What were African tribes/kingdoms doing before European colonial powers arrived? Before industrial revolution, European powers had already experienced the Renaissance, Age of Discovery and Age of Enlightenment. Africa was, well, being Africa. That doesn't justify the slave trade and years of oppressive colonial rule, but to say Africa never had a fair shake at the start?
China, Japan and Korea got their asses handed to them by Western powers around 18th to 19th century, and yet they were able to pick themselves back up.