My first thought was those wonderful "... for Beginners" books that predate "... for Dummies" by 20 or so years. They're definitely from a people's perspective. A WorldCat search yielded just the thing: African History for Beginners, by Herb Boyd (1995). It's "A Writers and Readers documentary comic book," perhaps pitched a little low (a description says it's suitable for middle school and up) for you, but if it's anything like the rest of the books in the series, I think you'll love it. There's also Pan-Africanism for Beginners, from 1992, or of course Get that cutie in commercials, television, films, and videos : breaking your talented child into the entertainment industry : the African-American parents' step-by-step beginners' guide to show business success. (title search: africa* for beginners)
When I searched Google for info on that title, I found a bibliography from Ohio State. It hasn't been updated in three years, but it still looks okay.
You might also look at Columbia University's subject guide.
MORE INFO from Vanessa:
- Africa: A Biography of a Continent by John Reader
- Africans and Their History by Joseph E. Harris
- Civilizations of Africa by Christopher Ehret
- African History: From Earliest Times to Independence by P. Curtin et al
- The Peopling of Africa by James Newman
- Africa: African History Before 1885
- Africa: African Cultures and Societies Before 1885
ed Toyin Falola
added by Monica:
If an online source would help for an overview, I recommend Wonders of the African World, a site based on the BBC/PBS series by Henry Louis Gates Jr. It's easy to use and perhaps could serve as a sort of encyclopedia to give a context to the modern history.
