Modern Mali is a unique nation due to the blending of Islam and Black African traditions from the Middle Ages. After years of colonial domination by the French, Mali has also been substantially influenced by those European traditions as well. The Songhai is an ancient empire of western Africa found in present-day Mali. Songhai society traditionally was highly structured. The following people could be found in the Songhai society:

 The Songhai grew grains in the rainy season (June to November), raised cattle and fished. The Songhai traditionally have prospered from the trading routes throughout the region. The Niger River enabled the kingdom of Mali to develop a far more stable economy than Ghana had enjoyed and contributed to the rise of the Mali empire.

The Songhai Empire was located in northwest Africa.  The Empire of Ghana was the same region but was much smaller in size. Many of these civilizations overlapped.

After Napoléon Bonaparte was defeated at Waterloo in 1815, the humbled Frenchmen saw colonization in Africa as a chance to gain back some of the French dignity and prestige in their traditional competition against the English. Later in the century, all of Europe felt the pinch from rapid industrialization and were in search of new sources of raw materials. The European nations saw Africa as an excellent source of raw materials. Unfortunately, Europe's colonization of Africa essentially underdeveloped the continent. Europeans succeeded in exploiting the resources throughout the continent without making much progress in developing the colonies it controlled. Many people would argue that this problem continues to this very day.

Christianity

Catholic and Protestant missionaries gave medical aid through hospitals they built, education through mission schools, worked at translating the Bible into the local dialect, all the while trying to win converts to Christianity. David Livingstone, an early African missionary we learned about in the last section, promoted the "3 Cs" —commerce, Christianity, and civilization, while exploring the African interior. Today, most Christians are found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Christians in Africa form one of the largest religious groups – it is believed that approximately half the population of Africa follows some Christian form of religion.

Islam

Islam in Africa is almost as old as the faith itself. European colonialists in many cases adopted Muslim law as a unifying administrative structure, rather than the indigenous and often competing tribal customs of their artificially demarcated colonies. The settlement of the Arabs in North Africa somewhat resembled the settlement of the colonists in North America seeking religious freedom and wealth. When the Arabs settled in North Africa, it became the land of hope and opportunity where they could be free from persecution and make a fortune! Sound familiar?

Today, North Africa above the Sahara and significant portions of West Africa and the East African coast are Islamic. Muslims have played an incredibly important role in the development of Africa in the 14 centuries that they have been on the continent. Muslims have played many roles throughout the years – they have been integral in the process of state-building, in creating commercial networks between parts of the continent, and in introducing literacy. In fact, many Muslims were given the job of scribes in charge of state records in many areas. Muslims were also responsible for building relationships and developing inter-state diplomacy within Africa and beyond.

However, apartheid certainly did not end overnight. The impact of apartheid is still felt today. One of the most important steps South Africa took to help the country recover from the devastating effects of apartheid was to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This was a commission tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government, in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past.

Extension! Are you interested in seeing a compelling movie about the Rwandan genocide and the brave actions of some incredible people? Watch Hotel Rwanda! This movie is a 2004 historical drama film about the hotelier Paul Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle), nominated for three Academy Awards and the winner at many international film festivals.

This appalling example is not the only one! Arbitrarily divided borders have had a long-lasting effect. The exploitation of natural resources by the Europeans while subjugating the native people of Africa continues to negatively impact most of the region. Unfortunately, those who might be suffering the most from the legacy of colonialism and apartheid are the children.