Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III—Educator, Scholar, and Historian—our Timeline explores Ancient African History, beginning around 6,500 BC.
At the APEX Museum, we start our history long before slavery, countering the typical narrative found in American textbooks. African history is rich, spanning millennia before the transatlantic slave trade. Initially, people were taken for their skills in agriculture, mining, science, and engineering, not solely because of their skin color. Racism became more prominent around the 11th century, with European explorers influenced by the Catholic Church's doctrine that non-Europeans were less than human, justifying colonization and slavery.
As you explore this timeline, we invite you to take this journey with pride!