African Roots: Shadows of German Colonialism

Season 2 of the African Roots podcast is here! And we start off with two West African icons: Queen Amina of Zazzau and Queen Abla Pokou. Both women are nation builders of almost mythical proportions, so hosts Cai and Laila delve into why these two royals went on to drastically change their society's fate.

What was it like living under the tyranny of slavery? Cai and Laila open a cruel chapter of human history by meeting two figures who felt the consequences of the Transatlantic slave trade very differently: Sengbe Pieh, hero of the Amistad court case, and Afonso the First, whose Kongo Kingdom was decimated by slave raids.

Fatima al-Fihiri's legacy as a supporter of education hold immeasurable cultural and educational value, still being felt today. Meanwhile, further south into the Sahara, Ahmed Baba's teachings became a landmark for Muslims across Africa. Listen to their stories right here on the African Roots podcast!

When the men stood down, the women stood firm. Cai and Laila meet the fearsome warrior Princess Yennenga, whose famous stallion has become a symbol of Burkina Faso. Meanwhile, Yaa Asantewaa caused such problems for British colonialists that an entire war was named after her.

When the winds of freedom from colonialism swept across Africa in the 1960s, new nations were tasked to develop into functioning democracies overnight - most without success. Cai and Laila profile two giants of the African independence era - who took radically different, but in some ways similar, paths.

Some figures transcend all borders - physical, religious or spiritual: Cai goes in search of the legendary Kanku Musa, possibly the richest person who ever lived, and who changed the course of Muslim history forever. Meanwhile, Laila recounts the mythical tale of the Queen of Sheba and her roots in Ethiopia.

Two of Africa's most famous, young revolutionaries gave their fledgling nations hope, if just for a short while. Laila explores how Patrice Lumumba's dreams of independence rattled Western powers, while Cai reveals why Burkinabe Thomas Sankara is still an icon for young leaders across Africa.

Laila and Cai explore the complex and controversial legacies of two of Africa's military men: South Africa's Shaka Zulu and Ethiopian Gobena Dache. While both are renowned for their military prowess, their repressive attempts to unify their people caused rivers of blood to flow.

When the scale and racist nature of Germany's colonial ambitions in Africa became apparent, leaders Rudolf Douala Manga Bell and Hendrik Witbooi resisted. Cai and Laila narrate how the two men from Cameroon and Namibia respectively took very different paths to impede German imperial domination.

Laila and Cai explore the roles of two remarkable South African women who fought white-oppression in two different eras. Golden voiced Charlotte Maxeke formed the ANC's Women's League in the early 20th century. Decades later, Helen Joseph led the historic Women's March and co-wrote the Freedom Charter. Though neither saw the fall of apartheid, their struggle inspired millions of South Africans.

Resisting oppression comes in many forms. But few embody spiritual resistance like Kimpa Vita, who adapted the Catholic religion to the chagrin of Portuguese colonists. Meanwhile in East Africa, prophet Kinjeketile raised an army against German imperialism. But how did they inspire resistance movements simply with their aura?

Despite colonial oppression limiting opportunites for talented African scientists, Senegalese polymath Cheikh Anta Diop dispelled whitewashed myths of Ancient Egypt. Meanwhile in South Africa, Hamilton Naki defied the apartheid regime by training among the elite heart surgeons that paved the way to the world's first heart transplant in 1967.

Cai introduces Laila to Zanzibari icon, Siti Binti Saad. Not only did she rewrite the rules of Taarab music, she became the genre's biggest star. Meanwhile, Laila's countrywoman Flora Nwapa literally wrote herself into history as a glass ceiling smashing novelist.

In our first podcast, hosts Laila Johnson Salami and Cai Nebe profile two leaders who were a thorn in the side of imperial powers. And both have a surprising role in the foundations of Rastafarianism, and reggae music.