A King Children Should Learn About In School by Char Beaver

When I was a little girl, I was often told that Black people derive from kings and queens. I understood that my native land was not America; my native tongue is not English; my history did not begin with slavery. However, it was not until I was a senior in high school that I taught how royal Black people truly are. Before there was Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezo there was Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa is the wealthiest man in world history.

Mansa Musa inherited the Mali Empire, a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth. In fact, Europeans were in awe of the wealth and innovation that the Mali people were producing efficiently.

The Mali Empire was located in West Africa. Today, such encompassing areas are known as Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, and others. Musa’s reign spand from 1312-1337 C.E. Approximately 300 years later, the Trans-atlantic slave trade occurred in West Africa. In closing, children ages five and older should learn about such history. Mansa Musa and the Mali Empire defies narratives about Africans being uncivilized or ignorant. This history

reaffirms our excellence, grace, and creativity! Mansa Musa’s net-worth in modern-times is

equivalent to $400 billion!