“You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from.”

Let me just put it out there: Too many Africans are disconnected from their roots, and it’s messing with how we see ourselves and how the world sees us.

We’re doing the most, tech startups with a couple Unicorns (what happened to our adorable Baby bushes), PhDs, social media influencing, importing Teslas (I guess we are going green too, but we forget the real green, our agricultural prowess and land resources) but all of that means little when we’re operating with an identity that’s been blurred by colonial trauma and global expectations.

And that’s why we need to talk about African history, not just as a school subject, but as a life compass.

The Importance of African History: It’s Not Just About the Past!

Let’s be clear: African history is not about dates and dusty facts. It’s not just about memorizing when the Berlin Conference happened or when Shaka Zulu did his thing. It’s about power, Identity, Confidence and Context.

History is the manual for understanding how we got here and how we can move forward with purpose.

When you know your roots, you move with boldness. You stop seeking approval from systems that were never built for you. You stop doubting your worth. You stop apologizing for your existence.

Cultural Amnesia Is Real and It’s Costing Us!

Let’s call it what it is, We are suffering from cultural amnesia! Generations of Africans don’t know their languages, their clan stories, or even the full names of their great-grandparents.

Ask an average Nigerian Gen Z to say three proverbs in their language, crickets. And it’s not their fault. The system erased a lot of that knowledge. Colonial education told us our gods were demons, our traditions were backwards, and our stories weren’t worth preserving.

Now we know better. But knowing better means doing better.

Why Africans Should Learn Their History

• To reclaim identity.

You’re not just “Black.” You’re African. That means something specific and powerful. Something that is the foundation of all Humans genome everywhere even that of your colonial masters, when you know who you are and the civilizations your ancestors built and influenced, you will no longer cower but shine forth and reclaim your destiny. 

• To dismantle inferiority.

 Knowing your past helps you stop seeing Africa through the lens of poverty, chaos, and corruption and start seeing it as the birthplace of civilization.

• To build for the future.

When you know your past, you can build stronger institutions, tell better stories, and pass down legacy instead of trauma. 

The West Profits from Our Identity, We Ignore Ours.

You think it’s by mistake that hip hop, fashion, spirituality, and pop culture all borrow heavily from African energy?

The Western world has figured out how to package and profit from African heritage while many of us are still trying to be more Western to be accepted. It’s time to stop outsourcing our identity. If anyone’s going to benefit from African culture, it should be us first.

So, How Do We Reconnect With African Heritage?

1. Ask questions. 

Talk to your parents and grandparents. Ask about family origins, traditional practices, names and meanings, if you need a place to keep these you can use our archive tool on cystads.

2. Learn your native language. 

Even if it’s just conversational. Don’t let it die with your generation, learn and speak with your friends make your mother’s tongue the new cool.

3. Read African history books.

Not colonial textbooks real stories written by Africans for Africans.

4. Watch African documentaries and follow creators documenting the continent’s legacy.

5. Support African-made content. 

Books, films, games (yes, shoutout to CYSTADS, we’re on this mission too).

6. Pass it on.

Teach your kids, your friends, your followers. Start the chain reaction.

Final Thoughts: Know Your Story or Be Lost in Someone Else’s

History isn’t just for scholars. It’s for every African who wants to walk through this world with clarity and pride.

When you know your story, nobody can remix it for you. Nobody can rewrite it. And nobody can use it against you.

So if you’re African, living on the continent or in the diaspora, take this as your sign go and learn your history. Own it, Live it, Teach it! Because the world doesn’t respect a people who don’t respect themselves. So if you can’t reach any of your family at least start with another blog from CYSTADS