Using African history as a tool for Change | Zeinab Badawi | TEDxEuston

Summary

The speaker passionately advocates for the importance of African history, emphasizing its role in fostering self-respect and identity. They recount their family's commitment to education and the paradox of being educated yet ignorant of one's own history. The speaker highlights the rich historical contributions of Africa, from ancient civilizations to modern diaspora, and calls for a reclamation of African history to counteract its underrepresentation and misrepresentation in global narratives.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker emphasizes the importance of history, particularly African history, for self-respect and identity, arguing that it's been overlooked and undervalued.
• 🌟 History is presented as a tool for empowerment and a means to assert oneself on social, political, and cultural agendas, not just for those in Africa but also for the African diaspora globally.
• 🏫 The speaker shares personal anecdotes about the role of education in their family, highlighting the pioneering efforts of their great-grandfather in female education in Sudan.
• 🔍 There's a paradox highlighted where individuals can be educated but lack knowledge about their own history, which the speaker has observed in Africa and among the diaspora.
• 🏰 The speaker recounts their journey of discovering the rich and extensive history of Africa, including the ancient Sudanese pyramids and the influence of ancient Sudanese kings.
• 📖 The General History of Africa (GHA) project by UNESCO is mentioned as a significant effort to decolonize history by compiling Africa's history written by African historians.
• 🎥 The speaker's own involvement in creating a TV series based on the GHA to share African history with a broader audience is discussed, emphasizing the need to include both experts and ordinary citizens' perspectives.
• 🌍 The script touches on the historical achievements of various African civilizations, such as the kingdom of Aksum, Great Zimbabwe, and the Mali Empire, challenging the narrative that Africa lacks a significant history.
• 💪 The late environmental activist Wangari Maathai's quote is used to stress the importance of knowing one's history as a means to prevent mental enslavement.
• 🔄 There's a call to action for reclaiming and centering African history in education and media, to counter the infantilization of Africa and to promote a more accurate and empowering narrative.
• 🌈 The script concludes with a plea for unity among all people of African descent, regardless of their location, and the importance of history in fostering a shared identity and collective progress.

Q & A

What is the main argument the speaker is making about the importance of history?

The speaker argues that history is not just about the past; it is crucial for African people to have self-respect, a reclaimed identity, and a voice in social, political, and cultural agendas today.

Why does the speaker believe that history has been overlooked in education?

The speaker believes history has been overlooked because it is fashionable to focus on education in general, but the quality and content of that education, particularly the inclusion of history, are often neglected.

What paradox does the speaker highlight about education in Africa?

The speaker highlights the paradox that one can be educated but not know much about their own history, as evidenced by the lack of knowledge about African history among educated individuals in Africa and the diaspora.

What role did the speaker's great-grandfather play in female education in Sudan?

The speaker's great-grandfather was a pioneer of female education in Sudan, establishing a school in his own family compound despite opposition from the local community and British colonial authorities.

Why does the speaker refute the notion that there is no history in Africa?

The speaker refutes this notion by pointing out the long and rich history of Africa, including the presence of thousands of pyramids in Sudan, the influence of ancient Sudanese kings, and the contributions of various African civilizations throughout history.

What project did UNESCO initiate to reclaim African history?

UNESCO initiated the General History of Africa project in the 1960s to decolonize history by compiling volumes of Africa's history written by African historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and other experts.

What was the impact of the speaker's TV series 'The History of Africa' on the African film crews involved?

The African film crews involved in the production of 'The History of Africa' expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn about their own history, indicating a hunger and thirst for such knowledge among Africans.

Why is the study of history important for national identity and individual self-respect according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, the study of history is important for national identity and individual self-respect because it allows people to assert themselves on social, political, and cultural agendas and to understand and value their own heritage.

What is the significance of the quote by Wangari Maathai mentioned in the script?

The quote by Wangari Maathai, 'You cannot enslave a mind that knows itself, that values itself, that understands itself,' signifies the importance of knowing one's history to maintain self-respect and resist being marginalized or controlled.

What is the speaker's view on the term 'African-American' and its importance for unity?

The speaker views the term 'African-American' as important for unity because it evokes a discussion of the world and represents the oneness of disparate communities, drawing on a common shared history to realize the ambitions of early independence fighters and Pan-Africanists.

Why does the speaker emphasize the need for African history to be told by Africans?

The speaker emphasizes the need for African history to be told by Africans to counter the infantilization and misrepresentation of Africa by Western historians and to ensure that the narrative is accurate, empowering, and representative of the African perspective.