What Sub-Saharan Africa Really Means

/ risenafrica
Sub-Saharan Africa is a catchphrase that assumes some invisible border, which divides the North of Africa from the South. There are four possible meanings of “sub-“, it can mean “under,” “beneath,” and “below,” subordinate to or “inferior to”. Many have argued that Sub Saharan Africa has been used to refer to countries directly below the Sahara. If we indulge this logic, we can all agree that anywhere south of the desert is, geographically, “sub-Saharan”.
So what is sub-Saharan Africa exactly? The United Nations Development Program lists 46 of Africa’s 54 countries as sub-Saharan Africa excluding Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco co, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia. However, it does not take a genius to see that this does not make geographical sense, some countries included are on the actual Sahara.
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[@TIENxSHINHAN]

I always saw "sub Saharan Africa" as a politically correct way to say "the part of Africa where the black folks live at"

[@nouveauscripter1718]

Yeah, North Africa, and North East Africa are commonly grouped with the Middle East. MENA Middle East/North Africa is a cultural zone rather than a strictly geographical category. Honestly, if we were going strictly on geography Europe wouldn't count as a continent it would just be a peninsula of Asia like India.

[@arushanioshaka5600]

Indeed bro

[@arushanioshaka5600]

@@nouveauscripter1718 it should be considered a part of Asia

[@kOaMaster2]

​@@nouveauscripter1718 that's why the "strict geographical" continent is called eurasia. however in terms of further political, historic or geografical granularity, it makes sense to sometimes speak of "western europe", "eastern europe" or "scandinavia/nordics" as it might make sense to speak of sub-saharan africa, western africa, eastern africa or SADC

[@David-be7rv]

North Africa has black people to

[@bayyinahzhaxx7620]

It was meant as a racist description all along. They'll just replace it with another racist term.

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

@The Wolf Heart The know it all European so called scholars who invented 'race' see north Africa (especially ancient Egypt or Chem)as populated by west Asians. It's a code word for white.

[@yoboiboy4182]

@gringo it’s separate based on an arbitrary line tho. Like the vid points out, it’s a bit weird how this descriptor is only used for black Africans.

[@bayyinahzhaxx7620]

​@@yoboiboy4182 gringo?

[@toddsands6000]

It's a term deemed not to be offensive, but it most likely is. I've noticed in the USA when people take a blood test, if a person obviously is black or possibly looks black, that person will be asked a series of questions mostly from a white person whether the person has origins from sub-Saharan Africa or Haiti or even from Jamaica. If the person is white, that question doesn't exist even if a white person immigrated from south Africa since that person can state that their true ancestral origins are European even if their family ancestors dwelt in that region for centuries. Basically, if a person does not appear to look white, you will most likely be asked a series of perhaps uncomfortable questions when donating blood. I know genetics and other stuff play roles in blood types despite the fact that we all bleed red. We're all miserable when we break things down.

[@BarbarianKing2964]

Not everything is racist

[@taban6795]

I love your videos, you’re the only person I trust about African information the other educational KZbin channels look at Africa from a European perspective and paint Africa in poor taste. I’m glad to hear a fellow East African brother share knowledge!!! I’m south Sudanese by the way!! From your accent I’m guessing you’re either kenyan,Ugandan or Tanzanian, please correct me if I’m wrong I’d really like to know I’ve been watching you for years keep it up friend I just hope you know each video you make will change the world much love from your +211 sister

[@taban6795]

I just looked at your videos and saw your channel has only made videos for one year?? My what a year 2020 😂 nevertheless that means I’m been here from the beginning either way knowledge is currency my brother and you’ve paid me a lot ❤️‍🩹

[@t0n0k0]

He is Kenyan, I believe someone asked the same in one of the videos comment section and he answered. I like his in-depth research, 👌🏾 top notch.

[@OGrandomunknownperson]

@@taban6795 do you live in south sudan?

[@filhanislamictv8712]

Kenyan

[@zealandia5668]

He sounds like an Indian.

[@thinkbeforeyoutype7106]

As a Somali, I can easily tell you it’s an indirect racist colonial term when they use “SUB” to describe people who live central and southern part of Africa. I love history and I’ve also noticed minorities in America are not automatically given the title American since that term is reserved for white Europeans. Black Americans who’ve lived there hundreds of years are referred to as, “African Americans” but a European who just becomes a citizen is automatically identified as an American. Not to mention, the indigenous people are literally called, Native-Americans. It’s insane.

[@Frosybeats_FbM]

Applaud your honesty brother. Because I know of Somalian that think they different from other Africans from other countries!

[@cosmoray9750]

Good laugh 😁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqiaeIxrr6ubeqs

[@umojapress2857]

Your country is in the arab league and were involved in slave trade of people from tanzania and mozambique. Spare us your bs.

[@azakzaak1691]

@@umojapress2857 No, you are wrong. It is not true. The omanis were involved and brought them to Somalia and not by the Somalis self. Somalis were majority nomads and were not sedentary. As being member of arab league, it is strategic alliance out of ancient commercial and trade ties. Majority of african countries are aslo member of Franco speaking league or Common wealth league. Having allieance with other nations based on common interest is strategic.

[@thirdeffect]

Yeah it's a eurocentric caste system based on status in the United States more than complexion.

[@manfest]

Dear world, we strongly reject the word "sub-Saharan". Please refer to us as Greater Africa.

[@RisenAfrica]

I second this!

[@shambaramaay395]

It is the same way they refer, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea as horn African to separate them from other Africans.

[@thinkbeforeyoutype7106]

Exactly saxib! I can easily say it’s an indirect racist colonial term when they use “SUB” to describe people who live central and southern part of Africa. I love history and I’ve also noticed minorities in America are not automatically given the title American since that term is reserved for white Europeans. Black Americans who’ve lived there hundreds of years are referred to as, “African Americans” but a European who just becomes a citizen is automatically identified as an American. Not to mention, the indigenous people are literally called, Native-Americans. It’s insane.

[@m.a.k1853]

Your argument is based on what ? These countries are in the horn geographically and they have some connections like Indian subcontinent countries, it’s like calling EAC community is racist organization to separate non Kiswahili speaking countries.

[@shambaramaay395]

@@m.a.k1853The word horn is not a directional geographic, it is simply in a reference to a shape, which only the Somali map makes that shape none of the other countries. I never used the Indian subcontinent as I never refer anyone on that hemisphere as such, I simply call them Asian, to be more specific, I will call south Asian. EAC is not a term used internationally as to separate the Swahili speakers from the non-Swahili speakers. It is an economic development initiative to have trade agreement within those countries that are members of. Where as the word horn African are specifically used to refer people of the aforementioned countries. You don't have be naïve not to know the reason behind it.

[@shambaramaay395]

@@m.a.k1853 And beside you are not defined by the shape your map makes.

[@m.a.k1853]

Does referring these countries horn african , or calling south Asian countries as subcontinent change anything.?

[@mrcead]

I have never heard any black person refer to any part of Africa as sub Saharan Africa - especially when we already recognise 5 continental regions and the 6th region - the diaspora. Sub Saharan Africa is a term used by people who like to create as much conceptual distance as possible from where "black people live" and the civilisation where they live in a given conversation. Don't worry Risen Africa, you always do a brilliant presentation of the facts. We in the comments will say what you cannot

[@omarioussaidene4917]

BEcause subsaharan Africa IS where blacks live thé slaves of western europeans lol TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE YOU know??

[@joleshore4818]

Awesome post well explained

[@fabbeyonddadancer]

I think your mistaken here .

[@EbikeAdventures667]

@@fabbeyonddadancer I think you are brainwashed my Nigga.

[@ditocerto]

A lot of black people are using the term

[@kintoramessesiii9350]

The whole continent is Africa regardless of how "they" try to classify it 😒 😤.

[@HadouOfRivia]

I am algerian we north africans are more close to middle east and Europe I mean look at that massive desert between us. I never traveled south of algeirs I either travel east or west and I went one time to Tunisia

[@reyzx8143]

@@HadouOfRivia i agree but were still africans

[@IsmailKhan-fg9tj]

Nope. Your sub seharan. The superior part of africa is in the north where all the arabs and amazighs live. Peace ✌️

[@IsmailKhan-fg9tj]

@@HadouOfRivia thats why your handsome because your skin is glowing white and fair

[@wpower7435]

@@IsmailKhan-fg9tj You're weird like he said the whole continent is Africa regardless north or west of the landmass that's a solid fact stop being ignorant don't assume all Africans called themselves ''sub saharan African''

[@Alkebullan-prince1020]

Wow!!!! That's a mind boggling exposition of the neo colonialist mode of degrading African people. Thanks very much for this mind blowing content.

[@amosmunezero9958]

Absolutely shocking!!, as an academic, I am shocked!

[@thirdeffect]

It was designed to confuse us from each other, black code words from colonialism. There wasn't a barrier in Africa and Asia either, it was too break our unity from Colonialism. Salaam🇲🇦🇺🇸☪️ descendant of Moroccans, American born

[@thinkbeforeyoutype7106]

As a Somali, I can easily tell you it’s a indirect racist colonial term when they use “SUB” to describe people who live central and southern part of Africa. I love history and I’ve also noticed minorities in America are not automatically given the title American since that term is reserved for white Europeans. Black Americans who’ve lived there hundreds of years are referred to as, “African Americans” but a European who just becomes a citizen is automatically identified as an American. Not to mention, the indigenous people are literally called, Native-Americans. It’s insane.

[@thirdeffect]

@@thinkbeforeyoutype7106 none of it makes sense because our Land is occupied no different than Palestine and Afghanistan. American originally applies to the copper tone nations found here by Europeans and later was applied to Europeans after colonization of the Americas and now they make it as if they're the default American. Shukran for pointing that out. We have to heal our national heritage and identity from the inside out. ✌🏾💚☪️ America is a continent like Africa is a continent with many nationalities, and it doesn't belong to Europeans alone, etc.

[@thinkbeforeyoutype7106]

@@thirdeffect Exactly! Colonials in the 19th and 20th Century used dehumanizing and patronizing talking points such as “savages” and “we’re going to civilize them” in order to kill and take native indigenous lands and homes. Now, in the 21st Century these same colonizers are using the same concept (savage = terrorist) and “civilize them = bringing democracy) in order to kill and steal innocent civilians lands and rich resources in Palestine and around the world. I swear, Shaytan and his minions always use the same talking point concept with each new generation that comes after. “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana

[@romeoromeo9487]

As a Somali I’ve always thought that the term sub Saharan Africa was a not right and I’m glad you brought it up 👏🏾👏🏾 we should think twice be for we Africans use it that word

[@aan3]

@ Romeo, the Sub Saharan term has always rubbed me the wrong way especially the sub prefix. All the negatives that comes with adding sub to something. I know its done to separate North Africa from the rest of Africa and treat the Sahara as though its a massive barrier when it isn't and people live in the Sahara. I don't use it as I prefer the coordinal directions North, South and East West Africa. I don't see any other continent called Sub south Asia or the Arabian Peninsula called the Sub Arabian Peninsula.

[@zombieat]

@@aan3 before dromedary camels were domesticated 4,000 years ago no one lived in the sahara desert except by freshwater bodies that bound the sahara like the nile river to the east and lake chad to the south.

[@romeoromeo9487]

Aan B I definitely think the word sub is meant to degrade black Africa and make us feel lesser

[@dandan3521]

The "Sub-Sahara" terminology is designed by white people for one purpose... to denigrate the black race, PERIOD. The fact is that the term has a very racist and derogatory meaning, it is designed to differentiate the so called "non-black" nations from independent black nations. The fact they refused to call the Apartheid Regime nation of South Africa as a Sub-Sahara (even though the black population was more that 90%) that tells you their racist mentality, that somehow the Western white elites and their media/institutions think the White rule of Apartheid regime of South Africa is "too good and too superior" to be labeled with the derogatory word "Sub-Shara" Africa.

[@bigploppa154]

@@dandan3521 all due respect as an american student we absolutely do learn that south africa is “sub-saharan” and the root word sub means below (south of not less than). this is the same reason “sub-equatorial” is a term, its a common root in geography. i hate europe just as much as you do but you can find thousands of real examples of racist shit europeans have done you dont gotta reach hard on shit like this

[@mentalandfloss2550]

Great video and spot on! During Apartheid, there were three "Africas:" North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Africa. The division was racially motivated despite those that claim it was not. It's interesting to note that the continent's name comes from North Africa, so North Africans are just as African as their neighbors in Sub-Sahara. There are more than 3,000 different ethnic groups on the continent and they are ALL African regardless of skin color, hair textures, and other physical features. It's good to see that Africans are waking up and removing the racist barriers put in place by European Colonialism.

[@amilom007]

"North Africans are just as African as their neighbors in Sub-Sahara" North Africans are not Africans at all, Algeria or Tunisia are more similar to Jordan and Saudi Arabia than Nigeria and Congo

[@mentalandfloss2550]

@@amilom007 , You're correct that North Africans are similar to Middle Easterners in terms of ethnicity with exceptions such as the Amazighs (Berbers). But they're still African. "African" isn't a skin color or single ethnic/racial group. It's a multicultural identity (especially at present). Based on my experience, folks who ONLY associate Africa with being "Black" or with race are either from the West (corrupted by racist ideologies), never travelled around Africa, never been exposed to the diverse ethnicities on the continent, and/or simply haven't done any unbiased research on the continent. In fact, the name "Africa" comes from a territory in North Africa once controlled by the Roman Empire. It was King Massinissa (a Berber) who first made the statement, "Africa is for Africans" during his battle with the Romans. Africa is the MOST DIVERSE continent on the planet. Anyone who claims otherwise doesn't know anything about Africa.

[@amilom007]

​@@mentalandfloss2550 "multicultural identity"? "African" is not an identity at all, it a grouping base on tectonic sections of earth crust , Given 10 peoples from North Africa you will never know whom is from Tunisia and whom is from Morroco Given 10 peoples from "Sub-Saharan Africa" you will never know whom is from Senegal and whom is from Zimbabwe Sub-Saharan Africa is an identity, North Africa is an identity, Africa as a whole is not an identity , just the name of a section of earth crust

[@mentalandfloss2550]

@@amilom007 , We can agree to disagree. I've completed thousands of hours study on the continent, have been to a few African countries, have grown up around different African ethnic groups (including family members), and have close friends from each region of the continent. So my perspective comes from my direct experiences. You are free to have your own opinion.

[@lesegomabiletsa6458]

Back then when I was a child, I would question like, why all the bad things are not happening to us, since we are in Africa???

[@zilindogomes1767]

Its time for africa to write down its own narrative and distance ourselves from western ideas of our continent

[@GeographyNuts]

Could it be because there are already Central Africa and South Africa exist as countries, so Sub-Sahara. It could be racist but hiding in a polite terms.

[@MthokoMpofanaTV]

Why not Trans-Saharan Africa?

[@Mr.Nichan]

@@MthokoMpofanaTV To me, that sounds like it might include mean the Sahara and regions immediately both North and South of it, though, with eurocentrism* and more familiarity than I personally have with the use of "trans" to mean "beyond" (as in "Transjordan", "Trans-Neptunian", or "Transcaucasia") rather than "across", "Trans-Saharan Africa" would logically imply the region south of the Sahara. However, given that English has no good suffix for "south of", I think "sub" is definitely the most obvious English prefix to mean "south of" for people used to North always being up and South always being down on a map. *From an afrocentric perspective, it's the Meditarannean that's "transsaharan", just like how "the Middle East" would be "the Middle West" from a sinocentric perspective.

[@MthokoMpofanaTV]

@@Mr.Nichan Trans-Saharan Africa would be for the global perspective which is mainly based in the northern hemisphere i. e. Europe, North America, Russia & surrounds. Here in Africa, we refer to ourselves as Kwatu people.

[@johncorrall1739]

@@MthokoMpofanaTV No. That would imply that Africans have problems with gender.

[@moderatecanuck]

@@johncorrall1739 what?

[@sableindian]

I never use Sub Saharan. I have used the scenario of the United States being sub Tundra Canadian. I even change the term on my genealogy research to Central, S, SW, or SE Africa depending on the area discussed. I'm 71 years old. Sub Saharan has always been an insult to me and mine. Thank you for your observation. 💕

[@thinkbeforeyoutype7106]

Exactly! As a Somali, I can easily say it’s an indirect racist colonial term when they use “SUB” to describe people who live central and southern part of Africa. I love history and I’ve also noticed minorities in America are not automatically given the title American since that term is reserved for white Europeans. Black Americans who’ve lived there hundreds of years are referred to as, “African Americans” but a European who just becomes a citizen is automatically identified as an American. Not to mention, the indigenous people are literally called, Native-Americans. It’s insane.

[@epicspeed2405]

Thank you for being this up,I appreciate your truth

[@daz3350]

THANK YOU I'm a European I stopped using the colour code class system words as they all have thier route in slavery Similar but different subject I've struggled to rename the Sub Sahara for something else but came up wanting I try to identify people by country and tribes but had no word for the collective CENTRAL there it was right under my big nose (probably why I didn't see it) I'm a historion that is trying to use correct linguistics to describe people's and places So after reading your post I thought to thank you for enlightenung me So again I thank you selam

[@jamesspacer7994]

Sub Saharan is used simply to differentiate between the Africans who live north of the Sahara and the Africans that love south of the Sahara, because the ones from the south didn't build the pyramids.

[@ill2illest]

@@jamesspacer7994 😂😂😂😂Typical

[@Bailyinn]

It’s Africa! Stop calling it sub Saharan god damn it

[@Alichakkour39]

I really hate this colonizer term, ”sub saharan” is just a way to separate africans.

[@Mr.Nichan]

"Subsaharan Africa" is definitely a term for "Black Africa". I think it's going too far to say that the "sub" is trying to imply that "black" people are lower. People imagine that "black" Africans have some shared culture that can be grouped together, just like they imagine of "the Middle East" and "the West". That, I think, is why people use this term, though I have serious doubts about the legitimacy of all of these lables.

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

I agree w/you 100%. I see right through their European elitism.

[@Mr.Nichan]

@@rosalynbeatty8310 I'm not sure we agree as much as you think we do.

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

@@Mr.Nichan Why? Explain please.

[@Mr.Nichan]

@@rosalynbeatty8310 I may actually have slightly changed my position since I wrote that comment, in that recognizing the Sahara as a longstanding cultural border in Africa, perhaps stronger than the Mediterranean (especially in the west*) doesn't necessarily have to be ABOUT race, but a general racial difference is one of many things that has RESULTED from this very real barrier. (E.g., the Roman Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate took over the north coast of Africa, but not anything further South. Influences like these probably partially explain the lighter skin and lack of admixture from genetic groups South of the Sahara.) When I said it was definitely just a way of referring to black Africa, I was mostly saying that people group together various ideas about subsaharan Africa, including "blackness"** into a stereotype, and then fitting that stereotype becomes the criteria for including countries in the label "Subsaharan Africa". If that stereotype includes both "blackness" and poverty, people who thought of South Africa as a comparitively rich country of white people would want to exclude, despite geographic logic (kind of like how Greece somehow got labeled "Western Europe", simply because it wasn't communist and was part of NATO). Somalia and Sudan (among others) probably fit stereotypes about "subsaharan Africa" quite well, but they also fit stereotypes about "the Middle East" well enough that they are sometimes excluded from "Subsaharan Africa" for the purpose of being added to "the Middle East". Anyway, the reason why I'm not sure I agree with you is because I don't think these processes really require "European supremacism". Some of the stereotypes I think are actually at play involve negative ferlings about "Subsaharan Africa", but (in addition to the fact that you could just as easily be an East-Asia supremacist or a neutral Africa-hater or even an anti-imperialist blaming it on other people's hurting the region doing this) I can't think of a country whose general classification is driven by that. (In fact, the fact that no-one doubts that Botswana is "Subsaharan Africa" might imply that stereotype gets overruled. Also, if I remember the video, I didn't see Ethiopia being excluded from "Subsaharan Africa", which challenges the idea of shortness of written history being a factor.) Counting South Africa as "white" does under Apartheid might involve a distortion of perspective brought on by white supremacism, though (although imbalances in who foreigners encounter(ed) help to). *I think the Sahara is a very strong barrier in the West (as evidenced by the failure of Morocco to successfully occupy the Songhay Empire, and general difficulty unifying North and South West Africa until the French, whereas the Straight of Gibralter and mid-mediterranean were crossed by Phonecian/Carthagenian, Roman, Umayyad/Moorish, and Spanish Empires), although trade and ideas did cross it in ancient times (notably gold, salt, and Islam; however, agriculture and iron-working quite likely were independently invented in subsaharan West Africa and the region around the Fertile Crescent, though exchange is possible, and if agriculture especially developed independantly rather than spreading from Egypt, it testifies to how good a border the Sahara was, although in the case of iron there might just not have been enough time for it to spread whichever way it would spread). In the East, however, the Nile breaks through the Sahara, and also the Red Sea coast and Arabian Penisula connect the regions North and South of it. Thus, there has been much more influence between Egypt and the Fertile Crescent and Arabia and northern East Africa (not to mention that Indian Ocean trade connected more southerly East Africa to Arab and (other) Asian cultures some centuries before European's began sailing south of the Sahara). Like in the West, neither the Romans nor the early Arabs had much success south of Egypt, but they did try, and others had more success. Both ancient and more modern Egypt took over modern Sudan sometimes, and the Kushites of modern Sudan took over ancient Egypt. Ethiopian cultures like Axum were both closely connected to adjacent Arabia and known throughout large parts of Eurasia and North Africa in ancient times, and of course both Christianity and Islam spread to East Africa very early. I will note that the Afroasiatic language family probably originated either around modern Ethiopia (based on the distribution of language branches) or near modern Israel (based, I think, on genetic evidence) and spread both quite far South in East Africa with the Cushitic branch, and to southwest Asia and North Africa with the Semitic, Egyptian/Coptic, and Berber branches. However, the Sahara wasn't a desert during much of that time, and Chadic languages like Hausa also exist in West Africa, though they might have crossed west across the Sahel rather than south across the Sahara. **Obviously, dark skin is physically real, but it doesn't really signify anything beyond the genes specifically associated with that. Humans probably started out with dark skin and light skin is a more recent innovation that spread through populations in northern regions because it improves vitamin D production (I think) by blocking less sunlight, and sunlight is less of a threat when there's less of it and it passes through more air. Thus populations with vastly different generics and ancestry share the traight of relatively dark skin. Africa itself contains more genetic diversity than the rest if the world combined, and excluding people who aren't "black" doesn't change that, because "Khoisan", "Nilotic", and "West African" populations are different enough for this by themselves. In addition, despite claims by some some (at least sometimes historically revisionist) black nationalists/supremacists that the Austrailian-Aboriginal/Papuan/SEasianNegrito population and (at least sometimes) the Pacific Islanders (who are actually often rather different from each other in ancestry) are "African", these people have no more recent African ancestry than "white" Europeans (less, actually, I suspect), being descended from the earliest grop of "homo-sapiens" to leave Africa (as well as, like all non-Africans, some Neanderthal admixture, and, more uniquely, so-called "Denisovan" admixture, and, in the case of Micronesians and Polynesians, and like most Southeast Asians, a lot of admixture from a later "homo-sapien" group similar tho modern Chinese, etc, whose origin I'm not familiar with). Also, of course, every population everywhere is somewhat mixed, both in terms of different "races" coexisting and in terms of people's genetics being mixed, since race is actually a continuum, NOT a discrete set of races with a few "mixed-race" people in-between

[@Mr.Nichan]

@@rosalynbeatty8310 I guess part of what I really meant with my original comment is that people usually think of Subsaharan Africa as all "black", and that a desire to talk about countries of "black" people (for whatever reaon*) is probably the number one reason why people want to talk about "Subsaharan Africa", although wanting to keep Arab countries, few of which are South of the Sahara, together is another major reason to split North Africa off from the rest of Africa grand schemes to divide the world into parts. *It is interesting to note that I don't see black nationalists spliting the North off much, but I don't encounter their views about it that much (so maybe some do), and that can be explained by a desire to make "Africa" as big as possible and the tendency to use the words "Africa" and "African" and treat "Africa" as a united single unit. This also explains their desire to include Arabia as part of "Africa". The only logical way to do this in terms of physical geography and geology would be to include the fertile crescent also, which would keep the Arab world together (and probably still makes more sense than considering "Asia" a "continent" that doesn't include "Europe").

[@abyssiniank7153]

i found this very informative. the term was so confusing

[@2face60]

Why are black people afraid to call out racism?

[@Magistian]

I need to do an essay about this to Thursday, the differences between the north of the Africa and this, are you spying on me?

[@Magistian]

@Kazeshini Hijacker turns out the teacher didn't even care, so... At least I get bet informed, so it was good

[@Rishi123456789]

The term 'Sub-Saharan Africa' is a European colonial term that assumes the primacy of Saharan African nations (like Egypt, for example), while at the same time assuming the inferiority of so-called 'Sub-Saharan' African nations.

[@mohamedhommos7748]

No threats no hatreds and no racism, this is for North Africa Sub-Saharan Desert Africa and and African Republic with one all country our membership forever ❤️🌍

[@RisenAfrica]

Viva Africa! Cheers!

[@GRANDKIEF]

I’m really confused cause I’m black American’ am I sub Saharan black?

[@antsmith5956]

The term Sub-Saharan is (Eurocentric). It's main purpose is used to separate Africans from building the pyramid in Egypt. The name Egypt means "Black" & Egypt was known as Ancient Kement which means "Land of the Blacks." The Sahara wasn't always a desert & history proves it. No other desert uses the term "Sub" as a prefix because there's nothing to gain. Whites & Arabs simply want credit for building the pyramid despite all of the Egyptian artifacts are of Black people.

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

@The King Anubis All ancient north Africans were brown-black skinned. Ancient Egyptians claimed descent from south east Africans. 'In God's eyes there's no such thing as black or white.' -- BAHA'U'LLAH. notice 'I' said skin color not race. As race is a lie. It is a fabricated hierarchy based on differences of human features. U'd do well in looking to the creator as guidance in judging others. Rather then being consumed in stereotyping people based on their complexions.

[@jayclutch6533]

Kemet actually means “black land” which means the land itself was black, due to the flood from the Nile river. Just like another part in Egypt was called “ land of red” because it had red terrain😂 African Americans live in a false fantasy it’s comedy😂

[@abk6877]

@@jayclutch6533 who told you they are African Americans. Get real and stop the lies.

[@BanCommies_Fascists]

Sudan means Black not Egypt

[@antsmith5956]

@@BanCommies_Fascists Nope...Egypt is a Greek name which means Black.

[@ladysafari01]

In all my 50 years have never used the term Sub-Saharan but my suspicion has always been exactly as yours.

[@TRUTHTEACHER2007]

First of all Africans aren't black, they're different shades of brown from light to dark. Secondly, in every North African country you can find populations who are the exact same color as people living in the tropical zone of Africa.... So what is this black thing? Is there any such place in Africa called negro land? Is there any ethnic or cultural group called the blacks? No one ever called themselves these terms. The idea of blackness is a concept created by non Africans either from Europe or Asia. Oh and by the way, genetic studies have shown that the so called "Arab" North Africans are genetically linked with the rest of the continent both on the maternal and paternal lines, regardless of Asiatic or European migrations. They are rooted in an ancestry that never left the continent. So why are we still identifying ourselves through a colonial western sense that doesn't reflect the complexities of our reality?

[@dirtbikehussle61]

👏🏾👏🏾

[@Dob-G]

Brilliant, rich research as always!👏🏽👏🏽 I'll certainly see you next time!

[@marv-nt9166]

It has much to do with “race-mixing” aka miscegenation, and the eugenics notion that white is better. With northern Africa's proximity to southern Europe, there is the chance that the “races” will mix, thus having biracial offspring. To keep the notion of racial ethnocentrism and superiority of White intact, the offspring of this coupling is considered to be White. The Powers that be knew more race-mixing would occur with southern Europeans and Northern Africans, therefore the more phenotypically White the denizens will appear over time if it continues. The probability is that more southern Europeans will procreate with Northern Africans than with southern Africans. The Sahara desert is a great demarcator but also a great deterrent for those in the North and South to traverse nomadically and find potential mates.

[@JimmyJump4xweek]

I hate this term with a passion!

[@devrayne6770]

It's a racial term for sure. Not to mention the north African rock art depicts black africans inhabiting North Africa in predynastic Egypt when the Sahara desert was green 10,000 years ago.

[@zombieat]

you could tell race from rock art?? amazing!

[@devrayne6770]

@@zombieat Did you even see the art? It’s obvious, buddy. The thing is you can’t fathom the evidence of black Africans in North Africa because if you do then that means you don’t have sub sharan argument, which then leads to um,… Ancient Egypt.

[@zombieat]

@@devrayne6770 what a coincidence? all of the written languages of africa come from north or east africa only next to iberia, the levant and yemen. nothing from south or west of the sahara where no continents border.

[@devrayne6770]

Lol so I'm guessing you saw the rock art and agree that they are black africans and now you're jumping to another argument? Okay, so according to Diodorus Siculus, the writing(hieroglyphics) and culture of Egypt came from "Ethiopians" and that Egypt was a colony of Kush.

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

@@zombieat The confiscated west African ancient Ibo writing script hidden by the British.

[@svenmarkert6368]

Another very eye-opening video. Us Europeans have to constantly be reminded that we are not the ones who get to determine what is considered racist and what is not. If the people who are being referred to take offense to a term we use, it is racist. Simple as that. We have no right to question racism and downgrade it to being oversensitive. Once again, thank you so much for all your hard work! I hope that one day you reveal yourself and make a video in which you introduce yourself and explain what led you to making these amazing videos! I'd love to know who the mastermind is behind this channel.

[@st3019]

Neither do black Africans have the right to appropriate history and culture of North Africa which was ALWAYS related with Mediterranean world. Black Africans were NEVER native population in Mediterranean world nor beyond. If subsaharan Africa is insulting then they can use , black Africa or tropical Africa. Africa is a continent not a race or culture.

[@redemption8980]

Another important topic well presented. keep them coming.

[@barringtonwilsox]

This question always crossed my mind. I felt that it was a political term. Thank you for your critical analysis.

[@Frosybeats_FbM]

This guy knows what he talking for sure!

[@kiswahiliworldwide]

If East, West, Southern and Central Afrika must be mentioned as a block for some reason, I prefer Green Afrika, Tropical Afrika or Upper Afrika.

[@pritpala]

People should just be up front with their racism and say black Africa.

[@kiswahiliworldwide]

Great Video. However, I still disagree with the conclusion. "Sub-Sahara" isn't much better than "Sub-Saharan Africa." Sub means below, beneath, a smaller part, or a LESSOR part. As you mentioned in the video, nowhere else on Earth is the word Sub used to describe such a large area. It is code for Black Afrika as you suggested. Sub-Saharan Afrika = Black Afrika = Lessor Afrika. There is only 1 Afrika. Period. Geographical regions as you have stated correctly are North(ern), South(ern), East(ern), West(ern) and maybe Central. That is all.

[@hermajesty2165]

They thought they were sleek huh? they should have investigated about risen Africa .. this channel is leaving no stone unturned!!

[@r.austin3323]

The term is unquestionably " colonialist", and by extension colorist, racist, and divisive. It's a term widely used to re-write history and first appeared in the late 70's. It most certainly should be rejected and banned.

[@deeqahmed2291]

You have proven your case concisely my friend 👏 👏

[@philipbanda6637]

There's only one AFRICA (West. East, North and South ) .

[@kOaMaster2]

how does your statement make sense?

[@kofisam9650]

How about central africa?

[@daviroza4700]

@@kofisam9650yup 😂😅

[@thomasamiegeorge3373]

Thank you brother ,this is very educative and important for African to know that we are tall and to make us unit so that Africa will be a better place.

[@karlos_infamous]

thank you so much for this detailed explanation. yes, the term "Sub-Saharan African" was invented by westerners as an umbrella term for ethnic groups in Africa who have "black" skin. I have a black South African contact who explained this to me and made me realize that the term "Sub-Saharan African" doesn't really make sense. But in the United States' definition, "African" automatically means the black peoples of Africa, completely ignoring the North Africans (Tunisians, Moroccans, Algerians and Egyptians). Because of that realization, I no longer use the terms "Sub-Saharan African" and "African American". For the Africans, I refer to them as their actual ethnic group while for the black people in America, I call them "black Americans".

[@user-bo6bg4jt5p]

It is questionable who enforce the man to use the sub sahara. Don't worry most of a people don't use it generally. 🌻

[@isoryte201]

Thanks bro. We learn everyday. I am an African and I use the term Sub-Saharan Africa whenever am describing Africa south of the Sahara. And generally speaking, it's a correct expression, but the fact that those who think the own the world play politics with the list of countries indicate hidden motives and racist tendencies. Hence the term should be retired. Africa is well demarcated into North, East, West, Central and Southern Africa. There is also the Maghreb, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel. There's no shortage of racist-proof names for use to describe any part of Africa.

[@Mivule1]

Webale nnyo mwana waffe! thank you so much brother! Asante sana ndugu! Mercie boucoup!

[@indayamulembe]

Webale muno mwana wefwe --how we say it in luyia language of western Kenya.

[@AnatoliyOsadchiy]

I have no clue how you channel appeared in my suggestions but I like the quality of the content. Cheers from Sub Saharan Europe.. Ukraine

[@ianwanjohi7350]

Hey man, I really like your stuff. I appreciate so much that there is someone like you out there.

[@dietrichfallin4777]

Our Messiah And King Of All King's Is Yaohushua And Dark Skin. Esua Has The Whole World's Messed Up.

[@AfrikanLifestyle]

You mentioned everything is not racist but this certainly is.

[@Xtreamz1992]

You work is incomplete. Sahara is a term that originates from Arabic and means "Desert" , so in Arabic you generally use the word Sahara+ the geographic location to call any desert in the planet; exemple the "mongolian Sahara "( الصحراء المنغولية). so like for all the deserts the "Arabe" have to specify the location, since there is not only one sahara. the english, french and other colonisateur that came to africa gave the world "Sahara" a geolocalisation meaning that led to many confusion, however they kept using the same way to specify the region like the Arabe, "Subsaharan africa" that mean the "region in the south of the desert of africa". this added just more confusion. not everything can be explained with Racism // peace.

[@t0n0k0]

6:24 where is that at or from? I would like to follow up on my own, it looks like a great story to learn.

[@swansonfamilyfarm6833]

Great video. Thank you for sharing it. I came here after a discussion at work. I was looking for a non confrontational way to explain the subject of the video to my co workers.

[@sipp5657]

I HATE how they use "sub-saharan" just for black people and for lighter and more Arabic it's "Saharan" Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso are IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SAHARA yet they call them "sub-saharan" just because they have alot of black people in them.☹️☹️☹️it's disgusting and racist.

[@Feyria]

I always wondered this as well. What if northern Europeans refereed to Italians as sub-alpine europeans.

[@callistusopara3804]

Thank you 🙏

[@yuan713]

To separate African people from the connection to the north. An solidify the colonizers white North African position.

[@moncef9778]

North afrika not black

[@lero_]

The black Africans are the remaining of raping and slavery by Europeans so they re Europeans

[@curtisthomas2670]

The term was mainly created and used to separate the majority of Africa from the glorious African Egyptian civilization by positing that the Sahara was an impenetrable barrier that prevented the "stereotypical black African phenotype" aka "Bantu type" from migrating north and contributing to the civilisations of the north of the continent, whilst ignoring that the north was populated by people from lower even before the Sahara became a desert and consistently reached by the same peoples after.

[@kaderdao1335]

You are right. every time I go on a debate about ancient Egypt I always get the term Sub-Saharan Africans. And it gets so ridicule to point that call Kushites Sub-Saharan Africans 🤣🤣 ignoring the real English meaning of the term which is just a geographical location in Africa not a racial group of people .this is how desperate they are. Not do they forgot that the Sahara desert dint stop the Nile river to flow from Sub-Saharan Africa to North Sahara Africa. And it is well written by the ancient Egyptians themselves that they walked along the Nile River from the South to the north 🤣

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

The 'idiots' try to "pull' their theories that it must have taken pale people from far off the African continent to have developed Egypt. They will list --- west Asians', central Asian 'caucasions, mid easterners or light/tanned Levantines as Egypt's ancestors. When 'they' see their arguments go no where-- then 'they' argue that so called black people were a recent subrace. Such misguided attempts. When 'we' know that ancient populations of north Africa, the mideast, & the Levantine Mediterranean areas started off w/ brown-black people. Worse still, is when they bring up 👽👽👽👽👽👽

[@eastsidemuu]

Yup, in a nutsgell

[@eastsidemuu]

@@kaderdao1335 another thing that makes me laugh when I here people say "oh the desert was so hard to cross Africans did not cross it" But yet Arabs/Natives Americans/ Mongols/persians were able to cross it but for some reason Africans were to scared give me a break 🤣

[@st3019]

For those who are watching this video! The term” subsaharan Africa “ today has absolutely nothing to do with the history of racism towards black Africans. It’s just a GEOGRAPHICAL term , just like Indian subcontinent. Europe herself is a subcontinent , is part of Eurasia. Nobody gets offended by that name . Black Africans hate the term subsaharan Africa not Bc it’s racist but Bc it destroys their false claims on ancient Egyptians and other civilizations of Mediterranean world . North Africa was racially and culturally ALWAYS related with Mediterranean world. Black Africans were NEVER part of that world. If subsaharan Africa is an offensive term, then black peoples can change it into tropical Africa or any other name they want to put . But Africa is a continent not a race or culture. GEOGRAPHY DOES NOT EQUALS RACE OR CULTURE!

[@johnmonteiro5825]

Great comment. Well explained

[@box5319]

This afternoon I asked a friend of mine about what our ancestors did as a black people to deserve all these hate.the fella was a Christian and told me how Ham was cursed in the bible and turned black.even the blonde Jesus was racist against us,at least according to his book the bible.. I still raise my question again here. Why are we hated so much across the globe by people of other race? What have we done to deserve this?

[@MyGragg]

Look up the moors they conquered most of Europe between 700s and 1492 that’s why they hate us

[@Alkebullan-prince1020]

An age old ploy to keep Africans divided in order to emasculate and exploit our natural resources and to destroy the history of our past existence.

[@box5319]

@Enchanted Ambience potent piece.I agree

[@shrekwithawillsmithface465]

@@MyGragg Can you stop stealing my history lol?

[@preacaininternational5637]

I have never liked the word myself, nor the way some people in the news media use that "Sub Saharan" phrase i never understood because it means nothing it's ridiculous for them to keep using it!

[@diriyeabdirazaq4867]

I am somali, and we are part subsaharan africa, I am Proud to be African!

[@omarioussaidene4917]

It IS a term used by thé british french and portuguese and spanish and especially GERMANS BECAUDE OF THE SLAVERY IF THE BLACKS TOBBRING COTTON ZND SUGAR CANE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

[@matthewmann8969]

When most people think of "Sub Saharan" Africans they usually think of Niger Congo As And Niger Congo Bs they do not often think about Nilotics, Cushites, Omotics, Khois, Sans, Pygmies, Austronesians, Malagasys, Hadzas, And Xhosas as much yeah

[@supermpaleofan1555]

I always thought of sub Saharan Africa as a term to distinguish Arab part from everything else. Cause well there is a cultural connection but in discussion it’s better to divide for more understanding

[@eyeje19]

That is why Re-Education is Crucial for Understanding, Unity, and Progress

[@kekagiso]

Very well formed arguments

[@wernerheil6697]

EXCELLENT VIDEO !!! This is a VERY important topic to untangle.

[@2naija]

Never liked the term as it implies so many things which are negative to current Sub Saharan countries. First it reminds me racial bias and of what Sub Sahara lost due to desertification of the Sahara. There is also what they are implying by it, that they have claimed it for themselves , the European or middle eastern peoples, even if most of the north African countries have darker Africans living in the southern regions.

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

Hello racially North Africans are not the same race sub-Saharan if you look at the native people it's even Niger or Molly they are berber. Which is Caucasian technically not black. But mostly black people inhabit those places so basically they have mostly immigrant populations. If you are from the natives of those countries then your Caucasian

[@2naija]

@@divestedkonservativekarame4269 Berbers are basically recent arrivals from outside Africa. Also the north Africans in the Nubia and Upper Egypt are not Berbers, they were Nubians. This is not a mystery and the Egyptian stated it clearly. The Egyptians stated the Libyans clearly as different from them. So sorry, Egyptians were not berbers and berbers are relatively recent Arrivals to the continent, about ten thousand years ago. Before that all that areas was sub saharans and Nubians

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

@@2naija genetic testing has actually shown that the natives of Egypt have a relation with the berber. That was kind of obvious though. No as far as the berber. They were the original people of Mali Niger Algeria Libya Tunisia Morocco Mauritania and west sahara. No the sub-Saharan people are not native to those places you guys are immigrants. So when you get those countries as your native countries that means you have Berber in you. The Sahara desert includes everything all the way up down to Northern nigeria. Which means that the berber who are native to the Sahara kind of go all that area but not Northern Nigeria obviously is I think Northern Nigeria is kind of like the point where they have the in-between thing and then they go all the way down to Southern Nigeria Southern Nigeria is just you know very Igbo Yoruba a very Western central Africa I guess you could say no Niger and Mali obviously have majority sub-Saharan African populations. And you can also see that Mali itself most of Mali is not inhabited by most of its people it's only inhabited in the southern portion but if you're mapped shows the northern region and you should probably ignore the southern region. Niger basically is covered by the Sahara so that's why the native people of Niger end of story is generally the bird. Now with that all in mine they're still going to be people in Niger for the most part that are of the immigrant population and it does seem like a lot of the population that is similar to its native people are very mixed so this is why you don't see Niger on a DNA test too because they have too many people there that they're native people where their native people it's almost like native Americans in America it seems like native Americans in America aren't really native they're mixed you know but we did have a native people so when you get native America don't expect it to mean why American or black American obviously even though it's that's the majority of what America is. You would think it would be native American but that thing is what is a native American so then you wouldn't test native American from American native Americans cuz they're too mix you know. It would make more sense to test native Americans down south and not really go off the native americans. That's I think what's going on with Niger that's why you don't see them as a DNA result because they are you know they're native people aren't really there like you see they'll talk about their native people and they'll talk about their two poo their house and their no they're Fulani and they're who was the other one I think it's they talk about hasa and they all talked about I think Tuareg?if you look at the tomorrow there there are so mix. Like they don't really look to work anymore they don't look Berber anymore. But if you look at the natives of Niger it was originally berbers the original tuaregs

[@2naija]

@@divestedkonservativekarame4269 Wow, that was a lot of incoherent writing, sorry. Think you are trying to say, Berbers are native to the Saharan desert region. What you failed to realise is that Sahara was once green like Nigeria, guess which population is more adapted to living in wetter climate, definitely NOT Berbers. If you check West Africa today, you will find over 1000 languages. The reason for this is because of migration down from the Sahara region. So the Berbers may or may not be native to somewhere in North Africa but I can assure you they were not a majority. They barely are adapted to the region because most of them have light skin now. The current population of North Africa are basically immigrants from Europe and middleeast. There are many stories in the bible and history book showing continuous immigration from outside Africa. Funny you used native Americans as an example. The same analogy applies to North Africa. The people there today did NOT evolve there with such light skin. The would die of radiation diseases. Also you seem to forget the Sub Saharan Africans created the population that in turn created the Berbers. Egyptians clearing depicted themselves are difference from Berbers. Egyptians were far more related to Nubians that Libyan. That is clear from the belief systems, writing and religion.

[@divestedkonservativekarame4269]

@@2naija you seem very ignorant. Because the native people of Niger valley and Southern Algeria or tuaregs. Which were the original berbers

[@antonynjoroge7341]

wow!! That's a well researched thought..Good job👏

[@soso-ry5if]

I'm north African and I use the terms "subsahara/subsaharans" for countries where people are black. I don't see something racist. We have different culture, people are different, we are totally different.

[@thirdeffect]

Salaam. Niger Kordofanian would refer to people as a more correct terminology. I'm Afroasiatic/Niger Kordofanian in my family and there's no barriers from us North Africans/South Africans or between Asia. Colonialism made these mental borders to cut our unity 💚🇺🇸🇲🇦

[@soso-ry5if]

@@thirdeffect salam. The Sahara desert is a barrier between north Africa and subsaharan Africa unlike between North Africa and Asia.

[@DictumMeumPactum]

Sub-Saharan does not refer to you or the region you come from. Those directly affected by the terminology perceive it negatively and express the desire to move away from it. Allow those affected to dictate their preferences and bury your presumptuousness.

[@soso-ry5if]

@@DictumMeumPactum there is nothing negative. We say Indian subcontinent or subarctic either.

[@CM-hf5ji]

you forgot we have black ppl in our countries too right?

[@Kemit10]

That is what happening when others define the concepts we use, me must reset all and redifine the way we think, in strict relation with our own paradigm.

[@marcusbrown307]

It’s always confusing. At the very bottom line it’s racism. Take for instance Algeria and Morocco. There are PLENTY of dark skinned people in these countries with varying ethnic diversity. When people speak of North Africa they don’t immediately think of those people because those people aren’t advertised in those countries when shown on television, but they’re there. Moreover, not all the people in those countries consider the dark skin people in their country to be truly North African. If you ask a North Africa of the coastal cities of those countries what they feel and think of those further to the south in the same country near and in the Sahara they may or may not say it but they consider themselves white and the others black African or sub Saharan while not being geopolitically considered sub Saharan. The term is racist.

[@thirdeffect]

🇲🇦🇺🇸👳🏾‍♂️🧕🏾✌🏾 nature knows no color line. White/black/red/yellow is status, not complexion, which is why I don't use those terms or yellow people. My complexion is brown🟤, but that doesn't determine my cultural heritage and nationality. I'm the descendant of Moroccans and born in America, Moorish by blood, American by birth. Peace Salaam

[@HadouOfRivia]

There are 50 m living in algeria (3 m black 2.5 algerian blacks others are immegrants) and the rest are 46 m white algerians (arab looking too) and a lot of middle easterns immegrants too especially syria and Palestine immegrants

[@IsmailKhan-fg9tj]

@@thirdeffect ew your black your not arab or a real north african

[@samdm2140]

@@HadouOfRivia it's even less then 1 million if we took out the immigrants.

[@sincityquinn]

Using Sub Saharan Africa would be like calling every country below Canada Central America. It makes no sense. And “sub-Saharan” African have lived in North Africa for literally tens of thousands of years.

[@RisenAfrica]

Completely agreed!

[@jayclutch6533]

Bro don’t act a fool brother. North Africa is NOT black. It’s a reality , just like sub Saharan Africa is NOT arab or amazigh. Amazighs are not black, there is some amazigh tribes who are darker skinned due to mixture with sub Saharan Africans in the south of North Africa, but that’s really it, large minority. There is no concrete evidence outside of Afrocentrism that indicates amazigh people are not native to Africa, they are native to NORTH Africa not sub Saharan Africa. Therefore that’s why sub Saharan Africa was a term made to distinguish black Africa with North Africa. I know this is a tough pill to swallow because African Americans are obsessed with amazigh arab/ North African culture such as the moors and ancient Egypt, but accept reality bro, the sky is blue not green. There’s a reason us amazighs/arabs don’t claim sub Saharan Africa and some black people try to claim our history lol. 😂

[@sincityquinn]

@@jayclutch6533 African’s lived in North Africa before any other people. Well before. If it wasn’t for African’s migrating out of Africa, YOU wouldn’t be here today. Now we KNOW this happened and you’re still attempting to try and say that African’s never lived in the region? North Africa looks the way that it does today because of countless invasions. Starting with the Persians in 525 B.C. After the Persian’s invaded Egypt, the last true Pharaoh of “Egypt” was Nectanebo II. He and the majority of his followers left Egypt and went to Nubia and the surrounding regions of Africa. Look it up. Both the Nubian’s and the original Egyptian’s are very clear about where Egyptians originated from. The Egyptians themselves stated that they came from the north. And in Nubian text they are clear that Kemet (Egypt) began as a colony of Kush (Nubia). Furthermore, Sonia Ruth Zakrzewski (archeologist) of the University of Cambridge conducted research to find out the origins of Egypt. And she discovered that Egypt was developed by natives in the land who had been there for quite some time. They named them the Badarian’s. They were African or “black”. Her research was backed up by several westerner archeologist including Eugen Strouhal, S.O.Y Keita (Howard University). Look it up. The Badarian’s lived in Northern Africa before Sumer and Mesopotamia existed. So we know that African’s had lived in North Africa since, at least, the time when humans began migrating out of Africa. And we know when Africans began to leave the region. Starting in 525 BC several civilizations invaded and ruled Egypt including Persia, Rome, and Greece. Nubia even reclaimed Egypt for a period during the 25th Dynasty to restore the culture that the invaders appropriated and claimed for themselves. Look it up. North Africa looks like it does now because of the Ottoman Empire. Saying North Africa always looked like it does now is like saying the America’s always looked like they do now. It’s stupid and such a statement shows that they one who delivered it doesn’t know shit about history. With all of the invasions of North Africa, it would not be possible for them to have always looked like they do now. Central and South America is another example of this and they were only invaded once. Now imagine what South Americans would look like today if they were invaded nearly a dozen times (like North Africa) compared to the natives who lived there before Europeans arrived. So knowing all of that information imagine how much of an idiot you look like to someone who actually knows and understands history? I’ll give you a hint at the end. As far as the Moor’s, they were predominantly African. Now does that mean that they all were black? No. But they mostly were. They spoke Arabic and were Muslim. When they invaded Southern Europe in the 700’s they dominated the region for nearly 800 years until around the late 1400’s. But we know they were predominantly black because not only did they say they were, others did. The term Moor is a shortened version of blakamoor. It translates roughly to having dark skin. But due to the Moor’s being tolerant of other religions and ethnicities like the Jews, Christian’s and other Muslim groups, they mated with them. And their off spring proves that. The character Black Pete of Dutch and Portuguese fame was based on a Moor. Go look up what he looks like. Even in the text that had nothing to do with the Moor’s like Shakespeare, when they refer to Moor’s they are clear about who they are speaking about and what they look like. I have linked a short documentary below. And before you come with that Eurocentric or Arabcentric nonsense, know that the documentary was done by Europeans. So to wrap it up, African’s have always lived in North Africa. While they do not dominate the region any longer, for much of human history, outside of the last 600 years, they did. And we know this because of Homo sapiens migration out of Africa. We know this because the original Egyptians were black. Not to mention the Nubians who still reside in North Africa. And we also know this because of the Moors and cities like Timbuktu. The expansion of the Saharan Desert over the last few thousand years also played a role in the divide between the regions. Native American’s no longer inhabit Manhattan. Imagine what kind of fool you would have to be to assume they were never there in the region because they aren’t there now.

[@abk6877]

@@jayclutch6533 I was expecting a final response from you to Sin City Quinn. Why did you run away?

[@Mr.Nichan]

I still think it's important to realize that "Africa" is also a strange grouping, politically and culturally. It makes a lot of sense in terms of physical geography, but not so much beyond that, just like Eurasia. ("Asia" is an incredibly stupid grouping, both physically and culturally. It's basically just all of Eurasia except "Europe", which itself is not much better of a grouping than "Subsaharan Africa", but is at least a better grouping "Asia".)

[@frankwuttson2253]

thank you for the video! very enlightening

[@ethanmolinar1422]

The term isn't racist. The reality is that the Sahara desert is far more of a barrier to humans than the Mediterranean sea. Especially historically. Northern Africa historically had more contact with southern European peoples than they did with sub-saharan peoples for precisely that reason. There have been several empires on both continents, but no empires have crossed the Sahara, other than with the exception of the Eastern coast and following the Nile, hence why Somalia/Sudan are sometimes not considered sub-saharan. It's a cultural thing that has been informed by geography and history.

[@ethanmolinar1422]

@@hermajesty2165 Your comment is almost entirely unrelated to mine. You're right that Arabs kept slaves, so have Africans. Arabs also kept "white" slaves. The root of the word slave is slav, or someone of slavic descent. I.e. a European. None of this has to do with Geography or Geopolitics, which is what this video is about! Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographic term used because it usefully signifies a region of the world where peoples and cultures have developed distinctly from other areas. A comparable term would be the Indian subcontinent, where the Himalayas and dense jungles created a similar situation.

[@masjm7278]

You are not African !! and You do not Know our History !!Okay, try to Learn about Mansa Musa and Mali kingdom

[@ethanmolinar1422]

@@hermajesty2165 I don't dispute that some Arabs are racist, it just isn't relevant to the conversation... They didn't create a boundary, The Sahara desert has been in Africa for centuries longer than Arabs, and the divisions between North and South Africa existed then as well. Look at the history in the Roman period if you'd like. Honestly the level of historical ignorance in this video is mind boggling! It treats the subject as if this division starts with Colonialism. This division has existed as long as the Sahara, which is basically all of recorded history.

[@ethanmolinar1422]

@@masjm7278 A quick look at the boundaries of the Mali kingdom makes my point for me... I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. It is a sub-Saharan empire. My point is that empires never controlled both sides of the Sahara, for obvious reasons.

[@hermajesty2165]

@@ethanmolinar1422 there's a kalahari desert in South Africa I don't hear sub kalahari Africa.. this sub sahara term is most definitely racist

[@boho82]

And Ancient Egyptians came from 'Sub-Saharan' Africa😅😅 While they are trying to divide Africa! Only outsiders do that! Africans are Africans

[@skylabx2000]

The fact that they use the term "sub" denotes negativity and under development as they don't apply that term in any other region outside of Africa. We continue to use these negative terms as if fixed for life is what concerns me, we have the power to redefine anything withing our reality so why don't we. There is no coastal region of the African continent where I'm not looking out across either an African ocean or an African sea, yet you could be standing at the Cape of good hope and they will look you dead in the face and tell you this is where the Indian and the Atlantic oceans meet? How dare they, its the African ocean plain and simple.

[@oceejekwam6829]

sub-Saharan Africa generally have lower human development indicators and lower GDPs. To date this hasn't been reversed by the nation's south of the Sahara.

[@elainerekopantswe2933]

​@@oceejekwam6829I think you're off topic and stating irrelevant points to what's being discussed, in other words that's just another way of saying wrong forum. Byieeeee😂😊😅

[@setumomahakoe7791]

This channel is really needed repeatedly .. thank you very much !! Make africa Great AFCTA

[@zombieat]

no. its because most of north africans lives North of the sahara and most of sub saharans live South of the sahara, the Biggest geographic feature on land.

[@justonetime6179]

What do you call people on the sahara desert? Like people from Morocco, Niger, Sudan or Chad?

[@zombieat]

@@justonetime6179 most of the populations of Niger, Sudan and Chad live south of the Sahara desert while most of Morocco's population live north of it.

[@memarks]

I'm not African, but Afro-Caribbean. I always hated the term. I suppose those South Africans who consider themselves a cut above the rest of Africa, will take comfort in refering to a Sub-Saharan Super-South Africa Africa.

[@younge252]

I dont know why u think somalis arent afrikans i wont use the word "black" because we have nationality and backrounds/tribe we should never identify ourselves as "blacks"

[@mohamedwaititi6192]

I’m from Iraq 🇮🇶 and Somalia are Arabs please come to iraq 🇮🇶

[@africanqueen230]

@@mohamedwaititi6192 Huh? How are we arabs of we are not semetic and dnt have dna J1?

[@mohamedwaititi6192]

@@africanqueen230 Arab league 👀 🤭🙂

[@mohamedwaititi6192]

@@africanqueen230 Somalia speak Arabic

[@africanqueen230]

@@mohamedwaititi6192 We speak first somali ,Somali is our mother language. Arabic is only for quran.

[@theonly6359]

Wow 😯 so during apartheid era we 🇿🇦were not part of Sub Sahara.😯 what a racist mess. So Somali 🇸🇴 is not Sub Saharan while Eritrea 🇪🇷 is?? Who exactly decides these nonsense chess ♟ moves for us??

[@rockrabbit253]

Some folk will find negative connotations in anything. The other 99% just see it as south of the Sahara. The desert is a huge barrier and it resulted in major cultural and historical differences between the regions either side of the desert. There is nothing sinister in saying this. Geographical barriers are a major cause of cultural differences all over the world. We also use terms like Southern Africa (think SADC) , East Africa , North Africa , West Africa. They are just words used to loosely define various regions.

[@andrewstaples7544]

I'll use the correct regional term like north africa , south africa , East Africa , Central Africa and West africa

[@rehurekj]

Eurasia is cut in two- Asia and Europe cos they are different from each other- ethnically, racially, culturally, historically, just like for most part geographically( Europe could be considered as somewhat separate peninsula of Asia). its not so different form African situation with clearly different history, ethnical situation, foreign contacts etc between clearly geographically separated Subsaharan Africa and Mediterranean facing North Africa. Sahara was for most of history just as impassable barrier as oceans so for it separating one geographical mass into two subcontinental regions( like Himalayas separate Indian subcontinent from rest of Asia) makes sense. But I guess its more important nowadays to blaming colonialism and finding racism in everything rather than concentrate on actual problems of the continent like epidemic corruption among African politicians...

[@jaybee4577]

Can you please tell me how calling out Racism, bad effects of colonialism and economic exploitation is bad? We call out our leaders, racist Europeans and exploitive corporations all the time. This video is talking about a particular word used to describe a specific group of people and a fake ( Divide and conquer geography). All of Africa is AFRICA. There shouldn’t be any Separation just because of what a delusional specific group of people think the world should be. If you are butt hurt by this video, you might as well LEAVE.

[@rosalynbeatty8310]

@@jaybee4577 Thank u!!!

[@eastsidemuu]

That's a lie. EGYPT was once & had the same people as the "Sub-Saharan " one they are the same people they mixed later with invasion

[@dietrichfallin4777]

We All Some Kin. My Blood Line Come From Those Places. And UK, France,China,Etc And I Was Born In Atlanta Georgia. Love You All And Stay Safe 🙏🙏🙏

[@colinafobe2152]

Sub-Saharan has sense if we talk about climate zones of Africa. Otherwise yes it does racist similar as terms Eastern and Western Europe which are the remnants of the Cold War and has nothing to do with geography of Europe

[@2face60]

This video is very informative. Thank you

[@RisenAfrica]

You are welcome @face.. Glad it was helpful

[@Ktamb]

I hate when Africans focus on irrelevant issues like this.

[@ezws]

What relevant issues should we be focusing on?

[@treonjohnson4853]

U mad because we kno . And we taking the land back ??? Or u mad cuz yo whole history is falsified off of my ancestors because you came from the caves ???

[@smsofficial4809]

Only a racist person can say they hate it when we are cutting out racism

[@smsofficial4809]

Ktamb 2007 dumb statement

[@Ktamb]

@@smsofficial4809 Issues facing African Nations: Desertification, dwindling water supply, poor agriculture, high transportation cost, population growth, atrocious governance, ...etc Must I go on. Instead of crying about racism let's focus on actual solutions to our many problems. Thats all I was trying to say.

[@muhanuzimark3189]

you never run out of ideas and knowledge...your labour is a labour of love

[@dewaweshawakening9977]

Love your work you do amazing , quality work so so well done.

[@RisenAfrica]

Much appreciated @Young Malcom.. Cheers

[@gideo5792]

The one thing you can be certain of when dealing with Europeans is that every action they make involves race, whether they admit it or not. You are not mistaken that “Sub-Saharan" is code for "black". And consider the meaning of the word "Sub" by itself, "less than". That’s why South Africa suddenly became "Sub-Saharan" when it was no longer ruled by whites. Actions speak louder than words.

[@mysteriousDSF]

I give you an example from somewhere else: Western Europe likes to refer even to Czechia as Eastern Europe although it being west of Austria. Everything formerly part of the eastern bloc is Eastern Europe to them. It's a political and slightly racist denotation. But I as a Hungarian living in London personally don't mind. It allows me to refer to an actually existing cultural unit that I am part of as eastern Europeans. Whenever I meet someone from Romania, Poland etc. I'm happy because they're kind of our family. Most of us (especially those from central Europe like Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary etc.) reject to be called eastern European though.

[@youngsir7915]

This concept of "Sub-Saharan Africa" is nonsense, it's the same continent regardless of the geographical location.

[@osiruskat]

Thank you for this information. I never thought about how really racist the term Sub Saharan refers to just saying "Black."

[@habibi_sport312]

Redraw the borders to make a huge Sahara-Sahel state that includes most of the Tuareg-Berber-Chadic-Hausa territories. Untie the Atlas region with Carthage and Tripoli and unite the Nile Valley. It doesn't make sense to compare geographical terms to political entities based on colonial constructs that don't take into account the geographical boundaries.

[@eddie-roo]

So, we have North, West, Horn, East and Southern Africa, Macaronesia, Indian Ocean Insular Africa, and that awkward clump of countries that are in the armpit of Africa, like Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the CAR that we could call central Africa or something.

[@algenispolanco9765]

Dominican here 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴 looking into my ancestors history 43% Saharan Africa in my blood ✊🏽

[@RisenAfrica]

Glad you're watching @algenispolanco, cheers

[@azakzaak1691]

Although it has a geographical purpose, it has also racial connotation and some times economic or socio- economic purpose. If you try to define all the above ''sub Saharan'' it is not applicable except geographical purpose because countries in the ''sub Saharan'' can be found richest, most developed and poorest in africa. I never liked that term ''sub Saharan'' as it never made sense to me except geographical purpose.

[@elainerekopantswe2933]

This has always been true, even as a student in class is understood this, same as when they say "the dark continent" or when they say the "third world" notice there is no "second world"