Ep 5. The Atlantic Age | Hour Five

The Atlantic Age, the fifth episode of Africa's Great Civilizations, takes viewers on a journey through the historical impact of the Atlantic Ocean on the continent of Africa. This episode reflects how the trade between Africa, Europe, and the Americas prompted major cultural exchanges and transformations. The episode explores how the transatlantic slave trade affected African societies, and how African cultures were transplanted to the New World.

The episode begins by highlighting the importance of the Kingdom of Kongo as an essential player in the transatlantic trade. The Kongo Kingdom, which was situated along the Congo River, was a significant trading partner with Portugal and other European powers. The historians and experts dive deep into the history and legacy of the African continent's connections with Europe and the New World. They share information on how African societies such as the Hausa and Yoruba contributed to the cultural growth of Brazilian society, particularly with regards to religion and music.

The audience is presented with a detailed examination of the different belief systems and practices brought over by African slaves against the backdrop of the soc and political conditions that resulted from the Atlantic slave trade. The episode shifts its focus to the fascinating realm of the Oceanic culture's arrival in Africa, highlighting the way Europeans have transformed the continent's economies and societies.

The Atlantic Age also presents the poignant experience of the African Americans seeking to connect with their heritage through genetic and genealogical tests, detailing their search for identity and background while faces the legacy caused by forced migration. Meanwhile, the program shares how African diasporic communities in the Caribbean and America often have multicultural heritages adapting African traditions in the American society as they create new forms of African-American culture.

The show concludes by demonstrating how Africa has once again become a significant hub in the global trade. The episode features a critical discussion on Northern Africa's position in current maritime transportation, showcasing how a twenty-first-century, postcolonial Africa is looking back to the past while looking forward to the future to chart a new course in the world's economy.

The Atlantic Age offers viewers a broad understanding of African societies' histories and how they encountered the world outside. While simultaneously highlighting the slave trade's devastation on the continent, it demonstrates how the cultural connections forged during that particular time have created the African-American and Latin American communities' rich traditions. This episode offers an engaging and enlightening exploration of Africa's role in world history, past, present, and future.