Intelligence Squared An African History of Africa, with Zeinab Badawi (Part Two)
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Aug 3, 2025 
Zeinab Badawi, an award-winning broadcaster and author of 'An African History of Africa,' shares her insights on the continent's rich history, emphasizing a narrative untethered from colonialism. She discusses the origins of humankind and ancient African civilizations, challenging misconceptions about heritage and identity. Badawi highlights the importance of personal stories in understanding African experiences and explores the values of community and Ubuntu. This conversation uncovers the complexity of African identities amid the legacies of migration and colonialism.
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Eritrea's Crucial Historical Role
- Eritrea shares a rich history closely linked with Ethiopia and ancient Aksum.
- Its coast was crucial for trade, and it hosts UNESCO heritage sites like Asmara with 1930s Italian architecture.
Preserving Pan-African Heritage
- Pan-Africanism is a key part of Zeinab Badawi's identity and drives her efforts.
- She advocates for preserving African heritage sites like slave forts as global history that must not be forgotten.
Names as Cultural Identity
- Names in Africa carry cultural identity and linkages to heritage despite diasporic displacement.
- Many African Americans reclaim African names to reconnect with ancestral roots lost to slavery.
