As we explore Africa before colonialism one of the first observations must be about the enormous diversity of environments, life ways, ethnic groups, and languages that existed.
When I was in Senegal with a group of teachers I began a study of the Wolof language, spoken by the largest ethnic group in that country. Wolof is a branch of the Niger-Congo language family and the map shows the country of Senegal and the distribution of Wolof speakers.
According to Wikipedia the Wolof Empire was a medieval West African state from 1350 to 1890. Women played an important role in politics and society was divided into a variety of classes including blacksmiths, tailors, musicians, and griots. Leaders of the society were nominally muslim, but Islam didn't become the part of everyday life until the 19th century. There were various substates, ruled by families, classes of nobles, and warriors. The arrival of the Portugese led the rulers to move their capital to the coast, and the wealth produced by the Atlantic trade divided the kingdom, led to corruption and destruction, and control by the French, a pattern repeated across Africa.
The Wolof are a most hospitable people who will never eat in front of you without inviting you to share their food from a common bowl.
(In fact the English words "banana" and "yam" come from Wolof.) Rituals of greeting, shaking hands, and politeness are important. Naka nga def ? How are you? Maa ngi fii rekk. I am fine. Jërëjëf - Thank you. Like the Ibo they break kola nuts at times of ceremony, and as with many West Africans there is a great love of drumming and music -- Youssou N'Dour, perhaps the most famous musician in the world, is Wolof. While in Senegal I participated in many spontaneous drumming and dancing events in the community near my residence.Language in Senegal is highly political -- which languages are used and privileged by the state empowers some groups over others. Thus while Wolof is the most commonly spoken language, other language speakers resist Wolof as a national language. There are at least 36 indigenous languages in Senegal, in addition to Wolof some of the most important are Serer, Pulaar, Mandinka, and Jola. As a legacy of colonialism, schooling, public administration and communication are in French. While we struggle in America over the role of Spanish, imagine, if you can, the challenges for education, government, business in Senegal!
