About African History

A Few More Words From Jomo Kenyatta ...

2009-12-21T00:10:37Z

"Europeans assume that, given the right knowledge and ideas, personal relations can be left largely to take care of themselves, and this is perhaps the most fundamental difference in outlook between Africans and Europeans."

Jomo Kenyatta, first president of Kenya, from his book Facing Mount Kenya, 1938.

"Our children may learn about the heroes of the past. Our task is to make ourselves the architects of the future."

Jomo Kenyatta, first president of Kenya, from an address given on Kenyatta Day, as quoted in Anita King's Quotations in Black, Greenwood Press 1981.

More quotes by Jomo Kenyatta.

A Few More Words From Jomo Kenyatta ... originally appeared on About.com African History on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 00:10:37.

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Afrikaner Genealogy

2009-12-19T09:05:08Z

How 'Pure' was the Average Afrikaner? The ideology of Apartheid was based on segregation of races, yet if you look at the origins or heritage of the Afrikaner people the ideology is rather ironic. Just how 'pure' was the Afrikaner? Not very if you look closely at historical records.

Afrikaner Genealogy originally appeared on About.com African History on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at 09:05:08.

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16 December - South Africa's Day of Reconciliation

2009-12-16T00:10:01Z

Afrikaners traditionally celebrated 16 December as the Day of the Vow, remembering the day in 1838 when a group of Voortrekkers defeated a Zulu army at the Battle of Blood River, while ANC activists commemorated it as the day in 1961 when the ANC started to arm its soldiers to overthrow Apartheid. In the new South Africa's it's a day of reconciliation, a day to focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and building a new nation. Find out more about South Africa's national holidays

16 December - South Africa's Day of Reconciliation originally appeared on About.com African History on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 00:10:01.

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A Few Words From Idi Amin Dada...

2009-12-14T00:20:50Z

"I am not a politician but a professional soldier. I am, therefore, a man of few words and I have been brief through my professional career."

Idi Amin, president of Uganda, from his first speech to the Ugandan nation in January 1971.

"His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular."

The titles that Idi Amin, president of Uganda, gave himself, as reported in "A Clown Drenched in Brutality", Sunday Times, 27 July 2003.

^{See more Idi Amin Quotes.}

A Few Words From Idi Amin Dada... originally appeared on About.com African History on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 00:20:50.

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This Day in African History � Kenya Achieves Independence

2009-12-12T11:48:46Z

Home to indigenous Bantu and Nilo-Saharan speaking peoples, the region was colonized by Arab traders from the 10th century and by the British in 1895. The route to independence was marked by the violent struggle of the Mau Mau Rebellion in the 1950s which resulted in the British authorities declaring a State of Emergency. Independence was achieved on 12 December 1963, and a republic was declared in 1964.

More about the history of Kenya
• Kenya Timeline -- Part 1: Prehistory to Independence
• Kenya Timeline -- Part 2: Independence to Present Day
• Kenyan Leaders Since Independence
• Timeline of the Mau Mau Rebellion

This Day in African History � Kenya Achieves Independence originally appeared on About.com African History on Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at 11:48:46.

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This Day in African History � Chief Albert Luthuli Calls for Racial Equality in South Africa

2009-12-10T00:10:44Z

In his speech on 10 December 1961, after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize for 1960 (it was held over for a year), Chief Albert Luthuli called for racial equality in South Africa. He said that his award was recognition of "peoples of all races, particularly the African people, who have endured and suffered so much for so long." Luthuli was awarded the peace prize for his tireless championing of non-violent resistance to Apartheid.

This Day in African History � Chief Albert Luthuli Calls for Racial Equality in South Africa originally appeared on About.com African History on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 00:10:44.

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A Few Words About Conflict ...

2009-12-07T00:10:38Z

"Our army is advancing at a firm pace, watched over by God and pushed forward by Angels."

Umar al-Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir, president of the Republic of The Sudan, from BBC Focus on Africa, January-March 1996.

"People do not want words -- they want the sound of battle -- the battle of destiny."

Gamal Abdel Nasser, president of Egypt, from a statement to the National Assembly made on 20 January 1969.

"[A]n argument against war is like telling a farmer that it is a waste of time tearing up the weeds in his maize field because more weeds will grow ... War is just like bush-clearing -- the moment you stop, the jungle comes back even thicker, but for a little while you can plant and grow a crop on the ground you have won at such a terrible cost."

Kenneth David Kaunda, president of Zambia, from his book Kaunda on Violence, Collins, 1980.

A Few Words About Conflict ... originally appeared on About.com African History on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 00:10:38.

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Where Do You Find Hieroglyphs?

2009-12-05T00:10:00Z

Hieroglyphs, the writing system of ancient Egypt, were used only by an elite - it is estimated that only 0.4 % of the population could read and write during the Pharaonic period. But where and how, exactly, were they used? Where Do You Find Hieroglyphs?

Where Do You Find Hieroglyphs? originally appeared on About.com African History on Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at 00:10:00.

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First-Fruit Ceremonies in Southern Africa

2009-12-01T00:10:00Z

First-Fruit Ceremonies, which are held annually to celebrate the new harvest, have long been part of southern African cultural life, and are still proudly celebrated by, for example, the Zulu and Swazi nations today.

First-Fruit Ceremonies in Southern Africa originally appeared on About.com African History on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 00:10:00.

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A Few Words From Steve Biko...

2009-11-30T00:10:45Z

"The blacks are tired of standing at the touchlines to witness a game that they should be playing. They want to do things for themselves and all by themselves."

Steve Biko, anti-Apartheid activist, from "Letter to SRC Presidents", in I Write What I Like, 1978.

"Being black is not a matter of pigmentation - being black is a reflection of a mental attitude."

Steve Biko, anti-Apartheid activist, from "The Definition of Black Consciousness", in I Write What I Like, 1978.

A Few Words From Steve Biko... originally appeared on About.com African History on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 00:10:45.

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