In 1909, the pioneering African-American thinker W.E.B. Du Bois dreamed of a comprehensive history of African peoples. Ninety years later, Microsoft and Harvard professors Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Kwame Anthony Appiah have resurrected the dream in Encarta Africana. But while the two-disc set shows promise for the future of multiculti multimedia, it's not the definitive guide to black culture.
You'll find video and photos of Martin Luther King Jr. and other black Americans — but comparatively few of prominent people of African descent from other countries. Where are the images of leaders like Afro-Brazilian activist/politician Abdias do Nascimento, or the Afro-Dominican bandleader Johnny Pacheco? And Africana could have delved deeper into how much mainstream culture owes the continent. Who would care about Elvis without his black influences? Where would the Stones be without Slim Harpo? Yet none of these people have an entry.
Still, Africana makes the African diaspora accessible to all people. For the future, Microsoft might consider using DVD-ROM for more info and better video. Then Du Bois' dream might finally come true. B
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