History
The Rocky Independence of Congo-Brazzaville
Since its independence from France 65 years ago, the Republic of Congo has remained profoundly shaped by its Marxist-Leninist past, marked by authoritarian resilience and intimate Chinese connections. Read More...
Nok and Africa’s Disregard for Prehistory
African societies have, over centuries, had to deal with a cleavage of their present from their pasts by foreign powers. In the face of such cultural imperialism, how invested are their leaders in reclaiming Africa’s plundered historical heritage? Read More...
The Timeless Solutions of the Gadaa System
The Gadaa system of the Oromo people of Kenya and Ethiopia offers an indigenous method of governance in Africa, as the adopted Western democracy seems to be failing the continent. Read More...
From Kongo Kings to Cross-Congo Conflicts
The world’s closest capital cities—Kinshasa and Brazzaville—sit within two modern-day states, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, that once reigned as a united Kongo Kingdom, splintered 140 years ago at the seminal Berlin Conference. Their distinguished histories explain their contemporary relations. Read More...
10 Books That Belong on Your Reading List This Women’s History Month
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Nigerian writer and editor, Angel Nduka-Nwosu, compiles a list of books by Black women that belong on your reading list this month and beyond. These books capture the multifaceted experiences of Black women. Read More...
The Great Mosque of Djenné And the Social Utility of History
Africans are no strangers to conservationists, preservationists and all manner of experts who call into question Africa’s internal capabilities to safeguard sites and objects of historical value. The Great Mosque of Djenné, its mud-brick walls annually restored by the community, poses a challenge to a Western approach to history which sees preservation as an end in itself, rather than a means to social cohesion. Read More...
The Yorubas of Ghana
The historic migration of the Yoruba people from Ile-Ife has shaped Ghana’s Yoruba community through trade, faith and family ties. At the heart of this connection is Chief Brimah, an Ilorin merchant, whose leadership and entrepreneurial spirit forged enduring bonds with the Ga people and deeply influenced Accra’s Zongo communities. Read More...
Odanga Is Still Fighting
My maternal great-grandfathers were both directly affected by the First World War. Only one of them lived to tell his story. Read More...
10 Books That Shaped Black History Over the Last Century
In our latest book recommendation, historian Kai Mora compiles a list of books that shaped Black history over the last century. From a book about the Haitian Revolution to one about the rise and fall of the Wolof Empire, these books exemplify the dynamism in the application of Black thought and history. Read More...
S2 EP7: ‘We All Stand Before History’
How have the Ogoni people been able to come to terms with the execution of the Ogoni Nine, and deal with the unresolved environmental crisis caused by oil exploration till this day? What does the crisis in Ogoni and the Niger Delta more broadly tell us about what it means to be Nigerian? The seventh episode of the second season of The Republic is now available wherever you listen to podcasts. Read More...
