Black History Is World History

Aric Jenkins: “Egypt is always held up as the quintessential African empire, but few are familiar with the region to the south of it. Nubia was home to the Kush Kingdom, which conquered Egypt in the eighth-century BC and gave rise to the Black Pharaohs that would rule for more than 100 years during the 25th dynasty of Egypt. This feature is a great deep dive into the cultural and architectural legacy of Nubian civilization.”

AJ: “Did you know Black people have been living in India and Pakistan for well over a thousand years? The Siddis are a hugely overlooked demographic of the African diaspora, and this video from the always-excellent Kings and Generals explores one of the most legendary Siddis of all.”

AJ: “I used to be a little surprised when seeing Black and brown people depicted in medieval art. But this enlightening 2013 conversation hosted by NPR’s Gene Demby helped change that perception. Together with Malisha Dewalt, founder of popular Tumblr blog “People of Color in European Art History,” and two art historians, the interview sheds light on why people of color’s placement in Middle Age art is less strange than you might’ve imagined.”

AJ: “Switching over to the other hemisphere of the globe, we can’t talk about Black history without acknowledging the achievements of Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian people. This is the only slave rebellion ever to successfully result in a new state ruled by former captives. History enthusiasts might know Mike Duncan from his comprehensive History of Rome podcast, but in his other series, Revolutions, he dedicates a whole season to breaking down the collapse of France’s Saint-Domingue colony. Here’s the first episode to start.”

AJ: “This is a fascinating look into the archeological remains of Great Zimbabwe, a vast and impressive urban complex built between the 9th and 15th centuries. What’s particularly interesting—and so shameful—is Europeans’ long-held belief that sub-Saharan Africans could have never built such a grand monument, and how that denial led to disastrous efforts to preserve the now-abandoned city.”

AJ: “When I set out to curate this collection, I wanted to include a piece about Black people during classical antiquity—but instead stumbled across another article that I couldn’t ignore. This profile from the New York Times considers the roles that Blackness and whiteness, respectively, play in contemporary education of the classics—and Western culture at large. It’s told through the lens of Dan-el Padilla Peralta, an Afro-Latino classicist who’s fallen out of love with his life’s work. There’s still details here about people of color’s roles in Ancient Greece and Rome, but this absorbing read offers a modern contextualization as well.”

AJ: “This is one of those videos you find on the internet that makes you think, ‘I can’t believe this is free.’ This two-hour YouTube documentary from the Fall of Civilizations channel contains an incredible amount of knowledge about one of Africa’s greatest empires, the Songhai. Here you’ll find detailed maps and illustrations, striking footage, and engrossing narration. I personally enjoy chipping away at these videos in 10-15 minute increments a day, so don’t feel the pressure to watch all at once!”

AJ: “The Moors are one of the most embraced cultures within the African diaspora: A Black civilization that conquered European nations and left a profound legacy that’s still visible today in Spain, Portugal, and other parts of the Mediterranean world. But were the Moors actually Black? Were they Arab? Is it possible to be Black and Arab at the same time? This video from HomeTeam History—a great channel that focuses specifically on African history and perspectives—does a great job of interpreting the racial, cultural, and military characteristics of the Moors.”