as a result of World War II.  India’s independence also had a huge impact on the resolve of Africans to gain their independence. 

After this discussion, Zeinab interviewed Leopold Senghor.  His uncle lead independence efforts by demonstrating that Africans did have civilization before Europeans colonized the continent.  This should have been explored more.  How else did the Africans resist colonialism?  In what other ways did World War I and World War II have an impact on liberation and resistance movements?  Who else does Zeinab interview on her journey?  Tune into the rest of the episode to find out more!

This was very fast-paced as Zeinab was trying to provide a snapshot of the battles for sovereignty and freedom.  Sadly, it was too fast which led me to feel like I was bouncing on a pogo stick as Zeinab bounced from one episode to another.  I had to pause and rewind a couple of times.  It was a good primer, or a snapshot as Zeinab put it.  That said, this episode would have been better being broken up into separate episodes.  Maybe an episode on resistance efforts in East Africa and another episode on West Africa.  Or even an episode on resistance efforts and separate episodes on liberation efforts.  I felt like I was missing information about resistance and liberation efforts.  Yet, I will still put this on my list for a documentary to show to a history classroom.  It was a well-done quick snapshot and broad sweep of African history.

Good morning, good afternoon, or good mid-morning depending on when you are reading this blog post and doing your planning.  I am looking at the History of Africa with Zeinab Badawi and the episode is called Kongo and the Scramble for Africa.  The run time for this episode is 44:56.

Zeinab Badawi travels to central Africa, focusing on Angola and the Congo.  She is exploring the great Kongo Empire.  She learns about the role played by women in African History particularly learning about Queen Nzinga.  Queen Nzinga was a leader who battled the Portuguese for a quarter of a century in the 1600s.  Decades later Kimpa Vita was burned alive after her failed resistance.  One woman also shares her memories from when the Belgians ruled the Congo.

Zeinab kicks off this episode in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  She begins in the capital city where millions of people live, work, and play.  This is a city where she will kick off her exploration of the Kingdom of Kongo.  The Congo River flows through this territory and is the deepest river in the world.  It supported the people of the Kingdom of the Kongo, an empire that would eventually fall to the ambitions of outsiders.

The Kingdom of Kongo was established in 1390.  Many of the people were found along the southern part of the Kongo River before moving up north.  Zeinab learns about the founder of this empire from a local historian.  M’Banza Kongo was the capital of this empire and it had a large population.  There were clear divisions in labor and the communities that surrounded the capital each had a specialized trade.

Eventually, the Portuguese arrived to the Kingdom of the Kongo and things started to change for the people.  The Kongo King was persuaded to embrace Christianity.  He and both his son were converted.  The Transatlantic slave trade was started.  The King of the Kongo protested this to the Portuguese king saying that slavery was incompatible with Christianity.  When he died, the Kongo Kingdom started fracturing and the kingdom was torn apart by internal strife. 
The Portuguese continued with the slave trade and turned their attention towards the Ndongo people.  More and more slave forts were built and the Portuguese made inroads to local communities.  However, there were communities that opposed the slave trade and they would find ways to protest.  In this section, Zeinab talks about Queen Nzinga.  I remember hearing about her in the Royal Diaries series.

Queen Nzinga fought against the Portuguese for decades.  She was a skilled diplomat and had powerful alliances.  She lived a long life and continued to sharpen her skills.  She was one of the greatest figures in African History.  Nzinga was baptized as Anna Nzinga.  Her father recognized her special skills and was trained by her father to rule.  The most famous story of her involves her trying to negotiate with the Portuguese.  The official tried to make her sit on the floor, but she compelled one of her male servants to go to the floor and she at on his back.  She employed brilliant tactics to keep the Portuguese at bay and they were eventually forced to sign a peace treaty with her.  Unfortunately, power shifted and the Portuguese became even more powerful.

Zeinab then talks about the famous woman who would follow in the footsteps of Nzinga.  Her name was Kimpa Vita and she would try to restore the glory of Congo after years of civil war.  She would lead a revolt against the Portuguese.  She would act on visions she received from St. Anthony of Padua.  She was known as a prophetess and was a member of a noble family.  Eventually she would sacrifice her life to restore the Empire of Kongo. 

Dang it, after an episode that was carefully divided into chapters, this was an episode that was not divided into chapters.  This practice of dividing each episode into chapters should have been carried on throughout the series.  I know I repeat myself often with that line but it is true.  Anyway, I loved the mention of Nzinga, and learning about Kimpa Vita was very cool as well.   What happened in the Congo was horrific.  I would consider showing this to a college history class because of the disturbing images that were shown in the documentary.

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or good night, depending on when you read this blog and work on your lesson planning.  Today, I am working through the History of Africa series.  This episode is called No Longer at Ease and the run time for this episode is 45:12.

Zeinab Badawi continues her exploration of the history of Africa.  This time, Zeinab explores the lives of Africans before the arrival of Europeans.  She goes to Kenya and sees traditional religious practices in Kenya.  Then she meets with a traditional medicine practitioner in Congo.  In Uganda, she sees traditional justice in action while community elders hear a marriage dispute.  She interviews a local king in Zambia.  This episode is a run-up to the episode on slavery and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

History is not only about events but it’s about culture.  Zeinab sees similarities between cultures but does not try to generalize the whole continent.  This exploration begins in Uganda at a street festival.  Before the arrival of Europeans, Africans lived in small communities under a chief or lived in a kingdom and were subjects of a king.  They were farmers.  Sometimes they worked for their chiefs.  Zeinab visits a community in Zambia.  It has over one hundred inhabitants and she sees how life revolves around the family and the community.  The people are from the Tonga People and she learns about the Tonga people.  The Tonga people raise cattle and work crafts to sell.  These communities were the bedrock of African society.

Zeinab interviews a research scientist about these communities.  James Nyaga was the scientist and he talks about how these communities were organized.  He talks about the clear hierarchy of these communities and how governance was set up.  There was no formal education, but generation after generation were instructed by their parents and grandparents.  The role of the chief was important and it continues today.  Zambia includes this tradition in its government.  The parliament has a house of chiefs and they meet once a month.  Zeinab meets and interviews one of these chiefs.

Chief Ignatius Ngabwe talks about the role of chiefs in modern society.  They continue the tradition of looking after the people and the natural resources.  They are the government in the area.  The people looked after the people.  There were no orphans, there were no widows, and everyone was looked after.  She then tours a museum on African culture.  She learns about the matrilineal societies in Africa.  Women had power in these societies. 

This leads to a short discussion on polygamy.  It is a complex topic to explore.  In some places, the women made the rules and would have proposed to the woman on behalf of the husband.  Additional polygamy was about population and the men needed lots of wives to grow food.  It was widely practiced across Africa.  It was a rather funny section with lots of laughter.

Zeinab talks about how Africans lived peacefully in cooperation with each other.  There would have been conflicts but they were resolved amicably through fines and mediation.  There was also punishment and sanctions.  Marriage was used to help cement relationships, and I cannot help but think of how the Hapsburg married off their children to keep the peace in Europe in this section.  Blood brotherhood and friendships were also used to keep the peace.

In light of this discussion, Zeinab goes to a local village to take in the administration of justice.  There is a marriage dispute that is being two individuals.  It is overseen by a chairman of the elders.  This was a rather interesting look at how disputes were settled.  To continue to follow Zeinab’s travels, continue to watch this episode to further the journey.

Hey, this episode was divided up into smaller chapters to allow for easy breakdown and viewing.  It was too bad that this was a consistent exercise across all episodes.  This series continues to be fascinating.  The information is something you never really hear about so it is very interesting and Zeinab continues to knock her narration out of the park.  With the size of Africa, I feel like this series should have had longer episodes.  I would have this on my list for a history class and a social history class.

Good morning, I hope the day finds you well.  Today I am working through the History of Africa series with Zeinab Badawi.  Today’s episode is called Slavery and Salvation and the run time for this episode is 44:51.

Zeinab Badawi visits Ghana and learns about the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  The slave trade led to competition for enslaved Africans between European nations.  These nations build forts along the Atlantic coast.  She hears about the inhumane conditions that the slaves were kept in while waiting for shipment across the Atlantic.  Zeinab also looks at the driving forces behind abolition and why did many Africans return to the Continent, particularly to Liberia.  How were these returnees received by the local communities?
The Transatlantic from the 16th to the 19th Century represents one of the more brutal periods in history.  More than twelve million Africans were transported from Africa to places overseas to endure a lifetime of servitude.  Zeinab looks at how slavery became entrenched, the conditions, and the ways Africans fought back.  She concludes with a look at those who returned to Africa.

The Portuguese were the first who dealt with the slave trade.  Zeinab starts off this section of African history in Ghana and the slave forts.  Millions of slaves would have passed through these forts before being shipped to Africa.  At the height of the slave trade, there were about 80 forts, castles, and lodges.  Zeinab tours the biggest fort: Cape Coast Castle in Ghana.  She explores the fort with a retired university professor.  She learns more about the history of the fort.  Over the course of eleven years, the fort changed hands five times.  The Transatlantic slave trade was fueled by greed.  Zeinab tours a lodge in Mozambique that was built by the Portuguese.  It is now a museum and she takes in the richly decorated rooms and the expensive furniture. 

Zeinab explores the conditions in which the captives were held.  there were stories that the people were willing.  However, there are records to show that the captives fought against their enslavement.  Zeinab tours one of the dungeons where the captives were held.  She comments on the air having a malevolent scent even before stepping down into the dungeon.  The retired professor points out the features of the dungeon.

The next fort Zeinab goes to is St. George’s Castle.  It was built by the Portuguese and was the oldest European structure in Sub-Saharan Africa.  It took hundreds of men to build the castle.  It was originally built to protect Portuguese influence in the region before it was turned into a place to store slaves awaiting transport.  Zeinab and the professor take a tour of the female courtyard and she learns about the treatment of the female slaves.  The men would have used the women for their own purposes.  The women would have been washed down and brought to the man for him to do what he wanted to.

Zeinab interviews two academics who are experts in slavery.  Oral tradition is that if a woman was discovered pregnant, they would not be put on the ship.  However, these professors warn that you have to be careful with the information.  The woman would have resisted being treated that way and their stories would have been told in epics.  One legend has it that a group of women set themselves and left one woman behind to tell the tale of what happened.  Zeinab then looks at the few handwritten accounts from the slaves themselves.

One of the accounts was from Olaudah Equiano and he was a vehement abolitionist.  He put his account out there about being a slave.  He put a face to slavery and even the British newspapers were picking up on the abolitionist movement.  There were stories and images showing the inhumane conditions that the slaves underwent.  Some groups argued that it was the Africans themselves who had some of the blame for the slave trade.  Would the slave trade end?  To learn more about the abolitionist movement continue to watch this episode.

Ugh, the only thing that keeps this series from being perfect is that this was not divided into chapters on the play screen.  This is a topic that can stir up great emotions and Zeinab handled it carefully and very well.  This would be an excellent episode to show to a classroom setting.

Good morning, good afternoon, good mid-morning, depending on when you are reading this blog and doing your planning for the school year.  Today, we are working through more of the History of Africa with Zeinab Badawi.  This series continues to fascinate me.  The number one downside to this series is the run time of the episode, it should have really had a fifty-minute run time per episode.  Additionally, perhaps some of the episodes should have been divided into more episodes even though this series was a primer on African history.  This episode is called Ancestors, Spirits, and God.  The run time for this episode is 45:11.

Zeinab Badawi examines the role of religion in Africa.  She first examines the indigenous religions that people still follow.   Her first stop is Zimbabwe to learn about a community that follows traditional African Religion.  Then she heads to Senegal and meets a Muslim man.  She discovers that he blends both Islam and ancestral beliefs and talks to trees.  Finally, she learns about the impact of Judaism and Christianity in Africa and how Africans had an impact on Christian thinking.

Religion and beliefs have been part of the human experience from the beginning.  There are many indigenous religions across Africa.  They have different names and practices, but they have many commonalities.  Such commonalities include belief in a higher power.  A belief that this higher power intervenes on behalf of humans.  That the ancestors exist in another world and prayer.  Then there is a quick breakdown of the percentage of people and what religions they follow.  She talks about the debate between monotheism and polytheism.  Zeinab comments on how open spirituality is open.
Zeinab goes to a community in Zimbabwe and watches the spiritual training of individuals in the community.  She learns about the differences between religion and spirituality.  She talks with an expert in indigenous religious practices and the beliefs they held.  The trainees were learning to help connect people to their ancestors and connect to nature.  Zeinab leaves this group to their training.

Although Islam and Christianity came into Africa, Africans would blend their indigenous beliefs with those religions.  Zeinab goes to Senegal to meet a man.  This man is sought after for his advice.  He is a traditional healer.  When he goes to search for medicines, he has to give something back to nature in thanks for what he takes.  Zeinab talks with him about how he reconciles his beliefs with his practice in Islam.  He is considered a spiritual superstar in the community and on the day Zeinab visits a young man is looking to his man for advice. 

Then there is an examination of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.  She first goes to the Jewish community in Morocco.  She is invited to a lively restaurant and talks with a businessman who practices Judaism.  Judaism and the Moroccan culture have blended together.  She continues to learn about Judaism and how Jews ended up in Morocco.  Berbers and the Jews blended together when they arrived.  She discovers that Berber practices came into Judaism in Morocco.  She tours a synagogue in this section and is the only Jewish Museum in the Arab world.  After this tour, she learns about the Jewish community in Ethiopia and how they were relocated to Israel.  Egypt also had a Jewish community.  She talks about the story of Moses.

So how else did religion and spirituality impact Africa and its people?  What about the impact of Christianity?  What role did Alexandria play in religion?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more!

This series continues to impress.  I really enjoy Zeinab’s narration and interviewing skills.  I know I have said this before, but I would love for a co-hosted series with Zeinab and Gus.  That pair would be dynamite together.  The topic in this episode can be sensitive to people, and I found Zeinab handled it really well.  A lot of times I find scholars or narrators coming off with a snotty-superior attitude when it comes to religion and spirituality.  Zeinab was perfect in her presentation.  These narrators can learn a thing or two from her when it comes to presenting religion and spirituality.  This would be an episode to consider showing to a history classroom and maybe even a speech class on how to present.

Good morning! Another day, and another episode of this delightful History of Africa series with Zeinab Badawi.  I am enjoying this series and I hope you folks are enjoying it too.  I know it is a long series to show in a classroom, so I would choose the top three episodes to show in a class.  This time I am looking at the episode Coast and Conquest and the run time for this episode is 44:44.

Zeinab Badawi visits spectacular historic sites in Africa.  She visits the Swahili Coastal settlements of Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique on the Indian Ocean.  Then she talks about how the Arab’s arrival in this area trigged the start of the slave trade in Africa.  The Arabs and their Swahili partners were the first to trade in humans and Zeinab highlights how this slave trade was different from the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  She looks into this dark period of African history and how it is looked at by modern Africans.

Outsiders were attracted to Africa in the Seventh Century by its wealth and resources.  The Swahili culture grew up on the Indian Ocean Coastline of Africa.  The East Coast of Africa was accessible from the interior and the Indian Oceans.  The people would have developed strong ties between India and the Arabs.  The Indians were interested in ivory while the Arabs dominated the trade.  Persians also settled on this coastline.  There was also evidence of trading with China.
Zeinab is focusing on the Indian Ocean Trade and the Arabs that came to this area mainly came from Oman.  There were trading ports established in Mogadishu, Lamu, Malindi, and Mombasa.  These trading centers were like stepping stones along the coastline and into Africa.  Eventually, each of the trading centers would grow and dominate the trade in turn.   Zeinab meets up with a professor who talks about how the Africans mixed with the Arabs.

Zeinab arrives in Lamu on a rainy day and explores the Swahili culture.  This culture came about as a result of the mixing between the Arabs and the Africans.  Zeinab talks with an architectural historian.  She asks him how he defines Swahili culture.  This expert talks about how it was influenced by a variety of cultures to emerge as a distinct culture.  They walk through Lamu and discuss the historic building that is found around town.  Zeinab further explores the architecture of the Sawali and the common elements in buildings.  I found this section very interesting because of how much blending and adopting went on with the Sawali culture.

Malindi is next on Zeinab’s agenda and explores the ruins of a small town nearby.  This town was abandoned for unknown reasons and the ruins remain.  Then she tours another historic site Kilwa in Tanzania.  Both these sites proclaim their wealth.  I wish she could have spent more time on these sites and perhaps explored reasons as to why the sites were abandoned.  I would guess that trade declined or something happened that caused them to be abandoned.

Zeinab continues to talk with experts on the Sawali culture.  She meets up with Amira Said Musllem at a café and they talk about the Swahili people.  She speaks in Swahili and the language borrows a lot of words from the Arabic language.  She talks about the arrival of the first Arabs and the people they encountered.  She talks about how the Arab traders married Swahili women and had children.  The Arabs would have had to forgo their culture and adopt Sawali ways.  Only then you could be considered a member of the Swahili community.  How else were the Swahili people influenced?  What else does Zeinab learn about the Swahili people?  Where do Zeinab’s travels continue to take her?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out.

The downside of this series continues to be that these episodes are just too short.  The episodes seem to run on an average of 44 minutes and if they could have been six minutes longer, they would have been 50 minutes long.  Those historic sites were amazing and it was too bad Zeinab could not spend more time on them.  Overall, this would be one episode I would add to my documentary watch list for a history class.  I know I say that all the time with this series, but it is true!