Whoever Said Diamond’s Where A Girl’s Best Friend Might Have Been In Africa in 1870.

South African-Start Your Expedition

Africa nature, history and global economic system have all in my opinion deprived Africans of much potential wealth and well-being. This week I have focused on just on part of the continent, since there are so many ethnic groups and languages; I wanted to start in a particular area then move onward to understand this amazing fragmented nation-states with a problematic environment, exploring population and political issues but after reading this article I found myself rather confused but not surprised. Laying the foundation to support the information I have found is that if you look at the giant continent of Africa moved your eyes to the bottom of the continent. Under the soil of Southern Africa is a very old huge rock. This rock is called the Kaapval craton. Kaapval craton is The oldest preserved rock formation dates occur south of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa and Swaziland. This massive formation is over 2.6 billion years old; and is the most stable continental formations on the planet. Let me explain why I think this rock is so special in relation to Africa. The Kaapval craton contains some of the world’s richest minerals deposits, including gold, and diamonds not excluding other raw materials. This rock has made its presence know and shaped the modern history of Southern Africa. Could you imagine living in 1870, and discovering this gigantic deposit of diamonds near the town of Kimberley in South Africa? Then moving forward in our time machine, just 16 years later, the world’s largest deposits of gold were found at Witwatersrand in central Transvaal region. California Gold Rush followed, not really but the region boomed. Unfortunately, as humans we tend to fight over several areas religion, money, and politics in America. No different to follow these discoveries was conflict between white and black people. Competition for land grew. So as you can image, since the beginning of man we have been placed with prejudice and separation. South Africa was influenced by white landowners and mine owner’s demands. They requested special privileges that started small then escalated. By, 1910 according to the article, what followed was a series of laws were introduced to restricted black ownership of land and limit skilled, high paying mining jobs to whites. This lead to the foundation of Apartheid; a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party governments of South Africa between 1948 and 1994. So as racial segregation disbanded, the struggle to overcome the past lived on. Despite a legacy of racial and economic disparity, wars and ravages of mining; it is not the worse Africa including South Africa has to fear. Biggest Fear: AIDS. South Africa particularly has the world’s highest rates of HIV infection. Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.9 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. The fight continues to overcome this new epidemic, but lots of work left to be done, Southern Africa’s courage amidst adversity faces new infinite potential of what is to come of this Nations within a Nation. Article Provided by: PBS

Before The Blogs Begin

Before The Blogs Begin While this may not come from any website, but from a book from within my own home, I have read this book to try to grasp a better understanding of African Culture for the benefit of educating myself, my children and others that have contact with me. Voices of Triumph is a book about the perseverance of African ethnic groups that were token, stolen, traded, abused and how they faced adversary and persevered through it all. I wanted to share with you an Image. I was unable to locate it at the British Museum. The image is a Kente cloth; that is on display in my book but also located at the British Museum. African American’s Voice of Triumph: Perseverance on page 5-6 is a Kente Cloth that was made and woven from fabric produced by the people of old Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana. To understand our present when need to examine our past. But first I wanted to address the present. I think this image portrays an inner feeling that I have to want to deepen my connection of understanding. Please keep in mind when searching for this book there are three volumes; Perseverance, Leadership and Creative fire.

The cloth you see on the front cover was made specially designed and woven in Ghana to covey the African Americans: Triumph. Green, Gold, Red colors used stand from liberation colors; these colors are important because they are recognized by all children of African descents all over the world. Red= Blood that was shed by the millions in captivity Gold= Mineral Wealth (prosperity) Green= Vegetation of the land of Africa Not only are the colors important but the unique motifs to express African Culture. The stepped border seems to connect to all the strips, symbolizes unity, interdependence, and cooperation as prerequisites for the advancement of the people. Shield motif symbolized defense against countless assaults and obstacles encountered in our life. Finally, the diamond, rarest, hardest, and most precious of all the minerals of Africa represents the many faceted soul of the children of African ; reflecting their power to endure and growing triumph in the struggle for freedom and equality.