Why Africa's history is more than just the slave trade

What this episode covers

Has our focus on the impact of the transatlantic slave trade blinded us to the diversity and complexity of Africa's past? That's one of the arguments at the heart of Luke Pepera's new book Motherland, which spans 500,000 years of the continent's history. Luke speaks to Matt Elton about some of the stories that shine the spotlight back on African people. (Ad) Luke Pepera is the author of Motherland: A Journey through 500,000 Years of African Culture and Identity (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fmotherland%2Fluke-pepera%2F9781398707368. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of HistoryExtra podcast?

This episode is 38 minutes long.

When was this HistoryExtra podcast episode published?

This episode was published on March 24, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Has our focus on the impact of the transatlantic slave trade blinded us to the diversity and complexity of Africa's past? That's one of the arguments at the heart of Luke Pepera's new book Motherland, which spans 500,000 years of the continent's...

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