Sankofa Lecture Series Uncovers Truth About Africa’s Rich History
Throughout history, the kingdoms of Africa fostered world centers of learning, wealth, art and technology. However, when Africa is covered in history courses throughout the United States, this rich history is often ignored with curriculum focused on the slave trade and colonialism. An upcoming Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sankofa Lecture and Dialogue Series presentation will examine the true history of Africa and discuss the drastic misconceptions surrounding the continent.
The ongoing series features robust conversations surrounding the history of slavery and its lasting legacies, and is organized through SIUE’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, specifically its membership of the international Universities Studying Slavery consortium.
Kathleen Vongsathorn, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of History, will present “Forgotten Narratives: Why We Don’t Learn About Africa’s Impressive History” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 via Zoom. Registration is available at siue.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mSiWTI_cQpO9QQdo_vugcw.
“It’s not by accident that most people misunderstand Africa’s history so drastically,” explained Vongsathorn. “Scholars were influenced by racism when they began writing Africa’s early history. The need to justify slavery and colonialism meant that it was convenient to forget about, or try to erase, the African achievements and accomplishments previously admired by Europeans.”
Vongsathorn will offer historical examples that contradict stereotypes about Africa commonly learned in American schools. An SIUE graduate will also discuss how precolonial African history is taught in African schools.
“I am a firm believer in the power of positive and accurate narratives to disrupt stereotypes, and to change the way we see the world,” said Vongsathorn. “For much of history, Africa was at the center of the world, and Europe was its poor neighbor. How did we get to a point where Africa’s impressive past seems so fictional that some theorize aliens were responsible for building the Great Pyramids?”
Vongsathorn invites anyone interested in replacing negative stereotypes about Africa to attend.
The Sankofa Lecture and Dialogue Series is one of the University’s many anti-racism initiatives. For more information on the TRHT and its future programs and initiatives, visit siue.edu/provost/trht.
Photo: Kathleen Vongsathorn, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of History.
