Before i do so, i would like to state that this address is not only for the students of this. Areas covered range from political system types, political economies, and political cultures of diverse. It is their common responsibility to realize a dream of a united africa because leadership only succeeds when the people are ready and willing to press for success. History is most commonly used to study government and politics, but history can also be used to illuminate other topics, such as science, technology, or law. What needs to be foregrounded is knowledge that harmonises the universal say, what comes from europe and the particular. It is a matter of identity so that one may be able to distinguish it from old testament agencies and from religious institutions of modern human origin. Four themes which inform the entire eight week unit will be introduced in this session. The oral tradition is a living, and dynamic organism within the african community, and the original element of oral traditional is djembe.
For example, literature in english is the subject of five chapters, and. The mark of wellrounded education is how it drinks from the variety of human experience. Miller emphasizes the importance of students understanding the process of. The field includes the study of africas history precolonial, colonial, postcolonial, demography ethnic groups, culture, politics, economy, languages, and religion islam, christianity, traditional religions. A study in church history church of christ in zion, illinois. Beinart and others published african history and environmental history find, read and cite all the research you need on. I was asked to address you on the importance of african history and the relevance that this subject has on your lives. History, challenges and perspectives find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. The importance of biography in african historical studies.
It is difficult for depressed africanamericans to know that they are a part of the larger story of the history of the world. Learning history helps one figure out, for example, if one main factorsuch as. In african american history, the church has long been at the center of black communities. Implications and recommendations by naim madyun, sheneka m. The significance of african history education and self development. Slavery ended and left its false images of black people intact. Oyeshile and others published on defining african philosophy. The biographical method promises to offer unique and unexpected insights in the study of african. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. The importance of teaching history as a compulsory subject author. Here, youll discover resources on the continents prominent historical figures, complex racial politics, and turbulent military past. The study of history is important because it helps us understand people and societies. 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. The history of africa 73 military history lamphear 2007, fighting for britain.
The importance of african lions by quentin coleman. The importance of teaching history as a compulsory subject. Africans must be optimistic about a continental union. Vivid and interactive the rich and extraordinary content has enabled us to develop educational packages for schools, broadcast documentaries, books, feature films, art collections, the performing arts and dialogue forums. The history of the modern world was made, in the main. However, most children are taught history in a way that makes it seem like black history began with slavery. The journal of african history volume 52 issue 02 july 2011, pp 223. Precolonial and colonial african history research papers. African contains the great anxious historians of africa g, ehuedu 09. Africa constitutes one of the important themes of this period.
There are thousands of years of history in africa that, surprisingly to most, resemble european history. The infiltration of western knowledge systems served to redirect development of the african continent by emphasizing its making in the image of europe and north america. What are the importance of studying african history answers. On the importance of africanamerican faculty in higher. These discussions have clarified both the uses and the problems of oral data. This complication, it has to be explained, was necessitated by the ever changing societal exigencies and the need to adapt to emerging changes. If we understand how and why we responded to a particular problem in the past, and if we also understand the results of that past response, maybe2. With majestic manes and powerful roars, hundreds of thousands of lions once ruled the plains of africa. It has established itself as the greatest source for african american religious enrichment and secular development. History is of vital importance to the human race because it primarily recounts the rise and fall of human civilizations. An introduction to african politics, this course will provide for its participants a general survey of the main issues regarding politics in the continent.
In his article, what the historian owes the negro, the noted africanamerican historian, dr. From the precolonial to the modern day toyin falola and tyler fleming encyclopedia of life support systems eolss and along the swahili coastline of east africa, vast trade networks developed. The importance of studying history many outstanding investors have been fanatical students of history because history teaches you to place events into perspective, to understand that industries boom and fade. One of my greatest concerns as an educator is students understand the importance of knowing history. It is this understanding that provides enough evidence that african societies through. This first module will introduce you to africa in a manner which convinces you of the importance of studying the continent. View precolonial and colonial african history research papers on academia. Prejudice against black africans in particular, which goes far back in history, has meant that african history has been dictated by eurocentric or even racist research. The individual in african history the importance of biography in. The chains of slavery are gonebut we are all not yet free. A study of history shows that people, both individually and as groups or nations, repeatedly encounter the same kinds of problems. There are several sources of african history, one of which is a griot. Some of the history of these countries, however, is naturally mentioned in this history of the rest of africa but is kept to the minimum needed to make the rest comprehensible. It is a proud african story of unity against oppression and an important history lesson for the continents future leaders.
African studies is the study of africa, especially the continents cultures and societies as opposed to its geology, geography, zoology, etc. Pdf on jan 1, 2009, henning melber and others published the relevance of african studies find, read and cite. Part of this entails knowing that african philosophy is a thing, which unfortunately many do not know, and learning of african philosophy amongst even those. The early part of the volume assesses the importance attached by african societies to the past and the growth and development in african historiography, together. In much of africa historical knowledge was conveyed. The importance of history cambridge muslim college. The african lion panthera leo still roams portions of his native environment, but only a fraction of the original population remains. The study of art offers the learning of their history. Learning about africa continues your introduction to africa on two fronts. Regardless of the overarching focus on the intrusive colonial and capitalist systems in african environmental history, forces that also imparted foreign conservationist ideas and practices, there are regional differences, strengths and weaknesses in african. Volume i of the unesco general history of africa methodology and african prehistory, under the direction of j. Studying the history of blacks in america, and the slavery issue, helps us to avoid such horrible things in the future human beings first developed in africa, so studying african history is. My second decision, to integrate africanamerican history and literature came quite simply. I only have a few minutes to address you so i would be brief.
Kizerbo deals with the african prehistory and its methodology. African history has been a challenge for researchers because of scarce written sources in many regions, especially sub saharan africa. Since the later 19th century, the study of african history has undergone radical changes. The importance of preserving african history for posterity.
Early history 1 early humans and stone age society 3 the khoisan 5 san 6 the khoekhoe today 8 the spread of bantu languages 8 food production 9 the rise of more complex states 11 toutswe 11 veld 12 swahili culture 12 mapungubwe and great zimbabwe torwa, mutapa, and rozwi smallscale societies 14 chapter 2. This is a part of the african story, and in the distance it is a part of the africanamerican story. According to this imperial historiography, africa had no history and therefore. What is the importance of studying african philosophy.
Historians are able to piece together life spans of generations and. History offers data on information of how people and societies lived and behaved in the past. Unesco eolss sample chapters world civilizations and history of human development african civilizations. African philosophy, africanization, and african indigenous knowledge. Pdf african history and environmental history researchgate.
This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british. The importance of oral traditions in african history. Pdf relevance of linguistics to the reconstruction of. The eurocentric approaches, such as class lectures and teleconferencing make africans undermine their own ways of transmission of knowledge. African american history month, with a bit of tweaking, is still a beacon of change and hope that is still surely needed in this world. Oral traditions and african history oral tradition as a source for african history has been subject to a certain amount of controversy in recent decades. The importance of teaching black history polite on society. The acceptance of the facts of africanamerican history and the africanamerican historian as a legitimate part of the academic community did not come easily. The importance of beads and beadwork in african culture.
Varying perceptions of the relative contribution of each discipline underscore dramatic differences in method and. If european history is treated as an important social class in the education system, so should african history. Although african history has now become a respectable academic discipline in colleges and universities all over the world, it is important to. The journal of african history between world history. The history of africa begins with the emergence of hominids, archaic humans andat least 200,000 years agoanatomically modern humans homo sapiens, in east africa, and continues unbroken into the present as a patchwork of diverse and politically developing nation states.
On the importance of africanamerican faculty in higher education. Origins of african history 1 concept of two africas 2 the relationship between african history and world history 2 sources of african history 4 oral traditions 5 written sources 11 historical linguistics 14 anthropology 17 archaelogy 24 origins and evolution of man 25 the aspects of human evolution influence of the environment on human life. The black church, a brief history african american. History is the study of some subject in chronological order. The great diversity within the black community needs the glue of the african american past to remind us of not just how far we have traveled but lo. Contiguities between history and archaeology, real or imagined, often undermine the possibility of recreating and narrating the african past. The importance of an african union basil enwegbara. The oldest known skeletal remains of anatomically modern humans or homo sapiens sapiens were excavated at sites in east africa. One of the most crucial aspects of the development of philosophy of african history has been a realization of the importance of the spoken or oral traditions in the framing and interpretation of african history. I eagerly embraced the opportunity, because i shared his conviction that such a book was both necessary and of potentially great appeal to a sizeable audience.