When the first sailors went around to the horn on the East cost of Africa around 1400 or so, they found a thriving civilization, extremely rich in gold and culture, that had build its own castles and other large structures. There was a king and for the most part everyone was clean and happy. The sailors noted that even the dogs had an ornate gold collars.
It was believed for hundreds of years after that there must have been white influence there before these sailors for the savages to have progressed so far. Turns out they were just a thriving kingdom, rich from trade with the Arabs across the sea.
We of course wiped them out and stole everything.
Please do not take this in the "we want reparations, whites be guilty" sense. It's just a bit of history for those who think Africa was always incredibly barbarous and primitive.