Understanding Africa Through Historical Knowledge
Written by Cheikh Anta Diop, The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality presents historical, anthropological, and archaeological facts supporting the theoretical argument that ancient Egypt was a Black civilization.
Available via print, Audiobook, and Kindle.The Education of a British-Protected Child presents a classic collection of 17 personal essays on colonialism, identity, and home. The author, Chinua Achebe, discusses everything from growing up in rural Nigeria to the election of America’s first African American president, Barack Obama. He also recalls the importance of learning to never forget “from whence he came”.
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Consisting of four different essays, this books provides perspectives on the destiny of Africa and the role that languages play in both executing and combatting neo-colonialism in African nations. As one of the most cited non-fiction books in African literature, Decolonising the Mind cemented its author, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, as an essential voice in language debates for postcolonial studies.
Available via print and Kindle.Written by a collaborative group of African heritage experts, Africa: The Definitive Visual History of a Continent explores more than 200,000 years of Africa’s history and culture. With developmental discussions on topics like mythology, religion, language, literature, and music, chapters explore highly influential leaders (including Queen Nzinga, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Mansa Musa, and Hannibal—to name a few) with brilliant photography and artwork that recreates buildings and lost cities.
Available via print, Audiobook, and Kindle.As an African writer and intellectual, Wole Soyinka personally experienced post-colonial failure in the final days of colonialism. In Of Africa, the author offers first hand insight into Africa’s culture, history, religion, and identity; and answers questions about the viability of nations whose boundaries were set by outsiders.
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In Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o examines the historical, economical, and cultural fragmentation of Africa due to slavery, colonialism, and European globalization. The author argues that “dismemberment of African memory” is the result of Europhonism: the replacement of native names, languages, and identities with European ones.
Available via print and Kindle.Understanding African Culture Through Fiction
In the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe’s classic African trilogy, Things Fall Apart presents Africa’s cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes its colonial presence on the continent. The author illuminates life in a pre-colonial African village and the loss of that world by British political forces.
Available via print and Kindle.There Was a Country is an extraordinary account of the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War of 1967-1970). In this memoir, Chinua Achebe shares vivid firsthand observations, alongside decades of research and reflection on one of modern Africa’s most devastating events.
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Half of a Yellow Sun chronicles Biafra’s tumultuous struggle to establish independence in the late 1960s. The author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, evokes promise, hope, and disappointment in this account of the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War of 1967-1970).
Available via print, Kindle, and Audiobook.In The Girl with the Louding Voice, author Abi Dare’ chronicles the inspiring story of a teenage girl and her struggles to navigate life in a rural village in Nigeria. The author beautifully depicts an unwavering spirit of hope and determination as the main character, Adunni, is presented with seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her pursuit of education and determination to help other young girls escape poverty.
Available via print, Audiobook, and Kindle.Having escaped from her rural Nigerian village, Adunni finds refuge with Tia—a kind woman who is determined to help Adunni get an education. In And So I Roar, Abi Dare’ presents a heart-wrenching tale of desperation and secrecy in a young girl’s pursuit to advocate for herself while saving others, and a young woman’s determination to save that young girl.
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivers an unforgettable story of four young women navigating love, life, betrayal, and unspeakable grief in Dream Count. Depicted during the 2019 pandemic, this novel chronicles romantic ideologies and societal pressures, the immigrant experience and systemic injustice, and the sustaining bonds of female solidarity.
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