An examination of the extent to which African history is actually African, and whether methods and concerns derived from western historiography are sufficient tools for researching and narrating African history. The essays focus on historical knowledge and seek to study Africa on its own terms.

Nearly four decades ago, Terence Ranger questioned to what extent African history was actually African, and whether methods and concerns derived from Western historiography were really sufficient tools for researching and narrating African history. Despite a blossoming and branching out of Africanist scholarship in the last twenty years, that question is still haunting. The most prestigious locations for production for African studies are outside Africa itself. Scholars still seek a solution to this paradox. They agree that the ideal solution would be a flowering of institutions of higher learning within Africa, which would draw not only Africanist scholars but also financial resources to the continent.