Africa Defined

After much contemplation and wrestling with the possibilities, I’ve finally embarked on a personal history project that feels both meaningful and exciting. The journey to find the right topic has been winding, but I’ve landed on something I’m passionate about: researching the rich and diverse history of the African continent.

Initially, I struggled. Africa’s history is vast, yet much of the information isn’t readily accessible. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is the fact that so much of the source material is written in various languages—highlighting that it’s not a lack of history, but a lack of access that hinders deep understanding. Contrary to the degrading stereotype that Africa has “no history,” I’ve come to realize the abundance of information that exists, often just out of reach.

This project idea dawned on me after being inundated with countless timelines of Western history, which are useful, but often exclude significant global events. In contrast, I came across a comprehensive ancient Africa timeline on WorldHistory.com. This timeline felt like the perfect roadmap for what I wanted to explore. For each event listed, I will be diving deeper, researching, analyzing, and offering my own insights. Every post will examine a different moment or era from that timeline, allowing me to trace the stories of ancient African civilizations, empires, and people.

What excites me most about this endeavor is the opportunity to journey all over the continent—at least through my research! I’ll be learning so much while sharing the knowledge I uncover with you, my readers. It feels like both a personal mission to deepen my understanding of African history and a chance to contribute to filling in the gaps for those who might also find it difficult to access these stories.

I can’t wait to see where this takes me! Stay tuned for my first deep dive into the ancient African past.

4o