My Preliminary Response to "A Preliminary Response to Ali Mazrui's 'Preliminary Critique of Wonders of the African World'"; [A Personal Letter to Gates]

Abstract

This is to acknowledge receipt of your preliminary response to Ali Mazrui's preliminary critique of your series - Wonders of the African World – which you faxed me earlier today. I watched the series on PBS and was quite impressed with the details, the historical reach, clarity, and above all, the simplicity of the presentation. Furthermore, it was quite amazing that you were able to present such a delicate mass of data in a serious and yet entertaining format to attract and keep the attention of both the professionals and the general public. The format is correct and commendable because authentic African historiography needs to be disseminated as widely as possible especially given the violence that Euro-centric scholarship and mass culture have done to Africa.