Essay Example on History in Black Studies

Introduction

The study of the black history has a number of significance, first is to stress on how the historical perspective in comprehending social and human reality is independent. This is because history in black studies is reasoned a separate study section in apprehending the source, development, and definition of things. The second importance of history in the black studies is to emphasize on the significance of the currently happening project of historical improvement to each field in black studies (Sankofa). This aims to return Africa’s rich resources and use it to better the present and enhance the future. Another great importance in studying history in black studies, especially at the beginning, is because it is vitally necessary to the point that it is dependent upon the introduction and change of all other subject areas. The history in black studies arrays them in the correct perspective and lays down the origins and development enabling crucial discussions and comprehension of them. In conclusion, the history in black studies not only sets a wider foundation for critically viewing and knowing black people, yet it also provides a background perspective for critical comprehension into other subjects.

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What Constitutes History in Black Studies

From a broader perspective, the history in black studies constitutes the cultural sociology and religion. However, as it is a factorial area under history, the following are addressed with respect to history. It mainly addresses the struggle of Africans in their process to shape the world in their own image and interests with an aim to add to human diversity and contribute to the overall effort of humans to modify the world in ways that improve the human state and enhance human the human future. These struggles include the challenges with nature, society, other human beings, and their immediate selves.

Three Problems

The first main issue with the study of Black people’s history is the vastness of the subject. It has been found to be complex and multi-sided even with just selecting one nation, unlike the aimed entire continent, the subject still is wide. The second problem with the study of African history is the complication by the predominance of oral history. There are scripts available as sources of history, such as the ancient Egyptian scripts. In most cases, unlike Europe, the sources of history in Africa were a group of individuals called griots and djelli, they were oral historians who studied history and narrated it to their entire ethnic group orally. This method of information translation is subject to problems of retention and repetition. Moreover, when the keepers die, history dies with them. The third and main problem was the European conquest of Africa. During this period, the Europeans destroyed most of the crucial information archives containing documents and evidence of the African presence and achievements. They ruled out most of the concepts and falsified the existence of the critical research that had been done by the African professionals even at the presence of evidence.

Ancient Egyptian Civilization

The ancient Egyptian civilization is believed to have been formed around the Nile. During the period estimated to be 5500 BCE, there were two main kingdoms, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. During the 3200 BCE period, the two kingdoms were brought together by King Narmer (also called Menes), forming the origin of the Egyptian civilization.

Sankofa, the process of recovery, is important as it is a foundation to improve the present and enhance the future by retrieving crucial information from the past and relating to current occurrences.

Conclusion

By 1492, the Moorish empire in Spain came to an end with the fall of Granada.in 1400; Mali began to decline. Other states include the Hausa states and Kannet-Bornu in western Sudan. Other west African empires and states included the Ife, Oyo, Benin, Dahomez, and the Akan states and empires of Ashanti and Fante. There were central African states such as Kongo, Luba, and Lunda. Also, there were south-eastern and southern states and empires, the Omani sultanate, the civilization of Zimbabwe, and the Zulu empire.