The State of Africa

The Biafran Airlift (1968–1970) Although the Biafran Airlift saved lives, it also shaped the world’s perception of Africa as powerless, tragic and in need of foreign intervention. The lesson? True freedom and dignity come only when Africa controls its own destiny. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofa...

The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). Nigeria became independent in 1960. In 1967, it was rich, diverse and full of potential. Then it suddenly started tearing itself apart. It took this brutal war to reveal that borders alone cannot create a nation, identity and unity must come first. Freedom without cohesion is fragile. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

Nigeria’s independence (1960). Nigeria became free in 1960. But the real independence of identity is still unfolding. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban

Patrice Lumumba & The Congo Crisis (1960) Patrice Lumumba was 35 years old when he became Prime Minister and when the world turned against him. His dream of a truly independent, united Congo made him one of the most feared men in the eyes of global powers. His story explains why African unity remains Africa’s greatest threat and Africa’s greatest hope. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_...

Ghana’s Independence & Kwame Nkrumah (1957). On March 6th, 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence. But Nkrumah’s dream was bigger: a liberated, united Africa. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban

The Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960), was one of the most important and most hidden anti-colonial movements in Africa. It was not a rebellion of armies, but of ordinary people who refused to live without dignity. Their courage shook an empire and led Kenya toward independence.

The Pan-African Congresses (1919–1945). The Pan-African Congresses gathered Black leaders from around the world to demand freedom and dignity. These meetings lit the spark that eventually tore down colonialism. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

African Soldiers in World War II (1939–1945). African soldiers helped defeat fascism in World War II. When they returned home, they questioned the colonial systems that denied them basic rights. Their bravery abroad inspired independence movements across Africa. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagra...

African Soldiers in World War I ( 1914-1918). Millions of African soldiers fought in World War I. They endured Europe’s trenches and East Africa’s forests only to return home and be denied recognition. Their sacrifice sparked the rise of African nationalism. Watch this episode here https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Subscribe to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@boluban

Liberia and the Return of the Freed Slaves. Liberia is one of Africa’s most misunderstood stories. A story of Africans shaped by America returning to Africa with a foreign identity. When your culture is stolen, rebuilding becomes complicated. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.insta...

The Maji Maji Uprising. Tanzania (1905–1907) More than 20 ethnic groups rose together against colonial rule. And the world realized that a united Africa was dangerous to oppress. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

Looking at all the stories we’ve talked about so far, why exactly was it easy for the Europeans to subvert the African people and culture the way they did? TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Colonization of Africa (1885–1914). To understand Africa today, we must understand how a continent was redesigned. Colonization was psychological engineering. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Looting of Benin wasn’t just about art, neither was it an accident. It was a strategy and a deliberate attempt to erase identity, rewrite history and break cultural memory. But those memories are returning. And so is Africa. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thest...

Ethiopia’s victory at Adwa in 1896 shattered the myth of European invincibility. It inspired freedom movements across Africa and became a symbol of Black pride worldwide. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Berlin Conference (1884–1885). In 1884, Europe had a meeting about Africa and didn’t invite Africa. The borders they drew that day still shape our politics, conflicts, and identity. Understanding this moment is key to understanding modern Africa. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://w...

The Ashanti Empire & The Golden Stool War (1900). The British wanted the Golden Stool. The Ashanti said no. Some things are worth more than power. They carry identity and the spirit of a people. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Rise of the Zulu Kingdom under Shaka (1816-1828). Shaka built a nation and proved what Africa could be when it stood as one. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Abolition of Slave Trade in 1807 wasn’t the end of slavery, it was the rebranding of it. The same ships that once carried slaves began carrying soldiers. The same flags that claimed “freedom” claimed African land. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica...

The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). The fear of Black freedom and the global conspiracy to bury it. Haiti wasn’t a tragedy. It was a warning that freedom, once awakened, can’t be enslaved again. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofafrica_

The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Olaudah Equiano’s Story (18th Century). The Transatlantic Slave Trade wasn’t just about labor, it was about identity theft. It has ended. But the mindset it created, that Africa was lesser, still lingers. And it’s time we unlearn it. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boluban_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@boluban Ins...

Long before the Europeans came, Rwanda had already had order, governance and a vision of one people under one system. The Kingdom of Rwanda reminds us that Africa didn’t need to be taught order, it needed to be left alone to live it.

The Oyo Empire was proof that African civilizations were not primitive. They were complex, political, and organized. But it also reminds us that empires don’t die because of outside enemies alone, they collapse when the inside stops holding together.

Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (1600s Angola). A story of resistance, dignity, and the price of survival. https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ https://youtube.com/@boluban

The Kingdom of Kongo and the Arrival of the Portuguese (1483). Sometimes the greatest danger doesn’t come from an enemy. It comes from the friend you trust too much. The Kingdom of Kongo didn’t fall by conquest. It fell by relationship. https://www.tiktok.com/@boluban_ https://youtube.com/@boluban