Members of the Creighton community gathered in the Skutt Ballroom for the fourth annual AfroForum, titled Perceptions of Africa. Hosted by the African Studies Program, the forum discussed science and technology in pre-colonial Africa.  

The event on March 27 began with a catered dinner followed by a keynote speech by the Rev. Andrew Ekpenyong, Ph.D, an associate professor of physics at Creighton. The event concluded with a panel discussion including Ekpenyong, Creighton economics, finance and African studies professor Tirimba Obanyo, Ph.D., Creighton cultural social studies and African studies professor Cynthia Schmidt, Ph.D., and Creighton theology and African studies professor Jay Carney, Ph.D. 

“[The] event today, I think, calls us to an intellectual engagement with the continent to see Africa [not] just as a place of charity, or a place of warfare, or a place to be forgotten or to be unknown, but a place of learning, a place of ancient science and technological advancement and a place that remains [a] vibrant heart and the fastest growing continent in the world,” Carney said in his opening remarks.  

The focus of the keynote presentation, according to Ekpenyong, was the decolonization of the mind.  

“My main aim is to use science and technology in pre-colonial Africa to decolonize myself,” Ekpenyong said regarding the common misconceptions about African culture and citizens. “…The colonization did not end with political independence.” 

Throughout his speech, Ekpenyong highlighted evidence supporting the existence of advanced technology and scientific discovery in pre-colonial Africa. The speech also included an interactive element, where audience members were given clickers to quiz their knowledge of these discoveries. This element further proved Ekpenyong’s point that many people do not know the true history of Africa.   

One of the historical discoveries Ekpenyong discussed was the nearly 20,000-year-old Ishango Bone, the oldest mathematical artifact known to date, which was discovered in southern Africa. Ekpenyong also spoke about the advanced metallurgy that took place in ancient Tanzania, where they used thermal physics to create furnaces that reached temperatures 200-400 degrees above those of the Romans. Another feat Ekpenyong mentioned was a Cesarean section recorded in Uganda in the late 1800s, which successfully used anesthesia and sterilizers.  

During the panel discussion, along with other topics, the panelists spoke about the reason for the misconceptions and misinformation regarding African history.  

“In my opinion, the factor that has contributed to persisting, denigrating opinions and perceptions of Africa tend to actually come from science, but actually from Pseudo-science, from science wrongly applied,” Ekpenyong said.  

To end the discussion, members of the audience shared their personal experiences to highlight Africa’s rich history.