They Came Before Columbus

"They Came Before Columbus reveals a compelling, dramatic, and superbly detailed documentation of the presence and legacy of Africans in ancient America. Examining navigation and shipbuilding; cultural analogies between Native Americans and Africans; the transportation of plants, animals, and textiles between the continents; and the diaries, journals, and oral accounts of the explorers themselves, Ivan Van Sertima builds a pyramid of evidence to support his claim of an African presence in the New World centuries before Columbus. Combining impressive scholarship with a novelist’s gift for storytelling, Van Sertima re-creates some of the most powerful scenes of human history: the launching of the great ships of Mali in 1310 (two hundred master boats and two hundred supply boats), the sea expedition of the Mandingo king in 1311, and many others. In They Came Before Columbus, we see clearly the unmistakable face and handprint of black Africans in pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelming impact on the civilizations they encountered."

Juneteenth Flag

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery in America.

Black Panther Protest Flag 1966

Black Panther Activist Bobby Seals and Angela Davis protested the use of what they called the "Fascist Pigs" of the local and State police forces that conspired against the Black Panther movement. This flag was reportedly used at one of their protest rallies, but currently has not been documented. "50 United Fascist States" Flag

Africa before colonization

Africa's Colonizers

Africa after colonization.

Six traditional language families represented in Africa

Official languages in Africa

New Blog

It's 2013, my senior year, and like all seniors I'm required to take World History in order to graduate. Now, I love history and I was really excited to be taking world history this year. I expected to learn about the history and culture of countries like Asia, Africa, and South America. There's just one problem, though. My "world history" class isn't about world history at all. First off, it starts around the time of the crusades. Which is bogus since so much more fascinating things happened hundreds of years before this time. And seconds, to make matters really bad, my world history class turned out to a Western Civilization class in disguise. I'm talking colonization, "white man's burden", and slavery type shit. The curriculum is practically void of any historic people of color. It's a miracle if we even skim over a sentence or two about one person of color. Even when covering topics about colonization in Africa it's all about the white man. So why would I, a young woman of color, want to hear all about the white man's struggles for an hour everyday and hear nothing about my own people? The answer to that is really simple. I DON'T!! That's why I made this blog. To chronicle my adventures through the internet and public library in search of the history I think is really worth learning about. Enjoy!