San Diego, CA
Opinion: Africa’s accomplishments are part of the flow of history
The ebbs and flows between African and other cultures are intertwined. These are conduits for the world defying their geographic designations. Culture does not end where nations, continents, peninsulas, seas and mountains end. Humanity in its quest to survive slipped past these topographic edges, chasms and heights. The norms of culture transform and connect through migration and mutation adding to our collective knowledge.
I confess to going on obsessive research quests based on dogged skepticism. I repeatedly Google the first established university in the world because I want to see how Google delivers it. Google has repeatedly designated the University of Bologna in Italy as the first and continuously operating university founded in 1088.
However, when I added keywords like “African” or “Arab,” I got different answers. Apparently, the oldest and longest continuously operating university in the world predates the University of Bologna by about 230 years. The University of al-Qarawiyyin, in Fez, Morocco, was founded in 859 A.D. by an African Muslim woman!
Within her lifetime, Fatima al-Fihri expanded the center for higher learning and research to the sciences, math and philosophy from its base of Quranic study. She also designed the graduation caps and gowns that we use today. The mortar board symbolizes the Quran or a book and the tassel is the bookmarker. Even the way we move the tassel from right to left upon graduation mimics the semitic Arabic language, also read from right to left. The thobes or gowns, draping and striped, are the dress scholars wore hundreds of years ago.
Last month, when I looked it up again, the answer changed — somewhat. The University of Bologna popped up again, but an artificial intelligence box also appeared in contradiction to the default answer confirming the University of al-Qarawiyyin as the oldest and continuously operating university.
Like an essential oil, culture and language permeate most human experiences. Humanity is not containable and everything in its paths aggregates and flows into lacy archipelagos; a network of water, land and channels much like fishing nets used from Gaza and Alexandria to Tunis and Rabat and like river people who catch the tiny Dagaa, a silvery and speckled fish, in Mali, often used as a dried staple.
Much of our human lineage is received from Africa. In fact, the African continent created the next two universities after al-Qarawiyyin: Al Azhar in Cairo in 970 A.D. and the University of Timbuktu in Africa’s modern country of Mali around 1000-1100 A.D., where it became the largest draw for scholars for several centuries. These three universities predated European ones. Are facts deliberately suppressed to concretize a Western-centered world?
Critical race theory or ethnic studies are politicized buzzwords that have been stripped of their meanings. They are imperfect terms but fit my curious research. They are meant to motivate us to learn, find histories buried and divorced from their origins. It should not be hard to find out what the oldest universities are. If I add African or Arab to my search and get a different answer, something is wrong. Why should anyone have to use math to find out what came first? Do we privilege fear and suppression over learning?
Try these search experiments with other topics and search engines. Compare your findings. Other topics I habitually look up are optics, surgery, philosophy and navigation. The European male inventor has usually popped up in a Google search over the true originators who often came from North Africa or Southwest Asia, Iran, India, China or Southern Spain. Sometimes they were women. A few months ago the fathers of optics were European. Last week they were part of the Arab/Islamic network predating the European “founders” by hundreds of years. Artificial intelligence is doing the DEI work that the Trump administration is trying to extinguish.
The best rulers of the world, many from Africa, ruled ethnically and religiously diverse lands. Their recipe for innovation was diversity and inclusion. They pulled from Byzantium, Africa, Indo-China and all tribal cultures to create what adds up to our modern world.
African American History month should encourage us to celebrate the vast threads of lineage. Let’s be expansive about human accomplishments. Be skeptical and search for what ties the flow of humankind and its expansive accomplishments.
Bittar is an artist and community activist who lives in North Park.
On Thursday, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County recorded its largest increase since Sept. 28, 2023, rising 8.7 cents to $4.894, its highest amount since Nov. 13.
The average price has increased 15 consecutive days, rising 28.7 cents, including 7 cents on Wednesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 22.4 cents more than one week ago, 38.6 cents higher than one month ago and 14.5 cents greater than one year ago.
The average price has dropped $1.541 since rising to a record $6.435 on Oct. 5, 2022.
“Gas prices are rising primarily due to a recent surge in crude oil following strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel,” Kandace Redd, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s senior public affairs specialist, told City News Service. “Any conflict with Iran can send oil prices higher, as Iran is a major oil producer and about a fifth of the oil consumed globally travels through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.
“Gas prices are increasing because of seasonal factors too. Refineries are beginning the switch to more expensive summer-blend fuel, and demand is picking up as we head into the spring break season with more people on the road.”
The national average price rose 5.3 cents to $3.251, its highest amount since Sept. 11, 2024. It has risen five consecutive days, increasing 26.9 cents, including 8.9 cents on Wednesday.
The national average price is 26.8 cents more than one week ago, 36 cents higher than one month ago and 14.4 cents greater than one year ago. It has dropped $1.765 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
UNLV Rebels (16-14, 11-8 MWC) at San Diego State Aztecs (19-10, 13-6 MWC)
San Diego; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: UNLV faces San Diego State after Kimani Hamilton scored 24 points in UNLV’s 92-65 victory over the Utah State Aggies.
The Aztecs have gone 13-2 in home games. San Diego State is eighth in the MWC with 9.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Miles Heide averaging 2.0.
The Rebels have gone 11-8 against MWC opponents. UNLV ranks eighth in the MWC shooting 34.4% from 3-point range.
San Diego State averages 79.1 points per game, 0.6 more points than the 78.5 UNLV gives up. UNLV averages 7.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 fewer made shots on average than the 9.1 per game San Diego State allows.
The teams play for the second time in conference play this season. San Diego State won the last meeting 82-71 on Jan. 24. Miles Byrd scored 23 points points to help lead the Aztecs to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reese Dixon-Waters is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Aztecs, while averaging 13 points. Byrd is averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is shooting 50.9% and averaging 20.6 points for the Rebels. Hamilton is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Aztecs: 5-5, averaging 74.9 points, 28.9 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.0 points per game.
Rebels: 6-4, averaging 84.1 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.8 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.
The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.
Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.
Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.
The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.
As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.
The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.
Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”
Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
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