Discover the MAGIC of Harambee

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Discover the MAGIC of Harambee

Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash

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October 26th is the day were many Africans in the diaspora celebrate the Harambee Festival

Here’s a quick summary of our discussion

• Introduction and Recap: The speaker welcomes listeners to the podcast, mentioning the recent pep rally and how educators can enjoy fun activities with students. He introduces the ongoing book discussion on “The Lost Cities of Africa” by Basil Davidson and encourages listeners to follow along, even though he doesn’t agree with everything in the book.
• Key Historical Questions: The host recaps questions from the previous week, including the description of the Bal Sudan by Europeans, the concept of the “land of gold,” and the financial systems of ancient African empires, hinting at upcoming deeper discussions.
• Harambee Festival Introduction: The speaker shifts focus to Harambee, a Swahili word meaning “unity” that is featured on Kenya’s coat of arms. He reflects on its significance during this season and ties it to the importance of pulling together for common goals, illustrated by a tug-of-war event at his school.
• Harambee’s Broader Message: Using the concept of Harambee, the speaker emphasizes unity in education, science, and African progress. He envisions a future where all Africans globally work together for a common cause, blending both history and forward-thinking.
• Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Content: The host thanks his global audience, mentioning upcoming interviews with scholars and authors. He concludes by reiterating the message of unity (“Harambee”), emphasizing the need to set aside differences and work together for progress, while teasing the next episode’s discussion on African history.

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Video

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Exploring African Civilizations: Beyond the Ruins

 

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Unveiling the Rich History and Advanced Societies of Precolonial Africa

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In this recap of Night School, I discuss the sophisticated cultures, powerful armies, and economic systems of African civilizations beyond Egypt. Join me in unveiling the reality behind the ruins of the Kingdoms of Zimbabwe and Monomotapa.

Video Summary: The Reality Behind the Ruins

Chapter 10 of the book “Lost Cities of Africa” by Basil Davidson, focuses on African history and civilizations beyond Egypt and Kemet.

The hosts highlight the following key points:

• Introduction to African History: The podcast aims to foster a lifelong interest in African history, exploring various civilizations across the continent.
• Regions of Africa: Discussion includes Northern, Western, Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Africa, with a focus on the latter regions.
• The Reality Behind the Ruins: Chapter 10 addresses misconceptions about African civilizations, comparing African art, religion, and military to European standards.
• Misconceptions: The hosts argue against the idea that African art and religion are primitive, emphasizing their sophistication and complexity.
• Military Power: African kingdoms, like those in Southeastern Africa, had powerful armies comparable to European legions.
• Economic and Social Systems: African civilizations had advanced economic systems with significant wealth, such as large stores of gold, and complex social and political structures.
• Cultural Origins: The podcast discusses theories about the origins of African civilizations, suggesting they developed from the south and moved northward.

YouTube Video: The Reality Behind the Ruins

https://youtu.be/D3BiRzcxv9c?si=1yjW-iWEJL47xqmk

King Cam Night School, Season 6

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Amazon.com: African History Books - African History / History: Books
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Lost Cities of Africa
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Reveal the Fair Cities of Stone: A Discussion on the Swahili Coast

 

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Reveal the Fair Cities of Stone

A Discussion on the Swahili Coast

Photo by Zosia Szopka on Unsplash

The book by Basil Davidson, “Lost Cities of Africa,” is very good. There are some things I disagree with, but like anything, you pick the bones out and go from there. It’s a pretty thorough book. It covers a lot of regions and highlights lost cities. Chapter 7, title is “Fair Cities of Stone”. A few questions that come to mind,

What was the forgotten civilization?

Are you Arab or African?

This is where the East meets West, before going towards the western coast of Africa. What did I find in reading this chapter?

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The Lost Civilization

Vasco da Gama sailed along the coast of Africa. Da Gama and many others called themselves circumnavigating the world. Under the assumption this place had nothing to offer since so many ships crossed the Indian Ocean. He went from Portugal and discovered that he had nothing to give in comparison to what they were giving. He passed Madagascar and found people who knew the land and sea into the coasts of India and beyond. These people did not exist as a forgotten civilization. They were thriving and established. However, they found that Africans were already doing this and doing it better. They witnessed a flourishing maritime trade trading:

Gold

Iron

Tortoise shells

Weights, measures, and more.

This reminds me of the people of Mali, Ghana, and Songhai exchanged gold and salt as well as books.

Photo by Matt Benson on Unsplash

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The Lost Man

They were also looking for Prester John, a legendary figure. European sailors of the late 15th century. They saw the coast of Eastern Africa as more civilized. A civilization possessing wealth and knowledge. The Europeans were surprised at the ease and substance of the port cities. They realized Africa had a lot to give the world, but instead of trading, they resorted to terror and fear.

Photo by Muhammad-taha Ibrahim on Unsplash

The Lost Identity

Tunisians in the northern part of Africa landed in India and were significant figures there. The term “Moor” was always seen as relegated to one group of people in Northwestern Africa. People who civilized Spain, establishing Al-Andalus, and other parts of Europe. The people were trying to figure out why European ships were coming out to the ports of India. The prevailing view at the time was that the ancient cities were Arab or Persian influenced. Moreover, upon deeper investigation, it showed the very foundations of these cities. The founders were the

Kilwa

Lamu

Malindi

Pemba

Zanzibar

Kilwa, and Kisiwani.

All were African.

Photo by Lenny Miles on Unsplash

Various cultures migrated and were absorbed by the people among whom they lived. They intermingled and married. The Kiswahili was the most interesting. The issue is the Arab African, or Afro Arab identity. Many people try to be everything but African. Many black people, whether in Africa or around the corner in my neighborhood. Try to align themselves with groups and ideologies. Neglecting the community in which they live. If you’re not for the people, trying to help yourself and not others, that’s a problem.

John Henrik Clarke asserted his views concerning the Africans in the diaspora. If you are of African descent, you are African no matter where you are. Dr. Yoseff Ben Yochannan said,

If a cat has kittens in an oven, it doesn’t make the kittens biscuits.

What was the forgotten civilization? Vasco da Gama discovered some stuff. Arab or African? It’s deeper than skin color, it’s culture. Chapter 7 was misleading because you’d think they were going to discuss the Great Walls of Zimbabwe. You would believe that Davidson would discuss the wall cities made before the Great Wall of China. Instead, it dealt with the Swahili coast and how they handled business. Much love to you guys. I will talk to you later.

Read stories on the list “History” on Medium: https://medium.com/@marqdcameron/list/history-efd97e5897a9

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The Story of the Moors in Spain
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Black Arabia & the African Origin of Islam
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Reveal the Land of Gold

Today in our night school session, we will continue our discussion of chapter 3 of Basil Davidson's work "The Lost Cities of Africa"

Topic:  What is the Land of Gold?

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#History #Gold #Land Why African History Mansa Musa Where is the land of Gold

Unlock the Mysteries of Meroe

 

Unlock the Mysteries of Meroe Today we are discussing chapter 2 of Basil Davidson's work "The Lost Cities of Africa" Please use my Amazon Affiliates Link ➜ https://amzn.to/4aLUmKA Thanks! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means I get a small commission for each purchase you make after you click on my link and you shop, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thanks

King Cam Fall 2023 Night School Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A01ZVQ82Q0M&list=PL6VotoEf1imno3jQ2lMMxtViMS0UqnkqL&index=

Check out these books on Amazon! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Lost Cities of Africa: https://amzn.to/3H7S0rD (Amazon) Stolen Legacy https://amzn.to/3H5eda3 (Amazon) Introduction to African Civilization: https://amzn.to/48nuPpe (Amazon) The Black Man of the Nile: https://amzn.to/41OiWGt (Amazon) For Ujumbe Books and Journals:  https://www.amazon.com/author/marquesdcameron King Cam Ujumbe Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kingcamsujumbepodcast