The Black History Channel

Maafa, the African Holocaust

2007-12-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

The Maafa has to be the single most catastrophic event in human history relating to the forcible migration of any one type of human population.

Maafa, Kiswahili for 'disaster' or 'terrible occurance', refers to the Atlantic and Trans-Saharan slave trade. Specifically, this term encompasses the inhuman treatment of African people, depopulation of African ethnic groups, wholesale murder and oppression of African people through the slave trade. This term and concept was brought to the academic lexicon by Dr. Marimba Ani. This term refers to the African slave trades from an African perspective, rather than a traditionally non-African, enslavers perspective.

The Maafa cost in human lives ranges from an estimated 18 million to up to 100 million African lives through the Atlantic slave trade. It is unknown exactly how many Africans were enslaved and sold to the East through the much earlier Trans-Saharan slave trade. Africans were taken from all over the continent. Some areas were depopulated completely.

Below are additional links to read about Maafa

http://www.africanholocaust.net

http://www.themaafa.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maafa

http://africawithin.com/maafa/slavery.htm

Basic Facts about the African Continent

2007-12-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

The African continent, second-largest of the Earth's seven continents - covers about 30,330,000 sq km (11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world's total land area. The African continent is considered a core continent and hasn't moved at all in the past 30 million years. Africa has the world's longest river the Nile which is fed by the Blue Nile originating from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and the White Nile originating from Lake Victoria in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. It also has one of the most diverse amount of climates in the world. Everything from tropical rainforests, to deserts and snow capped mountains. Because of the diverse climates, the plant and animal life is greatly varied as well.
These conditions: a warm environment, diverse plentiful animal and vegetation, clean water, a good supply of oxygen from the rain forest vegetation created an environment for humans to develop and thrive. All types of humans in the homo genus have been found on the African continent. Modern day homo sapien sapiens supposedly developed in Africa starting 25,000 years ago. However, the Seliki harpoon was discovered in the Congo dating back 90,000 years ago.

Welcome to The Black History Channel

2007-12-03T00:56:00.000-08:00

I'd like to formally welcome you to the Black History Channel. Our mission is to provide an informative forum for readers, no matter where you are in your studies of African history to come and reclaim our history. Over the next few years, I will present as much information as possible regarding the land, culture, society, spirituality and history of Africa and her people.