Africa not a dark continent

During the middle of the 19th century, Africa was referred to as the “Dark Continent” by the United States of America journalist turned explorer Henry Morton Stanley because little was known about the mysterious land itself. Little did they know that Africa was not just a single country but a whole continent with fifty-five countries and over thousands of tribes and languages spoken by the people.

The western world did not regard Africa and its people because the African people were not able to write their own history. This notwithstanding, made the Europeans felt that there was no civilization in Africa. But in the actual sense, Africa was already civilized in its own special ways. The African had their own system of doing things before the arrival of the Europeans on the African continent.

Upon their arrival on the African continent, the Europeans had no knowledge that the people of Africa had an education. They perceived that the people of Africa had no education and so they preempted the African continent with western education. But the fact remains that, the people of Africa had education systems in every country.

Additionally, every country on the African continent had what was called the visual language or proto writings. In Ghana, for instance, the Ghanaians (Gold Coast) were using symbols in their communications. Some of these symbols were Gye Nyame, Sankofa, Akonfona and many more. The Nigerians, Angolans and the Congolese also had similar symbols they also used in their communications. They were also considered as African alphabets and could be used in forming sentences as well.

Taking the Gikuyus for example, they also had a wonderful system of education. Mothers and nurses were primarily the teachers. It was believed that, before a child grew up, the child must be taught certain things including songs, and the history of their ancestors, tribes, and families. These teachings transcended to knowing almost everything about the community in which they lived. So, even though they had no formal education, they had their own special way of keeping their history and preserving them.

In the Timbuktu (Mali) culture, scriptures, manuscripts, and the teachings of Islam were stored on scrolls, tied and kept for years. One can also conclude that African had a way of learning mathematics as well. Between Congo and Rwanda, dated about 1500 years ago was a bone called “Ishango Bone” which was used for calculation and writing. Today, this form of calculation has found its way in the western world and no credit whatsoever is giving Africans. This tells the world that, the people of Africa had a sophisticated way of education.

Another aspect that depicts that the African continent could never be described as a dark continent is medicine. Before the Europeans arrived with their European way of curing diseases, the people of Africa had their own system of curing the same diseases. In the Gikuyu country, for example, the people had clear ideas as to the nature of the disease and which treatment was required in various cases. Some diseases were due to natural causes, controllable by medication; and a wide range of herbs was used for medical purposes. Other diseases were beyond ordinary control and called for magical treatment.

Africans believe that herbs can cure all kinds of diseases. It was however believed that the medicines produced by the western countries were all made from some specific herbs which have been diluted with other chemical substances hence reducing its natural contents from curing a disease instantly. In Ghana for example, when a person broke the leg, the herbalist will as a form of an experiment to show that his client could be saved, will shatter the leg of a hen, and use herb on it. If the hen was healed, it’s them believed that his client would also be healed by the same herb.

These methods of healings worked perfectly and are still relevant to all Africans in this 21st Century.

Civilization in Africa before the arrival of the Europeans took different forms and one of those is communication. Though there were no formal means of communication, the people of Africa had a very unique way of communicating.

Unlike today, there are various means of communication like television, radio, Facebook, WhatsApp, and others, it was not so during that juncture. However, if the ruler or the elders of a community wanted to communicate to their subjects, a messenger was sent to sound a gongon or drums. When the people heard these instruments sounded, they knew there was a meeting being called by the elders and they followed to the venue in that line. In the Nile valley civilization, a stone was used as a bell because it sounded like a bell and so whenever it was sounded, the people knew what it was meant for.

Governance is one of the important institutions Africans cherished most before the Europeans arrived on the continent. Before the inception of the European role which suppressed the African system of government, Africans were already practicing the monarchical system of government. The people were governed by chiefs and kings. Without official police and military officers, the chiefs were able to assemble built bodied men who were referred to as guards. The chiefs presided over disputes and resolved them amicably. Moreover, the chief also made sure that people who were found guilty were punished to sever as a deterrent to others. Taking the Ghana empire, for example, the empire was ruled by the Asante king. The Asante kingdom was so powerful that all the people were submissive to the authorities and this has continued till today.

The Americans and the Europeans believe that Christopher Columbus was the first person to complete four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean but it is vividly clear that this happens to be inaccurate. Because Africans could not write their own history, the fact has been obliterated that an African was the first person to take such a voyage with a canon sponsored by the then Malian king, Mansa Musa. Religion, Agriculture, Trade and Architecture all depict that Africans already had civilization before the arrival of the Europeans on the African continent.

From the above discussions, we can all agree that most of the things Africans practiced before the Europeans arrived have resurfaced in the western world today. Many people from the western world travel to some African countries in such of some of these things which they thought did not even exist. It has come to light that, the western world erred in describing Africa as a dark continent. Africa was already civilized before the American journalist turned explorer arrived on the African continent because what he came to do Africa had already been done by some Africans. Lack of written history by Africans culminated in the description of Africa as a dark continent by the western world.” Until the lion learns how to tell its own story, the hunter will forever remain the protagonist.”

Disclaimer : “Opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not in any way reflect those of tigpost.co. Our outfit will hereby not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article.”

Columnist: Alexander K. Sekyi-Obempong