Unearthing The Untold Story of An African’s Groundbreaking Transatlantic Expedition

For most of history, Africans on the continent and in the diaspora have been made to see the world and the developments therein through the eyes of their Western colonizers. These colonizers, mostly Europeans, conceived as avatars of excellence, position themselves at the forefront of science and technology. Pushing the great discoveries and histories, such as the quests of Christopher Columbus, resulted in the neglect and erasure of other histories of considerable importance. This includes downplaying the contributions of Africans to global innovation. With the growing influence of Africa on the entertainment and pop culture scene, there seems to be a burgeoning interest in unearthing treasurable African exploits that have long been suppressed under the weight of imperialist agenda. African Glory, a documentary directed by Frenchman Thierry Bugaud, is a step in this direction. The docufilm, initially released in 2023, recently premiered on French-speaking television channel TV5 Monde where it is now available to a global audience.

Written by Thierry Bugaud and Charles Grémion, African Glory accounts for the 13th-Century voyage of Mandinka Emperor Abu Bakr II. It is a powerful exposition of one of the least known historical accounts in the world. It reveals the story of a kingdom from ancient Mali whose people led by Abu Bakr II explored the new world 180 years before Christopher Columbus. While serving the purpose of debunking historical misconceptions, the documentary highlights the involvement of Africa in some of the earliest expeditions across the Atlantic. Archeological evidence is provided to counter the popular belief that Columbus was the first to discover the Americas. 

African Glory unveils “the forbidden story”, the account of Abu Bakr II who is believed to have first discovered the Americas. Abu Bakr II voyaged with a fleet of 2,000 boats to the new world, leaving the leadership of the Mali Empire in the hands of his brother, Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa would evolve as one of the most influential historical figures in African history and the wealthiest man that ever existed on earth. The forbidden story tells the truth about Africa’s exploration of the Americas, which was almost completely removed from the past by Europeans presenting a different version of the achievement. As opposed to dishonorable representations of Africans as victims of the slave trade and primitivism, African Glory pushes the untold narrative of an African man who set out to explore the Americas as an honorable figure, not as a slave. Relying on historical research and a dramatic approach to storytelling, Bugaud draws us closer to the facts of the expedition, questioning the authenticity of the journey and the reason for its extrication from Mandingue history. 

The arrival of this beautiful, historical Afrocentric story on TV5 Monde joins the trend of international interest and investment in indigenous African narratives. The Woman King, an American action film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and released in 2022, is based on the Agojie, a group of female warriors that defended the Dahomey Kingdom from the 17th to 19th century. Last year, it was announced that American entertainment company, A24 had acquired the rights to an adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel, Things Fall Apart, a story based on Igbo culture, with British actor Idris Elba set to play the lead role.

Through the fictionalized documentary, the filmmaker gives a fresh perspective on Africa’s colonial history, engineering thoughts, and possibilities of alternate African pre-colonial histories. Before now, African Glory was screened at UNESCO and Cannes in 2024. Distribution plans beyond TV5 Monde have not been confirmed, but it will be interesting to see how further the narrative can be pushed.