Africa A Voyage of Discovery - Different But Equal - Basil Davidson
Basil Davidson's seminal documentary series 'Africa A Voyage of Discovery' challenges the long held beliefs that Africa had 'no ingenious manufactures among them, no arts, no sciences'. The series presents a pan-African conception of history from the origins of Egypt and Nubia to the liberation movements that Basil Davidson was familiar with, in newly independent nations Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

When Greek Historian Herodotus visited Ancient Egypt he described the civilization he saw there as 'different but equal'. Episode one shows that some of the world's greatest early civilizations have their origins in black Africa, including those along the Nile Valley. The episode includes interviews with Senegalese mathematician, philosopher and Egyptology Cheikh Anta Diop and explores the growth of African civilizations in West and Northeast Africa.

Basil Davidson was an acclaimed writer on the subject of African history having written more than 30 books on the subject before he died in 2010. His works are required reading in many African, British and US universities & is often used as the framework for many Black history courses worldwide.

Basil Davidson's Africa A Voyage of Discovery series premiered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20th October 1983, with a wonderful reception hosted by the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the UN.

The Africa A Voyage of Discovery series was shot and edited over a 2 year period beginning in 1981. During this period the accompanying book The Story of Africa was also written by Basil Davidson.