African Geography & Civilizations
What major river supported early civilizations like Nubia and Kush?
The Nile River
Who were the storytellers and oral historians of West Africa?
Griots
Most traditional African religions emphasized a Supreme Creator and what?
Ancestral veneration or worship
The Indian Ocean trade network connected Africa to which two major regions?
Middle East and Asia
During which U.S. social movement did African American Studies first emerge as an academic field?
The Civil Rights/Black Power Movement (1960s–1970s)
What was the natural barrier (desert) that both separated and connected North and West Africa through trade routes?
Sahara Desert
What migration spread language, ironworking, and agriculture throughout sub-Saharan Africa?
Bantu Migration
What is the term for the blending of African spiritual traditions with other religions like Christianity or Islam?
Syncretism
What goods were most commonly traded by Swahili city-states like Kilwa and Mombasa?
Gold, ivory, and enslaved people
Who founded the first Black Studies program in 1968 at San Francisco State University?
Nathan Hare
Which southern African civilization was known for its stone architecture and trade wealth?
Great Zimbabwe
What was the city in Mali known for its scholarship and Islamic learning?
Timbuktu
Which West African belief system centers around the worship of Olodumare and Orishas?
Yoruba Religion
What was one effect of trade on East African coastal cities?
Cultural blending (creation of Swahili culture)
What is the main goal of African American Studies?
To center and study the history, culture, and experiences of people of African descent.
What part of Africa was home to the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?
West Africa
What term describes the blending of African languages with Arabic, forming a new coastal culture in East Africa?
Swahili
What African-derived religion blended elements of Catholicism and African spirituality, practiced in Haiti?
Vodun (voodoo)
Which kingdom in West Central Africa developed early ties with Portugal?
Kingdom of Kongo
What does interdisciplinary mean?
Interdisciplinary means involving or combining two or more academic disciplines, fields of study, or professions
Name two key goods traded across the Sahara Desert.
Gold and Salt
Name one way African societies preserved and passed on knowledge besides oral tradition.
Written manuscripts
Why were African spiritual systems considered “holistic”?
They connected the physical, spiritual, and social worlds—religion guided every aspect of life.
Who was the Kongo king who converted to Christianity and later opposed the slave trade
King Afonso I (Mvemba a Nzinga)
How does African American Studies challenge traditional Eurocentric education?
By emphasizing African contributions, correcting historical omissions, and valuing African perspectives.