The majestic baobab tree is an icon of the African continent and lies at the heart of many traditional African remedies and folklore.

Native to the African savannah where the climate is extremely dry and arid, it is a symbol of life and positivity in a landscape where little else can thrive. Over time, the Baobab has adapted to its environment. It is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid. This is how it became known as "The Tree of Life".

Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries. They can live for up to 5,000 years, reach up to 30 metres high and up to an enormous 50 metres in circumference. Baobab trees can provide shelter, food and water for animals and humans, which is why many savannah communities have made their homes near Baobab trees.

The striking silhouette of a baobab tree at sunset is a familiar site to anyone who has spent time in rural Africa - but it is also well known all across the world thanks to its starring roles in Disney’s Lion King (it is Rafiki the monkey’s tree), Avatar (The Tree of Souls), Madagascar and the famous children's novel The Little Prince.

Source: https://aduna.com/blogs/learn/the-baobab-tree

Baptists have been the largest African American religious group in Georgia since the late eighteenth century. Baptist churches have made vital contributions to the identity of Black people in the state by shaping behavior and belief, serving as centers of community life, and creating independent spaces free from the control of white society.

Traveling preachers first brought the Baptist message into Georgia during the American Revolution (1775-83). Baptists (along with Methodists) proclaimed an intensely individualistic, emotional Christian message that called for a decisive, unambiguous conversion experience as the hallmark of a genuine Christian life. The evangelical message found a receptive audience among a wide variety of hearers, including enslaved and free people in the Georgia colony...Baptists would listen to the preaching of a Black Baptist who felt a divine “call” to preach.

During Reconstruction, Black Baptists throughout the state left white churches and openly organized their once-secret gatherings, forming thousands of independent churches. Countless Black Baptist churches were established in the early 1870s. These communities proved a lasting effect of emancipation. As hopes for substantial political power, equitable economic practices, and social equality faded during the late nineteenth century, the church—as one of the few autonomous Black institutions—came to occupy a distinctly powerful position. The church not only shaped adherents’ views of life and morality (as it also did for the state’s huge numbers of white Baptists) but also became a place for political organization, artistic expression, social services, and more. This comprehensive role, established in the late nineteenth century, characterized Black Baptist churches throughout the twentieth century.

Source: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/african-american-baptists/

The House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) and its Door of No Return is a museum and memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade on Gorée Island, 3 km off the coast of the city of Dakar, Senegal.

Its museum, which was opened in 1962 and curated until Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye's death in 2009, is said to memorialise the final exit point of the slaves from Africa.

While historians differ on how many African slaves were actually held in this building, as well as the relative importance of Gorée Island as a point on the Atlantic slave trade, visitors from Africa, Europe, and the Americas continue to make it an important place to remember the human toll of African slavery.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Slaves

"Each one teach one" is an African-American proverb. It has been adopted as a motto by many organizations.

The phrase originated in the United States during the time of slavery, when Africans were denied education, including learning to read. Many if not most enslaved people were kept in a state of ignorance about anything beyond their immediate circumstances which were under the control of owners, the lawmakers and authorities. When an enslaved person learned or was taught to read, it became their duty to teach someone else, spawning the phrase "Each one teach one".

Many of the political prisoners on Robben Island, South Africa held during apartheid (1948–1991) were illiterate. Their mail was highly censored and reading materials limited. The inmates used the term, "each one, teach one" as a battle cry to ensure everyone in the movement was educated.

The phrase is used as a slogan in literacy campaigns in Nigeria.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Each_one_teach_one

Often referred to as "The Black National Anthem," Lift Every Voice and Sing was a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900.

His brother, John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), composed the music for the lyrics. A choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal,  first performed the song in public in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

At the turn of the 20th century, Johnson's lyrics eloquently captured the solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberty of Black Americans. Set against the religious invocation of God and the promise of freedom, the song was later adopted by NAACP and prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. 

Source: https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/lift-every-voice-and-sing

The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas. The term arose in the early 16th century during Europe's Age of Discovery, after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci published the Latin-language pamphlet Mundus Novus, presenting his conclusion that these lands (soon called America based on Amerigo's name) constitute a new continent.

This realization expanded the geographical horizon of earlier European geographers, who had thought that the world only included Afro-Eurasian lands. Africa, Asia, and Europe became collectively called the "Old World" of the Eastern Hemisphere, while the Americas were then referred to as "the fourth part of the world", or the "New World".

Antarctica and Oceania are considered neither Old World nor New World lands, since they were only discovered by Europeans much later. They were associated instead with the Terra Australis that had been posited as a hypothetical southern continent.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World

Sabar dance originated from the Wolof people of Senegal. Traditional costumes feature bright colors and bold patterns that enhance the visual experience. 

Traditional Sabar dance uses various instruments to enhance the performance. Drummers play the sabar drums, which create lively rhythms. The djembe and tama also contribute unique sounds that energize dancers. Musicians often sing alongside these instruments, adding melodies that resonate with the audience.

Fluid and energetic movements define Sabar dance. Performers display agility as they move gracefully across the floor. Dancers often incorporate quick steps, spins, and jumps into their routines.

Sabar emphasizes coordination between body and rhythm. Each dancer becomes an extension of the music while expressing personal stories through movement. This dance form reflects cultural traditions passed down through generations among the Wolof people. Over time, it has absorbed influences from hip hop trends, creating a unique blend of styles.

Through this communal act, Sabar promotes celebration and connection among people.

Source: https://www.danceus.org/style/sabar-dance-in-senegal/

"Speak the speech" is a famous speech from Shakespeare's Hamlet (1601). In it, Hamlet offers directions and advice to a group of actors whom he has enlisted to play for the court of Denmark.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_the_speech

TAMA (or TALKING DRUM): 

The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum from West Africa, whose pitch can be regulated to mimic the tone and prosody of human speech.

It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords, which allow the player to change the pitch of the drum by scraping the cords between their arm and body.

Originating from the 18th century, talking drum players used tones to disseminate messages, such as news of ceremonies and commands, over 4-5 mile distances. A skilled player is able to play whole phrases. Most talking drums sound like a human humming depending on the way they are played.

From a historical perspective, the tama (just like the Serer junjung), was beaten by the griots of Senegambian kings on special occasions, such as during wars (a call for arms), when the kings wanted to address their subjects, and on special circumstances in Serer country. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_drum