Portal:Pan-Africanism

The traditional flag of Ethiopia. Despite not being Pan-African in its original conception, it has influenced the flags of many Pan-African organizations and polities.

The UNIA or Black Nationalist (Garveyist) flag.

The Pan-African colours are: green, gold (not yellow, despite its appearance), and red (inspired by the flag of Ethiopia).

Red, black, and green are the colours of Black Nationalism, which should not be taken for a symbol of Pan-Africanism. It is often confused as such, given the political tendency’s support of Black self-determination.

Aimé Fernand David Césaire
Aimé Césaire in 2003
Born	Aimé Fernand David Césaire (1913-06-26)26 June 1913 Basse-Pointe, Martinique, France
Died	17 April 2008(2008-04-17) (aged 94) Fort-de-France, Martinique, France
Alma mater	École Normale Supérieure, University of Paris
Known for	Poet, politician
Political party	Parti Progressiste Martiniquais
Spouse	Suzanne Roussi

Aimé Fernand David Césaire (/seɪˈzɜːr/; French: [sezɛʁ]; 26 June 1913 – 17 April 2008) was a Francophone and French poet, author and politician from Martinique. He was "one of the founders of the négritude movement in Francophone literature". His works included Une Tempête, a response to Shakespeare's play The Tempest, and Discours sur le colonialisme (Discourse on Colonialism), an essay describing the strife between the colonizers and the colonized. His works have been translated into many languages.

Ghana Empire Wagadou
c. 700–c. 1240
The Ghana Empire at its greatest extent
Capital	Koumbi Saleh
Common languages	Soninke, Malinke, Mande
Religion	African traditional religion, Islam
Government	Monarchy
Ghana
• 700	Kaya Magan Cissé
• 790s	Majan Dyabe Cisse
• 1040–1062	Ghana Bassi
• 1203–1235	Soumaba Cisse
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	c. 700
• Conquered by Sosso/Submitted to the Mali Empire	c. 1240
Area
1067 est.	1,600 km2 (620 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Djenné-Djenno Mali Empire
Today part of	Mali  Mauritania  Senegal

The Ghana Empire (c. 700 until c. 1240), (Ghana or Ga'na being the title of its ruler), was located in the area of present-day southeastern Mauritania and western Mali. Complex societies based on trans-Saharan trade with salt and gold had existed in the region since ancient times, but the introduction of the camel to the western Sahara in the 3rd century A.D. opened the way to great changes in the area that became the Ghana Empire. By the time of the Muslim conquest of North Africa in the 7th century the camel had changed the ancient, more irregular trade routes into a trade network running from Morocco to the Niger river. The Ghana Empire grew rich from this increased trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt, allowing for larger urban centres to develop. The traffic furthermore encouraged territorial expansion to gain control over the different trade-routes.

When Ghana's ruling dynasty began remains uncertain; it is mentioned for the first time in written records by Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī in 830. In the 11th century the Cordoban scholar Abuof travelled to the region and gave a detailed description of the kingdom. He claimed that the Ghana could "put 200,000 men into the field, more than 40,000 of them archers", and noted they had cavalry forces as well.

As the empire declined it finally became a vassal of the rising Mali Empire at some point in the 13th century. When the Gold Coast in 1957 became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to regain its independence from colonial rule, it renamed itself in honor of the long-gone empire.

African-American culture, also known as Black American culture, refers to the contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African-American people, including the Middle Passage. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential on American and global worldwide culture as a whole.

African-American culture is primarily rooted in West and Central Africa. Understanding its identity within the culture of the United States it is, in the anthropological sense, conscious of its origins as largely a blend of West and Central African cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of African Americans to practice their original cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived, and over time have modified and/or blended with European cultures and other cultures such as that of Native Americans. African-American identity was established during the slavery period, producing a dynamic culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on American culture as a whole, as well as that of the broader world.

Elaborate rituals and ceremonies were a significant part of African Americans' ancestral culture. Many West African societies traditionally believed that spirits dwelled in their surrounding nature. From this disposition, they treated their environment with mindful care. They also generally believed that a spiritual life source existed after death, and that ancestors in this spiritual realm could then mediate between the supreme creator and the living. Honor and prayer was displayed to these "ancient ones", the spirit of those past. West Africans also believed in spiritual possession.