History Summarized: South Africa

Summary

The video explores the complex history of South Africa, focusing on colonization, indigenous resistance, and the long-term effects of European imperialism. It discusses key moments like the arrival of the Dutch and British, the rise of the Zulu kingdom, and the eventual establishment of apartheid. The script highlights how South Africans, despite centuries of exploitation and oppression, reclaimed their story, culminating in Nelson Mandela's efforts to dismantle apartheid and create a multiracial democracy. It emphasizes South Africa's diverse cultural heritage and its modern identity as the 'Rainbow Nation.'

Takeaways

• 🌍 Colonization in Africa involved European empires creating arbitrary borders and exploiting indigenous populations, though the relationships between natives and colonizers were often complex.
• 🧬 Human settlement in southern Africa dates back about half a million years, with modern Homo sapiens evolving around 200,000 years ago and agricultural and ironworking techniques arriving by the early centuries AD.
• 🏞️ By the medieval period, large settlements like the Mapungubwe kingdom emerged, trading with coastal regions and contributing to a bustling economic network.
• 🇳🇱 Dutch settlers founded Cape Colony in 1652, leading to conflicts with local groups like the Khoekhoe, who were displaced and marginalized by the colonists.
• 💥 Shaka Zulu's leadership in the 1800s played a major role in uniting the Zulu kingdom and expanding its power, but it also led to migrations and demographic changes throughout the region.
• 🇬🇧 British colonization of South Africa in the 19th century intensified tensions with both Afrikaners and native groups, culminating in major conflicts like the Anglo-Zulu War and the Boer Wars.
• 💎 The discovery of diamonds and gold in the 19th century transformed South Africa's economy, further entrenching systems of racial inequality and exploitation, particularly in mining industries.
• 📜 Apartheid, officially implemented after the 1948 election, was a system of institutionalized racial segregation that disenfranchised black South Africans and deeply stratified society.
• ✊ Resistance to apartheid grew through civil rights groups like the African National Congress, culminating in international sanctions, unrest, and the eventual negotiation for a multiracial democracy.
• 🌈 Nelson Mandela's election in 1994 marked the end of apartheid and the start of South Africa's journey toward becoming a multiracial democracy, earning the country its 'Rainbow Nation' epithet.

Q & A

What was the impact of European colonization on Africa, particularly South Africa?

European colonization imposed arbitrary borders, exploited indigenous Africans, and altered the social, economic, and political landscape. In South Africa, the Dutch and later the British established colonies, leading to wars, displacement of native peoples like the Khoekhoe, and the creation of a rigid racial hierarchy.

How did agriculture and ironworking change early societies in southern Africa?

The introduction of agriculture around the first or second century BC and ironworking in the early centuries AD significantly improved farming techniques and allowed for the development of urban settlements, such as those of the Bantu peoples. These advancements supported the growth of complex societies and commercial hubs like Mapungubwe.

Who were the Khoekhoe people, and what role did they play in early Dutch colonial history?

The Khoekhoe were a semi-nomadic pastoralist group who lived in southern Africa before the arrival of the Dutch. They initially traded goods with Dutch settlers but were later displaced by Dutch farmers (Boers) who claimed their lands, leading to conflicts in the 17th century.

How did the arrival of the British in the early 1800s change the colonial dynamics in South Africa?

The British annexed the Cape Colony from the Dutch in the early 1800s, bringing new settlers, abolishing slavery, and taxing the population. This created tensions with the Afrikaners (formerly Boers), who saw themselves as a distinct, local population and opposed the British rule, leading to migrations and the establishment of independent Boer republics.

What was the significance of Shaka Zulu’s leadership in southern Africa?

Shaka Zulu, through military innovations and strategic alliances, expanded the Zulu kingdom significantly in the early 1800s. His leadership reshaped the political and demographic landscape of southern Africa, with displaced groups migrating far from Zulu territory and forming new states.

What was the significance of the Zulu victory at the Battle of Isandlwana?

The Zulu victory at the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 was a significant event, where the Zulu army defeated the British, inflicting heavy casualties. It became a symbol of African resistance to colonialism and earned the Zulu a reputation for valor and military prowess, although the British later returned with a larger force and defeated them.

How did the discovery of diamonds and gold in the 19th century affect South Africa?

The discovery of diamonds and gold in the Orange Free State and Transvaal transformed South Africa's economy and intensified British interest in the region. The British fought the Boer Wars to gain control over these valuable resources, eventually leading to the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

What was apartheid, and how did it institutionalize racial discrimination in South Africa?

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that became official policy in South Africa after 1948. It legally enforced the separation of races, restricted the rights of black South Africans, and concentrated political and economic power in the hands of the white minority.

How did Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk contribute to the end of apartheid?

Nelson Mandela, through negotiations with F.W. de Klerk, helped dismantle the apartheid system. De Klerk initiated reforms in the 1990s, including legalizing political parties and freeing political prisoners like Mandela. Together, they oversaw South Africa's transition to a multiracial democracy, culminating in Mandela's election as president in 1994.

What is the significance of South Africa being called the 'Rainbow Nation'?

The term 'Rainbow Nation' reflects South Africa's ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as its transition from a racially divided society under apartheid to a multiracial democracy. It symbolizes the country's ongoing journey toward inclusivity, unity, and reconciliation among its various groups.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Colonization and Complex Realities of South Africa

This paragraph introduces the broad historical context of colonization in Africa, focusing on the arbitrary borders drawn by European empires and the exploitation of indigenous people. It highlights how these broad generalizations oversimplify the more complex relationships between natives and newcomers, with South Africa as a prime example of a region where Africans continually shaped their destiny. The paragraph provides a brief overview of early human settlement, the arrival of agriculture and ironworking, and the development of urban societies like Mapungubwe, leading into the period of European colonization.

05:01

⚔️ The Dutch Arrival and the Rise of the Afrikaners

This section covers the Dutch colonization of the Cape Colony in 1652, their interactions with the indigenous Khoekhoe people, and the conflicts that arose as Dutch settlers (Boers) expanded inland. The smallpox epidemic and wars enabled the Dutch to gain control, and the importation of slaves from the Indian Ocean further stratified the racial class system. The paragraph also touches on Britain’s annexation of the Cape Colony, the arrival of British settlers, and the rise of Afrikaner identity, as Boers fled British control to establish their own republics in the interior.

10:06

👑 The Zulu Kingdom Under Shaka and the Complex Frontier

This paragraph dives into the rise of the Zulu kingdom under the leadership of Shaka, a determined and often cruel ruler who expanded the Zulu state. Shaka's military success led to major demographic shifts in the region, with displaced groups migrating far from their original homes. After Shaka's assassination, the Zulu kingdom remained powerful, clashing with the Afrikaners and British in a complex frontier zone where trade, cultural exchange, and conflict were interwoven. Despite the growth of British control along the coast, many indigenous groups continued to resist, particularly the Zulu.

💎 The British Conquest and the Foundations of Apartheid

This part details Britain’s eventual conquest of the Zulu and the Afrikaner republics, fueled by the discovery of diamonds and gold. It describes the brutal methods Britain used to gain control and the significant impact of mining industries on South Africa. The racial and economic disparities that resulted from colonial exploitation laid the groundwork for apartheid, which officially began with the victory of the Afrikaner Nationalist Party in 1948. The paragraph outlines the discriminatory laws, racial segregation, and economic inequality that characterized apartheid, as well as the growing resistance to the regime.

✊ Resistance to Apartheid and the Rise of Mandela

This section focuses on the resistance to apartheid from both within and outside South Africa. It discusses the role of black civil rights groups, labor unions, and international pressure in challenging the apartheid regime. Nelson Mandela's leadership is introduced, particularly his efforts to cultivate reform within the ruling National Party while still imprisoned. The paragraph concludes with the fall of apartheid, the negotiation of reforms by F.W. de Klerk and Mandela, and Mandela’s victory in South Africa’s first multi-racial election in 1994, setting the country on a path toward multiracial democracy.

🌈 The Rainbow Nation: South Africa's Complex Legacy

This final paragraph reflects on South Africa’s history of colonization, exploitation, and eventual liberation. It celebrates the country’s rich ethnic and cultural diversity and its transition to a multiracial democracy. The author expresses regret at not being able to cover every ethnic group in detail, acknowledging the complexity and richness of South Africa's history. The paragraph concludes with a message about the value of Black History Month and how learning about South Africa’s past can illuminate broader aspects of the global black experience.

Keywords

💡Colonization

Colonization refers to the process by which European empires, such as the Dutch and British, established control over African territories. In the video, it is explained how Europeans arbitrarily drew borders and exploited indigenous populations in their quest for domination. South Africa's colonization played a pivotal role in its socio-political development, impacting everything from land ownership to racial dynamics.

💡Afrikaners

Afrikaners are descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers in South Africa. Originally Dutch colonists (Boers), they evolved into a distinct group, considering themselves native to South Africa after over a century of settlement. The video highlights their conflict with both indigenous African groups like the Zulu and later the British colonizers, leading to events like the Great Trek and their resistance during the Boer Wars.

💡Apartheid

Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Officially implemented in 1948, it divided people into racial groups and limited the rights of black South Africans. The video discusses how apartheid policies built on pre-existing social inequalities and the resistance movements, such as the African National Congress (ANC), that fought to dismantle it.

💡Bantu peoples

The Bantu peoples are a group of ethnic communities in Africa who migrated from Central to Southern Africa. The video describes how their arrival in southern Africa brought significant agricultural and technological advancements, including ironworking, which facilitated the establishment of large urban settlements and states, like the Zulu kingdom. Their influence shaped much of South Africa’s early history.

💡Zulu Kingdom

The Zulu Kingdom, under the leadership of Shaka Zulu, became one of the most powerful states in Southern Africa. Known for its military strength and expansionist policies, the Zulu Kingdom played a central role in reshaping the region's demographics and political landscape. The video emphasizes its conflicts with both Afrikaners and the British, particularly the famous Battle of Isandlwana, where the Zulus defeated the British army.

💡Shaka Zulu

Shaka Zulu was the influential leader of the Zulu Kingdom, known for his military innovations and leadership. The video highlights Shaka’s rise to power, his consolidation of the Zulu nation, and his role in transforming the political landscape of Southern Africa through conquest and integration of smaller states. His legacy is a major part of South Africa's complex history of indigenous resistance.

💡Dutch East India Company

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) established the Cape Colony in 1652, marking the beginning of European settlement in South Africa. Initially set up to provide provisions for passing sailors, the colony expanded as Dutch settlers (Boers) began farming and pushing into indigenous lands. The video discusses the VOC’s role in creating the initial European foothold in southern Africa, leading to significant cultural and economic changes.

💡Great Trek

The Great Trek refers to the migration of Afrikaners (Boers) from the British-controlled Cape Colony into the interior of South Africa during the 1830s. This movement, driven by dissatisfaction with British rule, led to the establishment of independent Boer republics such as the Oranje Vrystaat and Transvaal. The video illustrates how the Great Trek deepened the conflicts between European settlers and indigenous African populations.

💡African National Congress (ANC)

The African National Congress (ANC) is a political organization that led the struggle against apartheid and played a pivotal role in South Africa's transition to democracy. The video references the ANC’s role in mobilizing black South Africans to fight against systemic racial oppression and apartheid policies. Figures like Nelson Mandela emerged from the ANC, representing hope for liberation and equality.

💡Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was a key leader in the fight against apartheid and South Africa's first black president after the country's transition to democracy in 1994. Imprisoned for 27 years for his anti-apartheid activism, Mandela negotiated with the ruling National Party to end apartheid. The video emphasizes his pivotal role in building a multiracial democracy and his lasting influence on South African politics and society.

Highlights

Colonization in Africa involved European empires imposing arbitrary borders and exploiting indigenous Africans, which had complex and varied impacts across the continent.

Southern Africa has a long history of human settlement, dating back to half a million years ago, with anatomically modern Homo Sapiens evolving around 200,000 years ago.

Agriculture arrived in southern Africa in the first or second century BC, and ironworking began in the early centuries AD, significantly impacting societal development.

The Mapungubwe kingdom in the Limpopo Valley became a significant commercial hub in the 11th and 12th centuries, with extensive trade connections to the Indian Ocean.

In 1652, the Dutch established Cape Colony, which led to conflict with the local Khoekhoe people over land use and ownership.

The British annexed Cape Colony in the early 1800s, leading to a complex colonial dynamic and the formation of Afrikaner identity among Dutch settlers.

The Zulu kingdom, under Shaka, expanded rapidly in the early 19th century, creating a significant political and military power in the region.

The British defeated the Zulu kingdom in 1879, partitioning the territory and establishing colonial dominance over the last major Bantu state.

The discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 19th century intensified British interest in the region, leading to the Boer Wars and eventual British control.

The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, uniting the British colonies and laying the groundwork for the exploitation of resources and institutionalized discrimination.

Apartheid, officially implemented after 1948, was built on pre-existing economic, social, and political mechanisms of racial discrimination.

The anti-apartheid movement gained momentum in the 1980s, with leaders like Nelson Mandela negotiating with the government for reforms.

In 1994, South Africa held its first multi-racial elections, with Nelson Mandela becoming the first black president and beginning the dismantling of apartheid.

South Africa's transition to a multiracial democracy was marked by significant challenges but laid the foundation for addressing institutional racism.

The complex history of South Africa, involving migration, commerce, colonization, and resistance, reflects the resilience and diversity of its people, earning it the nickname 'The Rainbow Nation.'

Transcripts

One historical legacy that nearly all of  Africa shares is that of colonization:

big European empires coming in,  throwing down arbitrary borders,

and exploiting the indigenous Africans in  their quest for continental domination.

And, yeah, when the map looked like this in the 1900s, it’s pretty hard to not

picture those imperialist scenes in your mind. But as with most things in Africa,

big sweeping characterizations obscure much more complex realities.

There are myriad corners of the map  where the relationship between native

and newcomer was far more complex, and few places where that dynamic had

bigger long-term implications than South Africa. Home to an astonishingly bustling web of narratives

in the past few centuries, the southern end of  the continent is a prime example of how Africans

have taken and retaken the reins of their story. Now, before I spend any more time pontificating

in this intro, I have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s do some history!

Recognizably human settlement in southern  Africa is about half a million years old, with

anatomically modern Homo Sapiens evolving around  200,000 years ago, during the Middle Stone Age.

Eventually, and we’re talking about human  evolution here so that is a long “eventually”,

there was some new technology in town, as the  first or second century BC saw the arrival of

agriculture into southern Africa, and the  early centuries AD brought ironworking!

In the southwest, semi-nomadic pastoralists  domesticated livestock and cultivated small

plants, while the east saw larger and more  permanent settlement after the arrival

of the Bantu peoples from central Africa. These groups brought with them the handy

knowledge of how to make and use iron, which made  farming significantly easier, and helped their

urban settlements sustain hundreds of people. By the medieval period, it was several thousands,

as the Mapungubwe kingdom in the Limpopo valley  became a huge commercial hub in the 11 and 1200s,

with strong links to trading centers on the Indian Ocean coast.

Mapungubwe and the Limpopo valley later came under  the umbrella of Great Zimbabwe, but that is a tale

for another time. So by the middle of the second  millennium, southern Africa was rocking a variety

of different ethnic and linguistic groups… but that diversity was of slim concern to

the Europeans who would make their way  into Africa over the next few centuries.

In 1487, Portuguese sailors crossed southern  Africa to pass into the Indian Ocean,

and for the next century and a half, they  simply treated the south coast as a rest-stop.

Not so after 1652, when the Dutch  officially founded Cape Colony

and set about a much bigger operation. From their port in Table Bay, they traded

European and Asian goods with the local Khoekhoe  people to get provisions for passing sailors.

The port was built primarily for use by  the Dutch East India Company, but was also

open to foreign ships, for a price. Keen to min-max this business model,

colonists ventured beyond Table Bay in  order to do some of the farming themselves.

EZ Money. The problem was that the Khoekhoe

were slightly nomadic, moving around seasonally just as the early pastoralists in the region had done.

But when Dutch farmers (or Boers) wandered onto a  nice plot of land that wasn’t occupied right this

very second, they assumed it was "finders keepers". When the Khoekhoe politely informed them that the

land was, in fact, theirs, the Dutch  revised their initial statement to

"conquerors keepers" and fought two wars  between 1659 and 1677 to assert their claim.

This would start a bit of a trend, as Boers pushed  further inland with the specific intent to stay.

The accidental importation of smallpox  in 1713 hit the Khoekhoe especially hard,

and significantly widened the  opening for the Boers to step into.

By the latter 1700s, the Khoekhoe  weren’t widely enslaved or exported

like West Africans had been for the Atlantic  Triangle trade, but they were definitely

suppressed into a servile working class. That said, there were chattel slaves in the

Cape Colony, but they just weren’t South African. Dutch sailors had actually imported slaves

from the Indian Ocean, mostly Muslims, which  further stratified the racial class system.

Keep that in mind, ‘cause it’ll show up later. But soon, even the Dutch would no longer be

atop the pyramid, because some  European geopolitical slapstickery...

(it’s a Napoleon thing) resulted in Britain  annexing the Cape Colony for themselves in

the early 1800s, sending their own  settlers to Port Elizabeth in 1820.

They also sent tax collectors and  abolished slavery, and this is where

the colonial dynamic starts to get weird — because the Boers had been living in

southern Africa for a century and a half, in which  time they’d incorporated French and Germans

and now, beyond just Dutch colonists, they considered  themselves Afrikaners, a local population that,

after the arrival of the British, was  now being oppressed by alien invaders.

That, my friends, is one heck of a swerve. But they were serious, so they adopted the

not-uncommon strategy of Running Away  From Britain, leaving the Cape Colony

in the mid-1830s to trek northeast, and  establish the Oranje Vrystaat and the

Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek by the early 1850s. As we noted earlier, this land was very much

inhabited, so let’s hop eastward to  see what the Bantu groups were up to.

As it happens: lots. Since the late  1700s, the entire structure and

demography of their societies were changing. With new approaches to militarization,

small states were consolidating under stronger  kings to form large states and confederations

to better compete for Indian Ocean trade. By far, the biggest player in this process was

the Zulu kingdom under the leadership of Shaka. Much to the enjoyment of biographers everywhere,

Shaka was an intricate and unusual character. Exiled from the royal family at a young age and

treated horribly by his peers, he came back  determined, bordering on cruel sometimes,

he never married or had any recognized children, and  his most trusted advisor was his mother. Good son!

At a young age, Shaka proved himself as a warrior  for the neighboring Mtethwa confederation,

and with their support, he became leader of  the Zulu after his father’s death in 1816.

And when the Mtethwa king died  two years later, Shaka became

the dominant player in that confederation. From there, it was Go Time, and the Zulu expanded

rapidly, fighting hard but working to incorporate  conquered kingdoms into the new Zulu state.

Still, many were not fans, and migrated away  from the conflict, which led to huge demographic

redistribution, with some displaced groups like  the Lozi and Ngoni going almost 1,000 miles north.

But Shaka wouldn’t live to see the longer-term  success of his kingdom, as he was assassinated

in 1828 by one of his half-brothers. Still, the Zulu kingdom stayed strong,

and ran up against the Afrikaner  Voortrekkers in the mid-1850s.

And this is where our two plotlines  converge, and the resulting frontier

zone between Afrikaner and British and Zulu  and other Bantu groups is, whoo! Complex.

This frontier, like many, saw trade and cultural  exchange as well as conflict, with alliances

forming and ending based on pure circumstance. So even though the map in the 1800s was already

a giant checkerboard, it’s important  to note that even within all of those

states was a dynamic cast of players — The southern coasts didn’t just turn

Oops! All British after they started pushing inland. Many of the absorbed groups were able to carry on

more or less as they had been, such as the Basotho  up in the Drakensberg mountains, who had formed

an alliance in the wake of the Zulu conquests, and  became an autonomous British Protectorate in 1868.

The Zulu, however, weren’t about to take that  offer, and rather preferred to kick the pants off

of anyone who tried to muscle in on their land. Unfortunately, Britain took that as a challenge.

In 1879 they invaded Zululand but suffered  a fierce defeat at Isandlwana, losing 2/3

of their soldiers and instantly making “Zulu” a  worldwide byword for valor and strength against

colonial aggression, with even the British army holding them in a kind of dreaded reverence.

Later that year, Britain returned  with five times the soldiers,

leaving absolutely nothing to chance. By the summer, the Zulu had been defeated,

their kingdom partitioned, and the  last major Bantu state conquered.

From there, the last obstacle to dominating  the subcontinent were the Boers in the north,

who had just made the literally earth-shattering  discovery of diamonds and gold in the

Orange Free State and Transvaal. So, naturally, Britain did the

shooty-shoot grabby-grab. First failing in 1881,  and then succeeding in 1902, with the help of half

a million soldiers from across the empire. In 1910, the disparate British colonies

were reorganized into the Union of  South Africa, and it wasted precisely zero time

restructuring the mines for peak efficiency. What began as a simple resource-rush now

developed into a highly-organized and ultimately  nation-defining industry, with no piece of South

Africa untouched by the consequences of mining. The almost inconceivable power of these

mining enterprises was largely a product of  control: over the outbound supply of diamonds

so that the prices would stay high, and over the wages, workspace,

and even living conditions of the  miners who dug and refined it all.

This was especially hard on black South  Africans from outside the posh city centers,

who left their rural families to do dangerous,  labor-intensive goldmining work for extremely low

pay because even that was still the best option. And it was probably harder on the women,

who had to take care of the  entire family and do the farming.

In the early 1900s, South Africa was definitely  not being subtle about the unequal distribution

of land, the rampant wage discrimination,  or the white monopoly on political power.

This wasn’t slavery, but it was a  very robust system of discrimination,

which history has come to know as apartheid. This overtly white-supremacist ideology

became official policy after the Afrikaner  Nationalist Party won the elections of 1948,

but the economic, social, and political  mechanisms that enabled apartheid were already

hard at work in the decades prior. What changed here was their intensity,

and the rigid legal framework intended  to make this system permanent.

Inter-ethnic marriage was outlawed, schools taught  black people they were inferior to whites,

blacks needed special permission to go anywhere,  and every conceivable public and private amenity

was segregated down to the damn STAIRS! While depriving black people of power,

resources, or the simple ability to enjoy  public life, the Nationalist Party knew they

needed black labor to sustain the economy — so when black civil rights and labor groups

recognized this and began campaigning against  apartheid, the government responded viciously:

banning the African National Congress, arresting  their political and paramilitary leaders,

firing into crowds of protesters at  Sharpeville and Soweto, and killing

the prominent activist Steve Biko in 1977. Biko was beloved by South Africans for his

leadership in the Black Consciousness Movement,  which shattered the apartheid fallacy that

black people were inherently lesser. After his activism and his murder,

black South Africans were rightly furious,  but also recognized that Biko was right:

that it didn’t need to be like this, and  some of the Afrikaners noticed it too.

During the 1980s, the government and economy  were under pressure from persistent civilian

unrest and paramilitary action, the  growing strength of black labor unions,

widespread sympathy abroad, and targeted  international economic sanctions.

Enter Nelson Mandela. Well, not really “enter”, he had been imprisoned since 1962, but

while still jailed he was cultivating potential reformers from within the National Party,

looking to convince pliable Afrikaners to let this broken system go and build something new.

In 1990, F.W. de Klerk became President, and he  and Mandela negotiated on a series of reforms,

such as legalizing all political parties,  freeing political prisoners, and holding

South Africa’s first multi-racial election — which, in 1994, a newly-liberated Mandela

won by a landslide. He finished  de Klerk's process of dismantling

apartheid and set South Africa on a course to becoming a proudly multiracial democracy.

Almost 3 decades later, there’s  still plenty of work to be done,

but with institutional racism no longer official  policy, it’s now possible to do that work.

Like most places on the African continent, South  Africa has been through an absolute wringer of

a history in the past few centuries — between migration, commerce, disease,

colonization, convergence, exploitation,

oppression, resistance and liberation. And all of the ethnic and cultural groups that

call South Africa home were playing an integral  part, and it’s already my great regret that I

wasn’t able to discuss them all in this video. But this grand diversity is a real treasure

that rewards every little bit of inquiry  with a new perspective on this story,

and it’s the reason that South Africa is so  deserving of its epithet: “The Rainbow Nation”.

Thank you so much for watching! As I hope  I’ve shown, this history is fascinating in

its own right, but as an American, the story was  especially intriguing because of how many direct

points of comparison and of contrast there are  between the American and South African narratives.

But that’s part of the joy of  Black History Month! Learning

anything in one area can illuminate other  aspects of the global black experience.

And to help this video serve as a springboard  for you to discover more about Black History,

I’ve linked some cool resources down in the  description below. I really hope you check 'em out.