08/14/2026
THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA: HISTORY WE CANNOT FORGET
Between the 1880s and early 1900s, European powers aggressively invaded and divided much of Africa among themselves. By 1914, European countries controlled roughly 90% of the African continent.
Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy and others competed for African land, resources, trade routes and political power.
But here's what often gets left out of the conversation:
Africa was not an empty continent waiting to be discovered.
Africa already had established kingdoms, governments, economies, cultures, trade networks and powerful civilizations. Africans resisted European conquest across the continent, including Ethiopia's historic victory over Italy at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, established rules for European territorial claims, yet African leaders were largely excluded from decisions determining the future of their own continent.
The consequences didn't end when colonialism ended.
Borders drawn during colonial rule, economic systems built around extracting African resources and political structures imposed by European powers continue to influence Africa today.
..It's about understanding how we got here.
Know the history. Understand the impact. Teach the next generation.
