Some random pre 1600 Black History
Last year, I made some social media posts about Black history, originally for Bhakail but they also got posted by the national SCA account. Here they are.
Description, for anyone who might be using a screen reader: First slide: “Black History Before 1600” in all caps with “Mansa Musa” written underneath, and an red oval with a black salamander next to the text (Bhakail’s badge). The background is a depiction of Mansa Musa on a medieval Catalan map.
Second slide: “Did you know that the richest person to have ever lived was actually a Black man? Mansa Musa, the 9th Mansa or Emperor of the Mali Empire had a fortune estimated at $400 billion in today’s money. Nearly twice as rich as Elon Musk!”
Third slide: “In the year 1324, he traveled to Mecca with a huge caravan, including camels carrying over 20,000 pounds of gold in total. He spent so much gold in Cairo that its value as a currency decreased altogether.”
Description:
First slide: “Black History Before 1600” in all caps with “Terence” written underneath, and an red oval with a black salamander next to the text. The background is a depiction of Terence on a medieval illustration.
Second slide: “Publius Terentius Afer, or Terence was brought to Rome as an enslaved person, but ended up becoming known as one of the greatest Roman comic dramatists, and his plays continue to be studied and adapted in literature and theater courses worldwide.”
Third slide: “Despite his success, one of his plays, the Hecrya actually failed in its first 2 productions, reminding us that even the most talented individuals encounter challenges and sometimes the only problem with something is that it hasn’t reached the right audience yet.”
Description:
First slide: “Black History Before 1600” in all caps with “Yasuke” written underneath, and an red oval with a black salamander next to the text. The background is a depiction of Yasuke and other samurai on a Japanese painting.
Second slide: “Maybe you’ve seen the anime, but did you know there actually really was a Black samurai? In the 1580s, Yasuke was an African man who became the first foreigner to become a samurai in Japan. He was brought to Japan as a bodyguard, but soon gained the favor of a daimyo, Oda Nobunaga.”
Third slide: “They even dined together, which was a rare honor that showed their closeness. Yasuke was also one of the few guards and retainers with Nobunaga when he was betrayed by one of his generals and is speculated to have been there when Nobunaga committed seppuku, or ritual suicide, as well.”
Description:
First slide: “Black History Before 1600” in all caps with “Queen Amanirenas” written underneath, and an red oval with a black salamander next to the text. The background is an images of ruins from the Kingdom of Kush.
Second slide: “Have you heard of the Kingdom of Kush? Kush was an ancient kingdom occupying land that’s now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Around 20 BC, this kingdom was ruled by a one eyed Queen named Amanirenas.”
Third slide: “She led her army in attacking Rome, claiming several cities, and even the head off a statue of Augustus Caesar. Unlike many other leaders, she managed to resist Roman conquest, and even negotiate a treaty she gained from to end the conflict.”
Hope this was interesting!