Online Reporter
Ranga Mataire, Group Political Editor
OBSERVED annually on May 25, Africa Day is a vibrant celebration of the continent’s diverse cultures, rich history, and remarkable achievements. It is a day of profound significance — not only for Africans but also for people around the world who recognise the continent’s invaluable contributions to the global community.
Cultural Festivities
Across the globe, Africa Day celebrations have long been marked by cultural activities — music, dance, poetry, drama, and vibrant attire that reflect the cultural tapestry of a continent renowned for its spirituality and hospitality.
Africa’s diverse cultures form a rich heritage, bound by shared histories, languages, and breathtaking landscapes that have sustained both humanity and wildlife since time immemorial.
It is this deep-rooted history that has shaped African identity and languages, and provided inspirational reference points for those who have fought to liberate themselves from the twin evils of slavery and colonialism.
Beyond the cultural festivities
Yet, beyond the cultural expressions, the true essence of Africa Day — as envisioned by the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) — runs far deeper than music, dance, drama, and colourful garments.
It must remain etched in the consciousness of present and future generations that Africa Day was established to commemorate the dismantling of colonialism, to promote political and economic unity among African nations, and to guard against neo-colonial forces that continue to threaten the continent’s hard-won independence.
Africa Day is not merely a celebration — it is a moment for deep reflection on the continent’s liberation journey; a time to devise strategies to confront contemporary challenges; and an opportunity to draw strength from the inspirational reference points that can guide Africans through the complexities of the modern world and into the future.
Inspirational reference points
In today’s fast-paced world, where the Global South often finds itself vulnerable to cultural imperialism from the Global North due to disparities in economic power, it is Africa’s rich heritage that must instil the confidence to move forward.
The significant imbalance in economies of scale allows the North to dominate global markets and media, often leading to the overshadowing of African cultural narratives.
In the face of this, people of African descent must continue to challenge the racist and historically inaccurate notion that Africa had no history, language, or culture before the arrival of Europeans.
We must highlight tangible historical reference points that instil pride in Black people — long subjected to colonial myths of inferiority.
These reference points include moments when Africa led the world in various fields of human endeavour. There were times when scholars from other continents travelled to Africa — particularly Egypt and Senegal — to study science, the arts, and astronomy.
Such examples are vital in dispelling the myth of Africa as the “Dark Continent” portrayed in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. In truth, Africa was once a beacon of enlightenment.
Among these inspirational milestones is the Munhumutapa Empire, which originated in Zimbabwe and extended across much of southern Africa. Another is the Great Zimbabwe monument, a testament to advanced social, political, and economic organisation, and architectural brilliance.
Africans must also challenge the myth that Egyptian civilisation —which inspired Greek civilisation, the foundation of European thought — was Arabic or Asiatic. The tombs of Pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, remain intact, and their mummified remains are those of Black Africans — not Europeans or Arabs. If the rulers were Black, it follows that the civilisation itself was African.
We must also celebrate the contributions of Black Africans to science, technology, education, and the arts — from the Ethiopian Obelisk to Mansa Musa of ancient Mali, reputed to be the richest man in history.
Our children must know that Greek philosophers such as Plato, Pythagoras, and Thales studied in or visited Egypt in search of knowledge. These are not myths — they are supported by historical records.
Reclaiming our narrative
We must pass on these historical reference points to future generations to reaffirm, reassert, and reframe our rightful place in the contemporary world.
These truths are essential in debunking the notion that colonialism brought civilisation. While Africa’s development paths were diverse, the continent was on an upward trajectory and could have developed its own technologies and systems had colonialism not intervened.
On Africa Day, Africans must loudly proclaim their love and respect for the men and women who shine brightly in the annals of history, even in a world still shaped by racism and European dominance.
We must honour the journeys travelled and the enduring love that grows when we take a deep and honest look at the African and Black experience.
We must echo the words of Ossie Davis: “I find in being Black, a thing of beauty, a joy, a strength, a secret cup of gladness.”
And we must continue to teach our children that African people never stole land from others. Africa is our home — not through conquest, theft, or violence — but by birthright and heritage.
We must speak about Ivan Van Sertima, the Guyanese scholar whose pioneering work in Blacks in Science: Ancient and Modern debunked many of the falsehoods perpetuated about Black people having made no contribution to world civilisation.
Rather than spending unproductive hours on TikTok, we should encourage our children to read transformative works such as the Journal of African Civilisations or They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America — both authored or edited by Van Sertima.
We must teach our children that, had colonialism not disrupted our developmental trajectory, Africa could very well have been the first continent to invent modern forms of communication. One of the marvels of precolonial Africa, as documented in various European travelogues, was the mysterious way in which African communities communicated information almost instantaneously across vast distances.
European travellers often recounted arriving in a village after days of journeying, only to find that the locals were already aware of events — be it a battle, a birth, a death, or a disaster — that had occurred far away. This was long before the invention of the telegraph or radio. African peoples had developed finely tuned instruments to transmit messages over long distances, sometimes using drum scripts so sophisticated they closely mimicked the rhythm and tone of human speech.
Charles Breasted, a retired journalist, author, and aide to his father — the renowned archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr James H Breasted — wrote about a method used by Nubians to transmit the human voice across nearly two miles of the Nile. In The Lost Sciences of Africa: An Overview, Van Sertima quotes Breasted as follows:
“We never ceased marvelling at their ability to converse with one another across great stretches of water. Again and again, in places where the Nile had suddenly widened to a breadth of almost two miles so that we would have to inquire locally regarding possible inscriptions or ruins along the farther shore, we would watch a man address a friend so far away on the opposite bank as to be a mere speck, wholly out of earshot.
“He would stand at the very edge of the river, perhaps 10 feet above its surface, and cupping his hands some four inches in front of his lips, would talk into the water at an angle of about 45 degrees, in a loud voice but without shouting. At intervals, he would stop and listen while the distant man evidently replied in kind. But we who stood close by heard no sound. Pleasantly, the exchange would end and he would matter-of-factly tell us what he had learned.”
This passage is a powerful testament to the ingenuity of African civilisations in developing methods of long-distance communication. They understood how sound could travel through mediums such as water and air.
The reason for highlighting these historical reference points is to inspire present and future generations to believe that they too can be pioneers in various fields. These stories serve as springboards for ambition, showing that if our ancestors were innovators in their time, we too can lead in the modern world.
Highlighting such inspirational historical reference points aligns perfectly with this year’s Africa Day theme: “Revisiting Our History, Shaping Our Future.” This theme underscores the importance of understanding our past as a compass for future development. It calls for reflection on Africa’s historical journey and seeks to address the root causes of issues such as slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism, and racial injustice.
Africa Day is more than just a celebration of music and dance. It is a moment to envision a future inspired by the knowledge that Africa is the birthplace of humanity — as evidenced by the remains discovered at Olduvai Gorge. It follows, then, that Africa is also the cradle of civilisation as we know it.
Olduvai Gorge is considered the “Cradle of Mankind” because it contains the oldest known remains of human ancestors, including Homo habilis and Paranthropus boisei. The gorge’s stratified layers provide a timeline of hominin evolution spanning from around two million years ago to 15 000 years ago.
