Topic One: African World View

African natives tend to view the world differently than we do in the Western world. While you and
I describe time in a linear, numerical sense, they may describe it in terms of events. When
asked about their birth, they may say that they were born before the “great destroyer.” This
event in particular was the flu virus, which had a disastrous effect on the continent. Other ways
they keep track of time are harvests, moon cycles, and seasons. Speaking on the world’s view
of Africa, it is unfortunately rather prejudiced. Or, perhaps misguided is the right word. The
continent of Africa, along with its people, is portrayed as being desolate, poor, primitive, dirty,
violence-ridden, and stupid in the media consumed by the common man. As explored in the
African world view assignment, Hollywood does this intentionally (most of the time*), because it
sells. Whether subconsciously or not, we like feeling better than. We like feeling as though we
are blessed to live in this country of ours, to have the color of skin we do, and to have the
government we have. Hollywood likes feeding the nationalist ego of the white savior, but if Africa
were represented in a factual light, that ego would be crushed.

*See Black Panther

Topic Two: Marriage in Africa

Marriage in Africa is normally monogamous, but can be polygamous. It depends on whether or
not the individual wanting multiple spouses can prove they can love and provide for them
equally. Women can have multiple husbands, but this is not as common as men having multiple
wives. When a man marries a woman in Africa, there is such a thing as a :bride price,” which is
mostly ceremonial. It is a small sum of money that allows the bride to take the last name of the
husband. The actual ceremony of marriage is different from religious ceremonies. Oftentimes,
couples will have two ceremonies; one traditional, and one religious. In a traditional African
wedding, attendees wear formal attire. The bride, groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and family
of the betrothed will typically wear traditional garments. The bride’s centerpiece is her
headdress, which is made of high-quality material, and often expensive. One part of the
ceremony includes the men of the family marrying into the wife’s family--where they all lay down
in front of them. Another staple of the event is the food, and the dancing. You don’t want to be
known as the couple who had bad, or God-forbid not enough, food.

Topic Three: African Resistance to Slavery

Through the hardship of resistance, the slave trade was dealt a near-fatal blow. The main pillars
of resistance rested on the African natives, Africans in other parts of the world wanting to see
change, the African government, and the Africans on ships who felt they were better off dead,
and jumped into the ocean bound by chains. One way Africans were able to flee from the
Europeans were by using the terrain to their advantage. They knew their way around it, and
were acclimated to the regional viruses--whereas the Europeans were in unfamiliar territory.

Extra Credit Questions:

1.) Sierra Leone
2.) Ghana
3.) False
4.) The Saharan Desert