The Scoop from the Snake-pit!!
Dessau MS Library Newsletter | February 2023
Welcome to the Mountaintop!
The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities.
When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca in 1324 C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. Arab writers from the time said that he travelled with an entourage of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of gold. While in Cairo, Mansa Musa met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his caravan spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years. Click here to continue learning about KING MANSA MUSA OF MALI.
QUESTION: Who Were Black People BEFORE Enslavement?
The Ancient Libraries of Timbuktu...
Timbuktu, also known as Tombouctou, is an ancient city located in present-day Mali, West Africa. It has a rich history dating back to the 5th century AD and it was a major center of trade, scholarship, and Islamic learning during the medieval period.
Timbuktu was founded as a small trading post by the Tuareg people and was later controlled by various empires such as the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire. It served as an important center of trade between West Africa and the Mediterranean, with goods such as gold, salt, and textiles being traded through the city.
In the 13th century (1200s), Timbuktu became an important center of Islamic scholarship and learning. Many scholars and students from across the Islamic world came to the city to study at its famous universities and madrasas. Timbuktu was home to many libraries, the most famous being the Sankore Madrasah which housed thousands of manuscripts on a wide range of subjects such as law, literature, history, and science.
Timbuktu was also a center of architecture, with many notable buildings and structures being built during this time, including the Djinguereber Mosque, the Sankore Mosque and the Sidi Yahya Mosque, which is considered one of the most beautiful in West Africa.
The city's golden age came to an end in the late 16th century with the arrival of the Moroccans and the decline of the trans-Saharan trade and Timbuktu lost its economic importance. Today, Timbuktu remains an important historical and cultural site, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
That was Black History THEN, but what's happening NOW in 2023??
Fannie Barrier Williams
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells (educator, journalist, civil rights activist | 1862-1931) An American investigative journalist, educator, and civil rights activist, Ida B. Wells was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Association for Colored Women. She also founded the Alpha Suffrage Club in Chicago to organize women in the city to elect candidates that would best serve the black community. Wells used her platform as a journalist to talk about the conditions of segregated schools in the south. She was the owner of two newspapers: The Memphis Free Speech and Headlight. Wells also worked on anti-lynching campaigns and called for President McKinley to make anti-lynching reforms. Click here to learn more about Ida B. Wells' impact in 2023.
Barbara Jordan
Word of the Month: Revere | 1st student w/5 uses of revere CORRECTLY in complete sentences WINS a comic book & poster!
Dr. Bernice A. King speaks on embracing the beloved community in her father's name.
Central Texas Teens & Kids Comic-con
Where: Round Rock High School 201 Deep Wood Drive Round Rock, TX 78681
How Much: FREE, click link to get tickets
Saturday, Feb 18, 2023, 09:00 PM
Round Rock High School, 201 Deep Wood Drive, Round Rock, TX 78681, USA
ANSWER: Everything that we are NOW we were THEN.
Dessau MS Library
Email: eboni.darnell@pfisd.net
Website: https://www.pfisd.net/domain/329
Location: 12900 Dessau Road, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 5125942600
Twitter: @AwakenLibrarian