Sharing is Caring

          I always wondered when it came to the history of the United States, why are we just taught that Europeans discovered America, formed colonies, bought slaves from Africa to work the fields, went to war to be a free country, ended slavery and life went from there.  Granted my description isn’t precise yet it sums up a huge part of this country’s history.  So then I got to thinking, who informed the Europeans to buy slaves from Africa in the first place.  After slavery ended, why didn’t the slaves ever go back to Africa?  Speaking of Africa, what happened to it after millions of people were taken from the continent?  Was it abandoned and left to for dead or did they ever bounce back from such a disaster?

          Luckily for me, USC Sumter offered History 106, Introduction to African history in the summer 2014 semester.  I was so excited to take a class that would provide me knowledge about my ancestor’s beginnings and life after the slave trade.  Again, much was passed down but it’s something about that journey across the Atlantic Ocean which clouds the origins of many cultures brought together in the United States.  One key point you learn is that there were many groups who lived differently from those who resided near.  It’s a common mistake to think all cultures from Africa were the same, instead we are taught they had their own language and dialect, styles of dress varied, religious beliefs and rules obeyed differed from one group to the next.  The information received in that class inspired me further my research outside of the classroom.  I took the knowledge of characters like Sundiata, who we read about in “Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali” by historian D.T. Niane, and traced his legacy to a movement known today as Rastafari.

          It’s a Thursday in April 2015 and I am working my normal hours at my work study location.  I noticed the students were dressed up and I asked them what was going on with the outfits they were wearing.  I told them the outfits reminded me of some outfits I read about in my African history class.  The students told me they were participating in an event that was going on at one of the church later on that night called the Living museum.  They explained to me that it was a performance where they dressed as certain characters known from Africa and was going to be on display when the audience walked through for the exhibits. That event alone took me by surprise because I had never heard of the living museum but the icing on the cake is when two students told me their character was Sundiata and Mansa Musa, Sundiata’s distant nephew. I was in astonishment and possibly in a tad bit of disbelief.  I asked how much longer before they left for the church and found out we had hours until show time.  I told the group I had some knowledge about a character or two and everyone wanted more.  I had them meet me in a classroom while I grabbed my books I kept them handy for my research purposes.  I shared my knowledge of who Sundiata was, his journey and how he rose to power. I also connected Mansa Musa to Sundiata and to me in helped bring life to the character 2 of the students were portraying.  Believe it or not the students thought the characters they were portraying were made up until I provided evidence and research.  After my secession we went to the church and they put on an excellent performance.

          The knowledge gained in that course has opened my eyes into why somethings in this world seems a tad bit off.  We pick and choose what we share with others and let moments to teach or inform pass by too many times. I could’ve easily not share my knowledge with the students but I chose to because someone took the time to learn it themselves in order to teach me.  I was impressed and pleased with my professor who taught me the course and I feel it’s a necessity to share my knowledge.  Sadly within our school system, there is a version of the story that is being told but as my kids come to me and ask questions about slavery and the African American history, I will be sure to share my knowledge with my kids and pass on the legacy.