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The Ancient African Past and the Field of Africana Studies

Cornell University

The ancient African past refers to deeds and events of African peoples documented or narrated through oral or written traditions or other means from the time of human beginnings until the modern period. Africana studies is a transdisciplinary field of study pertaining to intellectual traditions and practices of African and African-descended peoples. The ancient African past is valued in the field of Africana studies. The value given to ancient Africa within the field may serve as a critical conceptual challenge to the colonial history of Africa. This article calls for an Africana philosophy of history, that is, a vision and interpretive scheme to critically reflect on the historical field of concerns. It seeks an intellectual endeavor to recapture historical spaces, thereby leading not only to autonomous readings of ancient African history but also to engaging in the development of explanatory paradigms for the field.

Key Words: ancient African past • Africana studies • African Diaspora • colonialism • historical linguistics • Rosetta stone • Africa-centered paradigm

Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 37, No. 3, 445-460 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0021934706290085


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