From the ancient kingdom of Kush, whose black pharaohs ruled Egypt for nearly a century, to the sixteenth-century empire of the Kongo, whose emperor was so powerful he was able to halt the trade in slaves for a number of years, the African continent rang with a series of glorious civilizations that have had a lasting impact on the world's history, and on American culture. James Haskins and Floyd Cooper have won numerous awards for their books for young people, including several Coretta Scott King Honor awards. This groundbreaking book is their first collaboration. Index. Bibliography. All ages.Consultants on this book were Dr. John Henrik Clarke, noted scholar of black history, and Dr. Enid Schildkrout, curator of anthropology, The American Museum of Natural History.