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In our first podcast, hosts Laila Johnson Salami and Cai Nebe profile two leaders who were a thorn in the side of imperial powers. And both have a surprising role in the foundations of Rastafarianism, and reggae music.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany had caused "immeasurable suffering" to the Herero and Nama people, in what is now Namibia, in the early part of the 20th century.
He is a rapper, presenter, activist and the descendent of a Namibian independence fighter. In a collaboration with DW, Simon Witbooi – aka Hemelbesem – honors the legacy of his ancestor Hendrik Witbooi in his latest music video.
On the show this week, we are looking at colonization. What impact has colonialism had in Africa? We’ll hear from some young people in Namibia — a former German colony — and from Liberia, which is said to have never been colonized. Join the debate!
'African Roots' is celebrating 50 portraits of significant figures in African history. Narrated with African voices, they serve as the basis for debates on the web, radio, or historical sites.
Four students, one historian at a historical location: Those were the ingredients of an African Roots debate exploring Africa's and Ghana's slave trade past. An occasion for the young students to ponder history's role in shaping their country and that of the continent.
Afonso I of Kongo strategically pursued a close mutually beneficial relationship with Portugal. At first, he collaborated in the slave trade, but later rejected it when it got out of control.
West African storytellers still sing the praises of Sunjata Keita today. Crippled as a child, he overcame his disability to unify the fragmented kingdoms of the region, creating the vast medieval Mali Empire.
Sengbe Pieh, a farmer and trader from Sierra Leone was taken into slavery in 1839. During the voyage to the so-called New World, he led a mutiny aboard the Amistad which would later galvanize the abolitionist movement.
Changing from domestic servant to wondrous attraction, Sarah Baartman was considered an ape in Europe. Though people paid in droves to stare at her body, she died in poverty far from her South African home.
Liberia, the nation of freed slaves, was built on the oppression of natives when William Tubman was elected president. Besides uniting his people, he prepared the country for a prosperous future – that was not to be.
As the world marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery, more and more Portuguese with African roots are calling for a critical reappraisal of this dark chapter in history.
Benin's history is indelibly linked to the slave trade: Local leaders sold their war prisoners to European traders. The country is now trying to heal the rifts still keenly felt in society.
Text books used in Africa often present the continent's history from a colonial point of view. Many Africans say it's time to tell Africa's history from an African perspective.
Diverse secessionist movements are back in the spotlight in Africa. The Tigray Region in Ethiopia is only one example. The roots often go back to the colonial era, and some of these conflicts still smolder today.
The novel Efuru established Nigerian author Flora Nwapa as the first African woman to publish a book in English. Her work set the stage for the emergence of female writers in Nigeria and other African countries.
Though Sultan Njoya Ibrahim acceded to the throne when the Germans were imposing themselves in Cameroon, he managed to reign with relative freedom. The King of Bamun was known to be a pacifist and a great inventor.
In the Moroccan city of Fez, Fatima al-Fihri founded a mosque which developed into the famous al-Qarawiyyin university. Today it is recognized as the oldest existing university in the world.
Ahmed Baba was one of the great African intellectuals of the 16th century. A prolific writer and Islamic scholar, his works include a legal opinion on slavery and a number of biographies of famous jurists.
Anthropologist, historian, specialist in nuclear physics and passionate about linguistics, the Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop laid the foundation for finally writing the history of Africa without racist prejudices.
Léopold Sédar Senghor is considered as one of Africa's greatest statesmen, poets and intellectuals. After a spell of imprisonment during the Second World War, he became the first president of Senegal.
With little formal education and living under apartheid, Hamilton Naki rose from being a gardener to being a respected lab technician whose legacy lives on.
Princess Yennenga was not the typical princess, she was a fearless warrior and an experienced horseback rider. She left a lasting legacy in Burkina Faso.
Historians doubt that Bayajida existed, but the legend of Bayajida remains powerful. It refers to him as the man whose lineage founded the Hausa nation. The legend is re-enacted yearly in Daura, Nigeria.
The name Shaka Zulu has become synonymous with battle. His army devastated anyone who stood in his way. DW spoke to historian Maxwell Shamase who says Shaka's legacy has been misrepresented.
At a time when men dominated most aspects of life, Amina the queen of Zazzau emerged. A skillful Hausa warrior, she commanded a vast army which conquered many territories and greatly expanded her kingdom.
Though her origin is contested, the Queen of Sheba — also known as Makeda — is at the core of Ethiopian mythology. Her encounter with Israel's King Solomon 3,000 years ago is legendary.
He was a religious teacher who became the leader of a revolution: Usman dan Fodio, respectfully referred to as Sheikh, criticized the elites and changed the political system in present-day northern Nigeria.
Abla Pokou is an Akan queen who led her people from modern-day Ghana to Ivory Coast around 1770, where she founded the Baoule nation. Legend says she sacrificed her son to the river so that her people could cross over.
More than five centuries after his reign, Oba Ewuare’s legacy is still alive in Benin City. He is remembered for his mystical powers, promoting arts and the bronze figures that have stood the test of time.
The decision to award a conservationist with the Nobel Peace Prize came as a surprise in 2004. Yet it underlined the role of Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement in building a peaceful and self-sustained society.
The Emperor of Mali, Kanku Musa, is probably the wealthiest man ever to have lived on Earth. His opulence enabled him to turn Timbuktu into a stunning city. His reign lasted between c. 1313 and c. 1337.
Dedan Kimathi was the leader of Mau Mau, Kenya’s armed independence movement. He is regarded as a revolutionary leader who fought against British colonialists until his execution.
Kimpa Vita attempted to unify the kingdom of Kongo through an African Christianity. For a short period, she was successful. Today she is referred to as being the mother of African unity.
He's inspired generations: Patrice Lumumba became prime minister when the Congo was still under Belgian colonial rule. But he was forced out of office shortly after the country's independence and later assassinated.
His Imperial Highness Emperor Haile Selassie represented a dynastic line which stretched back centuries. He was an absolute ruler and yet a modernizer who introduced the very reforms which eventually proved his downfall.
The Tanzanian university lecturer had to overcome several challenges during his field research – and now has some advice for history students.
It's not history that matters, but the way it is told, says Stephen Temitope David. The Nigerian historian seeks to add an African perspective to Western narratives. Julia Jaki met him in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Born a prince and educated in Germany, King Rudolf Douala Manga Bell was passionate about German culture. When German colonists shortchanged his people, he protested. In the end, he was hanged for his act of resistance.
Eduardo Mondlane had a vision of a free, united and independent Mozambique, unshackled from the Portuguese colonial authorities. Though he was assassinated while in exile, his legacy lives on.
A heroine of Mozambique's freedom struggle, Josina Machel fought for women's rights and encouraged other women to join the war. She died at 25 without seeing her dream of an independent Mozambique become a reality.
Kinjeketile Ngwale claimed to be a spirit medium. He defied the German colonialists in Tanganyika, unleashed an uprising and gave the people with 'sacred water' which they believed would keep them from harm.
He was the last king of Gaza. And he resisted Portuguese occupation. A century after his death, Ngungunyane came to symbolize Mozambican resistance. But he remains a controversial figure.
This project is supported by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. Follow this link to learn more.
Taytu Betul, regarded as one of Ethiopia's greatest leaders, was the wife of Emperor Menelik II. She was instrumental in defeating Italian imperialists and also founded Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city.
The fact that the Kingdom of Dahomey, which existed between the 17th and 19th century in present-day Benin, was famous and powerful, is partly thanks to the elite-trained Amazon female fighters.
A famous Zanzibari singer and composer, Siti binti Saad established taarab as a performing art and as a mouthpiece for women in East Africa. In the process, she became a pioneer in many ways.
She was strong. She was outspoken. She didn't just open doors for women, she kicked them down. The Nigerian women's rights activist and politician, Margaret Ekpo, helped change the face of politics in Nigeria.
Njinga Mbande was a diplomat and a military chief from the 17th century in the territory which is now known as Angola. She fought the Portuguese through military actions and diplomacy until her death at 82.
When Tanzania became an independent state, it was Mwalimu Julius Nyerere who was hailed as its founding father. But without Bibi Titi Mohamed, he would have lacked an important mobilizing force that secured his success.
DW's new series "African Roots" uses online comics and radio broadcasts to highlight 25 important African personalities. The project, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, is aimed at young audiences.
Immersed in the pan-African struggle, Amilcar Cabral led Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde toward independence from the Portuguese colonial authorities, but was assassinated short of achieving this goal.
Dubbed the "African Che Guevara," Thomas Sankara led a revolution in the former Upper Volta, reinventing the state as Burkina Faso. Even though he was murdered only years later, his influence lasts until today.
In segregated South Africa, Charlotte Mannya Maxeke dedicated her life to the struggle for women's rights and education for all. Her pioneering role is only now being rediscovered and more widely reported once again.
He was a no-nonsense military officer who helped Ethiopia's Menelik II consolidate power over the southern territories. But Gobena Dache's legacy is not without controversy.
A strong-willed woman who had the courage to stand by her convictions, throughout her life Yaa Asantewaa defended what she believed to be the sanctity of her land, culture and language. If need be, by fighting.
About a hundred years ago in Uganda, Queen Muhumuza stood against patriarchal, colonial and chauvinist forces. She was a spiritual leader, a military leader and a fighter for social justice.
The discovery of Dinknesh, also known as Lucy, changed the way we understand evolution. Her 3.2 million-year-old fossilized skeleton was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia.
Prince Louis Rwagasore was supposed to lead Burundi into independence. He was named prime minister but was killed shortly before independence.
Nelson Mandela emerged from 27 years in prison to lead South Africa to freedom from white rule. He became the country's first black president and won the Nobel Peace prize for his policy of reconciliation.
Born in the UK with all the privileges that came with being white, Helen Joseph risked her life challenging the South African apartheid regime. DW discussed her life with anti-apartheid veteran Carl Niehaus.
After an academic career in the US and England, Kwame Nkrumah returned home to lead Ghana into independence and become its first president. His vision of a US-style union could however not be achieved.
A pronounced pan-Africanist, Nyerere led Tanganyika to independence and later unified it with Zanzibar to form Tanzania. Despite shortcomings, his Ujamaa policy is credited for giving Tanzania a national identity.
