Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent after Asia. It covers 6.0% of the Earth’s total surface area, and 20.4% of the total land area. With more than 900,000,000 people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14% of the world's human population. The heart beats to the sound of courage, strength, pride and beauty of our African brothers and sisters. Black History did not begin in recent times, but in ancient times in Africa. Stop and listen to the voices and spirits of our African people speaking to us, feeling us, directing us to a place of pride, a place of belonging.