Wanuri Kahiu, a Kenyan film director, states that the film is a discussion between the "greatest and most articulate thinkers of the African global nation." In his review of "500 Years Later", Kahiu wrote that the documentary should not be referred to as a film but rather an "audiovisual reference book" because of how informative the documentary is. According to Kahiu, "500 Years Later" is a good resource to show the challenges people of African descent faced during the Diaspora and slavery and the challenges they still face today. He further states that the film is a great representation of the strength of African-American culture and citizenry, and claims that the movie is a call for African people to patiently work to rid the African world of the "defeatist nature" still subconsciously ingrained in them today.