THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE: FROM “LUCY” TO MANDELA is a series of 36 half-hour lectures on the history of Africa by Professor Kenneth P. Vickery of North Carolina State University. These lectures are excellent and include positive references to the Christian influences on the people of that incredible continent.

Review:
Once you visit Africa, it transforms your life. With a respect for this incredible continent, and a positive reference to Christian influences, Professor Kenneth P. Vickery presents a comprehensive history of Africa in 36 half-hour lectures on video from The Teaching Company titled THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE: FROM “LUCY” TO MANDELA. Some of the fascinating details are the examination of the influence of Christianity and Islam hundreds of years ago. Also intriguing is the development of the kingdoms. The pain of the slave trade and the years of colonialism are treated with sensitivity and some revelations.

In a subtle way, Prof. Vickery shows the rise of nationalism did not bring the benefits everyone expected. Many leaders became ruthless dictators. Some of the most ruthless like Robert Mugabe of Zimambwe had Christian backgrounds. Others are Marxist and Muslim. The future of Africa is in peril. All of this said, there are signs of hope. For example, there are sparks of revival in Uganda, Mozambique and other nations. If faith and values, revival and revelation come to Africa, it would emerge as one of the incredible forces in the future of civilization.

In Brief:
Once you visit Africa, it transforms your life. With a respect for this incredible continent, and a positive reference to Christian influences, Professor Kenneth P. Vickery presents a comprehensive history of Africa in 36 half-hour lectures on video from The Teaching Company titled THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE: FROM “LUCY” TO MANDELA. Some of the fascinating details are the examination of the influence of Christianity and Islam hundreds of years ago. Also intriguing is the development of the kingdoms. The pain of the slave trade and the years of colonialism are treated with sensitivity and some revelations.

In a subtle way, Prof. Vickery shows the rise of nationalism did not bring the benefits everyone expected. Many leaders became ruthless dictators. Some of the most ruthless like Robert Mugabe of Zimambwe had Christian backgrounds. Others are Marxist and Muslim. The future of Africa is in peril. All of this said, there are signs of hope. For example, there are sparks of revival in Uganda, Mozambique and other nations. If faith and values, revival and revelation come to Africa, it would emerge as one of the incredible forces in the future of civilization.

Course Lecture Titles
1. Finding the “Lost Continent”
2. Africa’s Many Natural Environments
3. A Virtual Tour of the Great Land
4. The Cradle of Humankind
5. Crops, Cattle, Iron-Taming a Continent
6. Kinship and Community-Societies Take Shape
7. Like Nothing Else-The Ancient Nile Valley
8. Soul and Spirit-Religion in Africa
9. Ethiopia-Outpost of Christianity
10. West Africa’s “Golden Age”
11. The Swahili Commercial World
12. Great Zimbabwe and the Cities of the South
13. The Atlantic Slave Trade-The Scope
14. The Atlantic Slave Trade-The Impact
15. South Africa-The Dutch Cape Colony
16. South Africa-The Zulu Kingdom
17. South Africa-The Frontier and Unification
18. South Africa-Diamonds and Gold
19. Prelude to the “Scramble for Africa”
20. European Conquest and African Resistance
21. Colonial Africa-New Realities
22. Colonial Africa-Comparisons and Change
23. The Lion Awakens-The Rise of Nationalism
24. The Peaceful Paths to Independence
25. The Congo-Promise and Pain
26. Segregation to Apartheid in South Africa
27. The Armed Struggles for Independence
28. The First Taste of Freedom
29. The Taste Turns Sour
30. The World Turns Down-The “Permanent Crisis”
31. A New Dawn? The Democratic Revival
32. The South African Miracle
33. The Unthinkable-The Rwanda Genocide
34. The New Plague-HIV/AIDS in Africa
35. Zimbabwe-Background to Contemporary Crisis
36. Africa Found