Before the Flag was Raised

Before colonial borders, before national anthems, and before the flags of foreign empires were raised, Africa governed itself. This episode challenges the familiar tendency to begin African political history at the moment of disruption. It turns instead to the systems of power, leadership, and legitimacy that existed long before colonization. As part of the commemoration of Black History Month, this episode seeks to restore historical clarity. It asks what was interrupted when colonial rule arrived, what lessons were lost, and how Africa’s political inheritance continues to shape the present. To understand African leadership today, we must first understand the power that existed before it was displaced.