The Agojie were a fierce, stealth force of women warriors that others feared and rightfully so. The Agojie first formed around the early 1700s in the Kingdom of Dahomey likely under the woman king (poteeto in the Fon language), Tassi Hangbe as her royal guard. Queen Hangbe was the twin sister of King Akaba (1685-1715) and […]
Originally from Mali, the Wolof people began migrating into what is now Senegal in the 1000s. By the 1200s, the Wolof set up an empire and conquered surrounding areas with their bourba (king) Ndiadiane N’diaye ruling during the 1300s. The empire was powerful from 1200 to 1550 and covered what is modern-day Senegal. They remained […]
Queen Amina of Zaria ruled Hausaland from 1576 to 1610 expanding its territory including the overtaking of Kano and Katsina states controlling important trade routes. Queen Amina was a Hausa Muslim warrior with much of her 34-year reign consisting of war. She led an army of 20,000 men and introduced metal armor to her army […]
Today, October 2nd marks the 59th anniversary since Guinea’s independence from France, its former colonial power. The president that day October 2, 1958 was Sékou Touré who famously said “We prefer poverty in liberty than riches in slavery.” Guinea was one of the early nations to proclaim its independence following Ghana in March 1957. The people of […]
There are varying accounts of exactly when the Tukulor Empire reigned but the consensus is that it was in the second half of the 19th century. The Tukulor Empire was founded by Shaykh El-Hadj Umar Tall who was from Futa Toro (present day northern Senegal). El-Hadj Umar descended from the Fulani and his father, Thierno Saidu […]
Celia Sanchez, a courageous and impactful leader behind the Cuban Revolution worked closely with Fidel Castro, Che Guavara and Frank Pais. Celia worked in the early days of the revolution communicating with Fidel, organizing rebels and providing necessary supplies before even meeting Fidel in person. Once they did finally meet, they became close friends and […]
It is well known that Europe suffered a period of profound ignorance and calamity called the Dark Ages. What is not often discussed is how Europe came out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance (re-birth) period of profound knowledge, including artwork, music, science, mathematics and culture. What outside influence birthed such a prolific […]
In ancient times, jewelry was worn not only for adornment, physical beauty and social status but also for its spiritual and healing benefits. In ancient Egypt gold or nub (Medu Neter – Egyptian language) was considered of divine nature and associated with the sun. Gold as well as copper has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which […]
The empire of Mutapa was a powerful nation in modern day Zimbabwe that rested between the Limpopo and the Zambezi River and extended to the Mozambique coast from 1430-1760. The empire of Mutapa was the successor kingdom of the Great Zimbabwe and it was comprised of mainly a Karanga-speaking population that maintained the stone building […]
Southern Africa is home to many different tribes that maintain their own dialect and way of life. Because of the vast diversity within Southern Africa, many of the tribes remain in the shadows of the more noticed tribes, such as the Zulu tribe. The Swazi people, also known as the Swati people, are a Bantu Nguni-speaking […]