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Amat Levin

Black History Unveiled: From the Continent to the Diaspora is a podcast by Swedish-Gambian journalist and author Amat Levin. It focuses on the part of world history that has received shockingly little attention. The podcast highlights gripping historical events, fascinating places, and exciting people that have been conspicuous by their absence in our history books.

Some episodes are about things that happened hundreds, even thousands of years ago. Others take place more recently and touch on scenes many of us may have witnessed. The stories are inspiring, illuminating, startling, and sometimes upsetting.

By listening, you'll learn why Black history has traditionally been suppressed, why it's essential to change that, and what learning about it can teach us about today.

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Black History Unveiled

Season 2 of the Black History Unveiled podcast is here! And the first episode is about a Central African kingdom that dominated its region during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. This kingdom initially enjoyed a close relationship with Portugal, a relationship that eventually devolved into horrific scenes. This kingdom's fate had profound consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere. Today's episode is about the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Kongo.
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#9: The Rise & Fall of the Kingdom of Kongo

The conversation around Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance is in full swing. Every detail is being dissected, from his set list and relentless jabs at Drake to his vision for the future of hip-hop. Fans and critics alike are also trying to unpack the layers of symbolism woven into his set. 

One phrase, in particular, has sparked a wave of questions: "40 acres and a mule." What's its history, and why does it still resonate today? I break it down in today's episode.

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Minisode: Kendrick Lamar & The 40 Acres

The last main episode of Black History Unveiled explored the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Kongo—a powerful Central African state that met a devastating blow at the hands of the Portuguese in 1665. In the aftermath, Kongo not only lost its king but also saw much of its nobility captured, enslaved, and forcibly taken across the Atlantic.

Most of them vanished into the brutal anonymity of the transatlantic slave trade, their names erased from history. But not all. Some survived the passage of time. One such figure is Ganga Zumba.

Leading a daring escape, he and other fugitives from slavery carved out a stronghold deep in the jungles of Brazil.

This is the story of how enslaved Africans fought back, built their own nation, and came close to toppling the Portuguese colonial power.

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#10: Brazil’s Black Kingdom: How Enslaved Africans Created Their Own Nation

In today's episode of the Black History Unveiled podcast, I interview Cameroonian-Finnish choreographer and artistic director Sonya Lindfors. We spoke literally minutes after she had just directed and starred in her piece "One Drop." We talk about intersectionality, decolonization, audience reactions, how discussions on race and identity have evolved in the art space, plus much more. Enjoy!
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Interview: Sonya Lindfors on intersectionality, decolonization, and race in the art space

In today's episode of the Black History Unveiled podcast, I interview Rwandan-French author Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse about her book "All Your Children, Scattered". It is a novel about the aftereffects of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, told through three generations. 

Beata's latest book, "The Convoy", is about her own experiences of the genocide. She was only a teenager when it happened, and the book tells the story of how she escaped the killings and how she, as an adult, tries to piece together the accounts of other survivors. 

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Interview: Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse on the aftereffects of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda

Today's episode of the Black History Unveiled podcast is about one of pre-colonial Africa's most famous regents. A woman who, for several decades, resisted Portugal's attempt to conquer her country. A woman whose actions throughout history have been both demonized and glorified. 

Today's episode is about Njinga – the mother of Angola – and the woman who, in the 17th century, was prepared to do everything to avoid losing her country.

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#11: Njinga – The Mother of Angola

Black History Unveiled – Trailer

Welcome to Black History Unveiled, the new podcast where we spotlight pivotal moments, influential figures, and groundbreaking movements from Black History across the globe.

In this episode, I tell you a little about myself and what drove me to start this podcast. I also talk about how Black history, up until relatively recently, was considered insignificant and trivial. Until the 1960s, a typical Western view was that Black Africa was devoid of history. That's why that narrative is so important to change. 

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#0: Why Black history is important

After ordering the assassination of Thomas Sankara, his close friend and right-hand man Blaise Compaoré seized power in Burkina Faso. He ruled the country for 27 years before widespread protests forced him into exile in 2014. Two democratic elections followed as Burkina Faso was drawn deeper into the jihadist violence that has spread across the Sahel belt over the past decade.

In 2022, the country suffered two military coups. The latest brought the young and enigmatic Ibrahim Traoré to power. Since then, he has advocated for self-sufficiency, distanced himself from the old colonial power France, and fostered closer ties with Russia. 

Can Traoré finally defeat the militias? And if so, will he return power to the people?

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Minisode: Coups, violence in the Sahel & Burkina Faso's survival

Today's episode is about a place where some people believed valuable minerals grew in the ground and were picked as plants. An immense empire serving as a center of trade and religion, supplying Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East with much-coveted gold. 

But it was also a place that may have inspired Europeans to venture further out into the seas than ever before, with consequences no one could have imagined. This is the story of Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire.

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#2: The mighty Mali Empire & Mansa Musa – the richest man in history?

Before the podcast leaves Mali, I will address two allegations of plagiarism leveled at Disney. The first and weaker of the two claims is that Disney stole large parts of Mali's national epic, "The Epic of Sundiata," in creating the plot of the mega-hit "The Lion King."

The second is about one of the film's signature songs, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The original version was written in 1939 by a South African man named Solomon Linda, who was paid pennies for the recording and died destitute, while American renditions of his song brought in millions.

The episode also highlights the battle against Disney that Linda's daughters have been waging to access missing royalties and have Solomon Linda's name recognized as the original composer.

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Minisode: Did Disney steal from African traditions while creating "The Lion King"?

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