Feb 8 - African Diaspora

County and City staff are invited to discuss and learn about African Diaspora

• Ask a question about the information that is shared on this page
• Share your geographical history of your ancestry and journey. Use the map feature to drop a pin where your ancestors are from or where they stopped in their journey to where we are now (link to map)
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Diaspora – The movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland.

There's more to African American history than most people think. People of African descent share a rich history of trade and culture before, during, and after the colonization era. Historical events that affected the entire continent of Africa include:

• Trade routes formed in prehistoric times that were used up until to the middle ages, including routes for gold, ivory, and salt.
• Hypothesized Bantu migration(s); Bantu people were ahead of their time in terms of language, technology, and toolmaking.
• Spread of Islam throughout the continent beginning in the 7^th century AD/CE (sholars estimate that, at least 15% of enslaved Africans brought to North America were Muslim).

Below are distinct narratives that illustrate diverse communities in Africa and across the African diaspora today.

Descendants of enslaved Africans in North America

The unique and eclectic communities of African Americans in the US have substantially contributed to North American culture and history. Between the 16^th Century and the 19^th Century, at least 388,000 enslaved African people from a wide variety of geo-ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds arrived in North America. Since then, descendants have become unified by common circumstances, close proximity, and a single, loosely defined identity.

Descendants of enslaved Africans in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Antilles.

At least 9,500,000 enslaved African people arrived in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Antilles Between the early 16^th Century and the late 19^th Century. That’s about 24 times the number of enslaved African people that were brought directly to North America.

Enslaved African people and their descendants greatly influenced the development of economic, political, cultural and ethnic identity in South American regions. Although integration has been different for different countries, many populations struggle with some of the same challenges that African-descended people experienced in North America.

Communities of African immigrants to the US and their descendants.

African people continue to immigrate to the US for a variety of reasons. Newcomers further enrich diverse communities of African-descended people. Minnesota is home to a growing number of newcomers from different African countries

In cities like Saint Paul, African people and their descendants from various countries including, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria have created sizeable communities. These families uniquely contribute to the cultural and socio-economic identity of different regions in the US.

Communities of continental Africans

Continental Africa is home to a wider variety of human genetic diversity than any other continent on Earth. From coastal urban cities like Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to oasis settlements like Terjit, Mauritania, there is so much to celebrate about the motherland of the African Diaspora and there are so many things that African descended people have brought across the globe in their journeys.

Check out the video(s) below to learn a little bit about different communities in Africa.