Professor Derek A. Williams
African Humanities 002
30 September 2012
Africa’s Golden Past
“Africa’s Golden Past” was a very interesting article I’ve read. I’ve learned about the different countries in Africa. I’ve learn the many different art forms Africa have for example, languages, of different sorts, wars that occur in our great Motherland, and great achievements of Kings. I learn about different cultures that Africa has to offer. There were many parts of Africa that was very wealthy with gold. After reading through “Africa’s Golden Past” I believe argument point William Leo Hansberry, was telling us readers, The article focuses on the golden past of Africa. Among the earliest states of West Africa that rose to fame and fortune was the Kingdom of Ghana from which the present republic derived its name. In 1240, Sundiata struck at the old city of Ghana and destroyed its forever as a great or potentially great power. In regarding to Old Africa, Hansberry believes that people tends to forget some of the richness empire that Africa had were; Ghana, Mali, Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Songhai. He reminds us that it was the African people who converted the Spanish people into the Islamic faith. He also explains how the Africans founded a civilization more advance of their Christian contemporaries. Later on the Spaniards reconquered and old rulers were order to abandon native customers. Hansberry lets us know it was the Africans that introduce these faiths to the Spaniards, but Spain has been the center of civilization for centuries. What surprised me the most while reading “Africa’s Golden Past” I realized major of the things Africa did they did not get recognition for them. I did not know how rich Africa was especially Ghana. Ghana had many fame and fortune. Ghana civilization and Sudan had many great buildings, code laws, poems, and histories. It had banks, and a very food postal service. I was surprised because we are taught that Africa is a poor country and they advertise many poor places in the country, but when I read how Ghana was one of the richest parts of Africa it surprised me how much the world and our history books doesn’t touch us such things. A few flaws I believe that Hansberry did not give were enough information on the appearance of the African people. In certain part of the article I believe he did not give enough information on the African people appearance. He gave more information on the civilization, how people lived or how the surroundings were. I believe he should have gave a brief summary about the way they dress, how the rich or the poor were treated, and how the African Kingdoms was like, how the life of a royal African family was like. Hansberry gave more facts about different locations and civilization then letting us know how the people of each African country that was mention in the article appearance were different or similar from one another. Other than those minor flaws I believe Hansberry article was splendid. He made his point about what we wanted us to learn about the Golden Past of some of the African countries. He gave enough information about the different countries and civilization of the African countries. There were mini stories and great history he told throughout the articles that magnified up to his success in the article. In impact in this article in today’s media would be the hidden history of the Africa’s Past. For example, if BET did a documentary, I believe they would choose the top professors in University to give their input on the “Africa’s Golden Past “and a simply autobiography of William Leo Hansberry. It would inform students about things about Africa they did not know about that has been hidden for centuries. The truth would eventually link about what Africa was really like.
Work Cited Page
Leo, William Hansberry, and Johnson, E. Harper "Africa’s Golden Past, Part IV: Black Creativity." Ebony Magazine March 1965: 70-72, 74-76, 78.
Cited: Page Leo, William Hansberry, and Johnson, E. Harper "Africa’s Golden Past, Part IV: Black Creativity." Ebony Magazine March 1965: 70-72, 74-76, 78.
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