1. Summary
The royal title mansa in the Mali Empire, the academic society MANSA (Mande Studies Association), and the leadership of Marcus Garvey illustrate how African sovereignty and identity have been articulated historically and in modern times. Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and the Organization of African Unity (OAU, Organization of African Unity) connect these themes to twentieth-century continental politics. Together, they represent enduring symbols of African authority, unity, and cultural pride.
2. Context and Scope
This narrative includes the history of the title mansa, the establishment of MANSA in the United States, the significance of the Mandé region, the life and legacy of Marcus Garvey, the meaning of the prefix pan in Pan-Africanism, the African diaspora, the reign of Haile Selassie, and the creation of the OAU.
3. Exhaustive Narrative of Facts
3.1 The Title Mansa
In the Mali Empire, the title mansa denoted a sovereign ruler who embodied hereditary legitimacy, political authority, and spiritual leadership. It stood in contrast to faama, a title linked to military command. Figures such as Mansa Musa became associated with the grandeur of this title, which continues to symbolize African sovereignty.
3.2 MANSA in the United States
MANSA (Mande Studies Association) was founded in 1986 in the United States. Its purpose is to promote interdisciplinary research on the Mandé world, including history, anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, sociology, literature, and environmental studies. Its journal, Mande Studies, is published by Indiana University Press. The acronym was deliberately chosen to resonate with the cultural prestige of the word mansa.
3.3 Mandé Region
The Mandé, or Manden, region of West Africa includes parts of Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. Its peoples—Mandinka, Bambara, Malinké, and Maninka—share linguistic and cultural heritage. Historically, the region was the heartland of powerful states such as the Mali Empire and Kangaba, and a key hub of trans-Saharan trade. Today, “Mandé” also identifies a field of academic study focusing on oral traditions, social organization, and language.
3.4 Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. (1887–1940) was a Jamaican-born Black nationalist and Pan-Africanist who became a major figure in the United States. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL, Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League). Garvey promoted racial pride, economic independence, and the idea of repatriation for the African diaspora. He declared himself “Provisional President of Africa,” established the Black Star Line shipping company, published Negro World, and organized branches of the UNIA worldwide. In 1922 he was convicted of mail fraud in connection with the Black Star Line and deported to Jamaica in 1927. His legacy as a Pan-African leader has remained strong, and in 2025 he received a posthumous pardon from the United States.
3.5 The Prefix Pan
The prefix pan- means “all” or “every.” In cultural and political discourse, it signifies inclusiveness and unity. Pan-Africanism is the movement seeking solidarity among African peoples and those of African descent across the world. It emphasizes liberation from colonialism and neocolonialism, dignity, and cooperation. Leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, and Julius Nyerere advanced this vision.
3.6 Diaspora
The African diaspora refers to communities of African descent outside Africa, formed primarily through the transatlantic slave trade and later migrations. The term denotes not just dispersal but also enduring ties of identity, memory, and culture with Africa. Within Pan-Africanism, the diaspora is considered an integral part of a worldwide African community.
3.7 Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie I (1892–1975), born Ras Tafari Makonnen, was emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 until 1974. His titles included “King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” He pursued modernization, led Ethiopia’s resistance to the Italian invasion of 1935, and returned from exile after World War II. He was instrumental in founding the OAU (Organization of African Unity) in 1963. Overthrown in 1974, he died the following year. Haile Selassie remains a Pan-African symbol and a revered figure in Rastafari belief.
3.8 Organization of African Unity
The OAU (Organization of African Unity) was established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 member states. Haile Selassie hosted the founding summit. Its goals were to promote African solidarity, defend sovereignty, end colonialism and apartheid, and encourage cooperation. In 2002 the OAU was succeeded by the African Union (AU, African Union), which carries a wider mandate for political and economic integration.
4. Practical Takeaways
- The word mansa meant “king” or “sovereign” in the Mali Empire.
- MANSA is an academic society founded in 1986 in the United States.
- The Mandé region was the center of the Mali Empire and remains a cultural and scholarly focus.
- Marcus Garvey led the UNIA-ACL (Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League), promoted Pan-Africanism, and was pardoned posthumously in 2025.
- The prefix pan- indicates inclusiveness, especially in the idea of Pan-Africanism.
- The African diaspora reflects both dispersal and enduring cultural connection with Africa.
- Haile Selassie modernized Ethiopia, resisted Italian invasion, and helped establish the OAU (Organization of African Unity).
- The OAU functioned from 1963 to 2002, when it was replaced by the AU (African Union).
5. Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansa_%28title%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Garvey
https://www.nypl.org/blog/2016/11/10/marcus-garvey-and-unia
https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5122/
https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/19/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-clemency-actions-3/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-pardons-five-people-including-late-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey-2025-01-19/
https://mandestudies.org/
https://iupress.org/journals/mandestudies/
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/MansA_-_Maison_des_Mondes_Africains
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/visualizing-a-sahelian-past
https://africa.si.edu/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time-art-culture-and-exchange-across-medieval-saharan-africa/saharan-frontiers/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Haile-Selassie-I
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Organization-of-African-Unity
https://au.int/en/history/oau-and-au
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 