Ki-Zerbo exposed his social and political ideas in many publications on history and culture. He wrote a teaching manual called "Le Monde Africain Noire" ("Black African World"), published in 1963. In 1972, Ki-Zerbo published the famous "Histoire de l’Afrique Noire" ("History of Black Africa") that became a reference book in African history. Holenstein (2006) described that, in his book, Ki-Zerbo challenged the common belief of Africa as a black continent without culture and history. He claimed that Africa had reached an upper level of political, social and cultural development before the Atlantic slave trade and colonization. Written only few years after independence, "Histoire de l’Afrique Noire" represented the hope of many Africans of a brighter future in liberty and self-determination.