Intelligence Squared: The 12 Books of Christmas | Zeinab Badawi on an African History of Africa

Date: December 22, 2024
Host: Professor Kate Williams
Guest: Zeinab Badawi

Episode Overview

This episode re-airs a live event featuring broadcaster, journalist, and filmmaker Zeinab Badawi discussing her debut book "An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence." The conversation, led by historian Professor Kate Williams, explores the book’s ambitious retelling of the African past—foregrounding African voices and scholars, re-examining persistent Eurocentric myths, and charting a narrative from humanity’s origin to present-day challenges and hopes for the continent's future.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. Purpose of the Book and Approach

• A Pan-African Synthesis: Zeinab Badawi sought to provide a sweeping narrative of Africa’s history—north, south, east, west, and central—through the perspectives and research of African scholars.
  • "I have three objectives...To give a broad sweep, an overview of the continent's history, north, south, east, west, central, and to provide an African perspective...and hopefully to excite the reader to want to know more." (04:34)
• Challenging the Eurocentric Historical Canon: Badawi emphasizes the historic exclusion of African voices in telling their own story.
  • She references the notorious comment by Hugh Trevor Roper asserting there was "no African history before Europeans," highlighting how such attitudes excluded African voices:

    "...for me, I found that there was a vacuum pre colonial, particularly the colonial era is relatively well covered and even from the presence of the Europeans, because that's what Hugh Trevor Ober said. There's no real history in Africa before the arrival of the Europeans. And the reason why people say that is because there's so much emphasis on the written word..." (06:54)

2. Redefining Sources: African Modes of History

• Oral Tradition, Archaeology, and Beyond: Badawi describes how African scholars draw from oral histories, archaeology, music, dance, and alternative written traditions (Arabic, Persian) to paint a fuller picture.
  • "They recorded it in different ways. You know, oral tradition is very important. Archaeology can tell us a lot. You know, music, dance and so on..." (06:54)
• Vital Role of African Scholars:

  "...you cannot understand African history if you exclude the African scholar from the debate." (07:58)

3. Colonialism: Revisiting Myths and Realities

• Was Colonialism Good or Bad? Badawi steers away from the "good or bad" binary but notes total unanimity among African scholars that “on balance, colonialism... seeks to subjugate and disenfranchise.” (09:23)
• Elevation of African Intellectuals: She positions herself as an intercessor, using her platform to bring the brilliance of African historians to a global audience:

  "...these African intellectuals had been starved of some kind of, you know, international platform. And I just felt, well, okay with my, you know, international work and profile in the UK, I could ventilate their scholarship." (10:25)

4. Africa as the Cradle of Humanity

• Human Origins: The discussion opens with Africa's status as the birthplace of modern humans—a fact sometimes denied or downplayed outside of Africa.

  "Africa is certainly where the human story began. We are an African animal...No human being on earth can deny that Africa is their first home." (12:52)

• Both touch on how even today, scientific consensus meets resistance due to cultural biases (13:14).

5. Iconic Figures, Empires, and Forgotten Queens

• The Kushite Kings and Queens: Badawi, herself Sudanese by birth, highlights the influential but often overlooked Kushite kingdom in Sudan, its queens’ power, and their later influence on Sudanese politics.
  • "The queens of Kush, unlike many women in ancient societies, had a very powerful role to play, like Queen Amani Renance, who fought the Romans..." (22:14)
• Egypt: Africa or the Mediterranean? The tendency to separate ancient Egypt from the rest of Africa is critiqued.

  "...ancient Egypt has always been part of Africa...this idea that Egypt is something separate is something that I think for me is not right. Ancient Egypt was and always will be part of African history." (27:49, 28:49)

• Cleopatra Under an African Lens: The figure of Cleopatra is reclaimed as more than a Roman seductress—scholar Bahia Shaheen shares that she was a multilingual intellectual and a skilled ruler, challenging typical Western portrayals (30:19).
• The Power of Narrative Ownership: The hosts discuss how Western accounts have shaped perceptions of African leaders, e.g., Shaka Zulu's demonization, and the need for indigenous perspectives (32:01).

6. Resistance and National Icons

• Yaa Asantewaa (Ghana): Her leadership against British invasion exemplifies powerful, overlooked female resistance (35:32).
  • "She managed to raise an army of 20,000...And actually was seen fighting. And she was in her late 60s...She fought very valiantly..." (35:32)
  • Even after defeat, she protected the kingdom’s sacred Golden Stool, sustaining Asante identity. (38:18)
• Personal Connection: Badawi’s great-grandfather, Sheikh Babbikir Badri, is discussed for his unique role in Sudanese history and as a pioneer of female education (38:44).

7. Decolonization and Global Context

• The World Wars’ Impact: African soldiers’ contributions in both world wars contributed to the rising tide of independence movements, especially as they returned home to unequal treatment (42:04).
  • "it stiffened the resolve of the nationalists, those two wars. They really did." (42:04)
  • Peaceful vs. Violent Independence: Contrasts between peaceful transitions (e.g., Ghana) and the violent Algerian or later Congolese experiences (44:19).
• Colonial Legacy: The arbitrary borders and unity forged through common colonial experience continue to affect the continent’s politics and identity (46:39).

8. Deep Personal Reflections

• On Research and Personal Growth: Badawi shares the transformative effect of interviewing African scholars and exploring the continent, admitting to her own prior lack of awareness about Africa’s full history (49:15).

  "...the level of ignorance about African history, including mine actually, before I embarked on this journey, is really staggering." (49:15)

• Her Family’s Memory: Even her educated mother knew little about Sudan’s pyramids—a sign of lost heritage due to colonial erasures (51:39).

9. Relevance of History for Africa’s Future

• On Youth and Identity: The extremely young demographic (average age 19) represents hope and potential, but Badawi argues knowing Africa’s rich past is vital for self-confidence and development.

  "...if they are aware of their great past...that does help you hold your head up high." (55:27)

• Pan-African Historical Consciousness: Encourages a unified, continental approach to learning history—“not just cherry pick your part” (57:59).
• Hopeful Vision: Confident that a new African generation, empowered by technology, education, and a more honest history, will soon remake the future of the continent (61:12).

10. Notable Women Rulers – A Fun Finale

• Three Powerful Queens:
  • Queen Nzinga (Angola): Skilled negotiator, fiercely independent, resisted Portuguese colonialism (58:13)
  • Yaa Asantewaa (Ghana): Fearless military leader in her sixties (35:32, 58:02)
  • Kimpa Vita (Congo): Spiritual leader challenging Catholic orthodoxy, like an African Joan of Arc (59:08)
• Social Media Fun: Who would have been best on TikTok?
  • Both agree Yaa Asantewaa and Queen Nzinga would be social media icons, especially considering their daring reputations (59:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Who Owns History:

  "It is, whose history is it?...if you exclude African voices, you're getting perspectives from people in whose it would have been in their interest to depict a lot of people as, you know, savage or backward or hadn’t developed the land." – Zeinab Badawi (32:01)

• On the Importance of African Scholarship:

  "You cannot understand African history if you exclude the African scholar from the debate." – Zeinab Badawi (07:58)

• On Human Origins:

  "No human being on earth can deny that Africa is their first home." – Zeinab Badawi (12:52)

• Pan-African Pride:

  "...there should be this Pan African approach to history so that you can all, you know, say, just as Europeans say, you know, we have European history, the Africans say we have an African history and not just cherry pick their particular part of it." (57:59)

• On Hope for Africa's Future:

  "I would put my money on the youth because youth is about vigor, wanting to achieve...you start seeing that a lot of these problems that we're looking at now hopefully will be more consigned to the past...I think you have got to give a history of hope as well." – Zeinab Badawi (61:12)

Timestamps for Key Sections

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 04:34 | Zeinab states the book’s objectives | | 06:54 | Discussion of Eurocentric historical attitudes | | 09:23 | On colonialism and the unanimity of African scholars | | 12:52 | Africa as cradle of humanity | | 22:14 | Explaining Kushite Kingdom and powerful queens | | 27:49 | Ancient Egypt’s African identity | | 30:19 | Cleopatra through an African scholarly lens | | 35:32 | Story of Yaa Asantewaa, Ghanaian queen/warrior | | 38:44 | Story of Badawi’s great-grandfather and personal roots | | 42:04 | Effect of World Wars on African independence movements | | 46:39 | On the colonial legacy and continental unity | | 49:15 | Reflecting on personal learning and research | | 51:39 | On the fragmentary popular memory of African past | | 55:27 | The need for African youth to know their history | | 57:59 | Pan-African, holistic approach to African history | | 58:13 | Three notable African queens discussed | | 61:12 | Badawi’s closing words on hope for Africa’s future |

Conclusion

This episode is a deep, heartfelt, and often joyful exploration of Africa’s past—and its power to shape the present and future—through the eyes of those whose history it is. Zeinab Badawi’s scholarship and travel, her vivid storytelling, the featured voices of African historians, and the dialogue with Kate Williams make for a compelling argument: African history belongs to everyone, but it must first be told by Africans themselves. By illuminating forgotten monarchs, demystifying precolonial civilizations, and embracing hope for a new generation, "An African History of Africa" stands as a landmark work. As Badawi says, “You cannot enslave a mind that knows itself, that understands itself, that values itself. The three all work together.” (55:27)

For Further Reading and Viewing:

• Zeinab Badawi’s TV series on African history (mentioned as being freely available on YouTube and originally aired on BBC World)
• "An African History of Africa" by Zeinab Badawi (Sunday Times #1 Bestseller)