Posts tagged african identity

Whenever a crisis hits Africa, it seems the world doesn’t care, and Africans themselves also don’t seem concerned. The tragedy in Somalia reminds us once again of our own indifference.

Today we go all the way to the west African region, Nigeria in particular. With an estimate of over 600 ethnic groups many just know three; the Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas. Today we introduce you to the Berom.

After an absence of over a decade from the continent’s premier tournament, Zimbabwe’s national team, the Warriors, returned to this year’s AFCON. Fungai Machirori looks back at football’s legacy in Zimbabwe and the metaphor it inspires – that of ‘a dream deferred’

“Is this one of your daughter’s friends?” I overheard a woman I did not know ask in a language I only vaguely understand. To the woman’s relief, her interlocutor, let’s call her Auntie Ama, responded “No.”
“Good, because we do not want her kind here,” the woman said.

To answer this question, you will need to explain to your grandmother about “queer theory”and the “diffusion”of human rights and “international instruments” that hold states “accountable” to “macro obligations.” Problem is, these terms and phrases mean nothing to her.

A video of a fluent Xhosa-speaking teenager Chad “Xolani” Baling, 18, who recently successfully participated in a sacred initiation rite of passage ceremony in South Africa has set tongues wagging on social media. Baling lives with a Xhosa family in East London, and he went through the traditional Xhosa ulwaluko initiation rite to manhood. Some social media users have been applauding Chad for embracing a critical part of Xhosa culture, while others users having been critical of the custom calling it “outdated”.

More than two decades into our democracy, South Africa has come a long way in creating inclusive spaces for the diverse group of people who live here. Despite this, the story of our ‘rainbow nation’ is still told from two perspectives; white or black. We caught up with a South African organisation trying to change this.

It’s not just about hair – it’s about racism. An orphanage manager narrates the difficulty of raising confident young black and coloured girls an a world that constantly tells them ‘white is right’.

The social media space has become a wonderful domain for independent content curators, Kagiso Mnisi writes, some of whom are celebrated for their ability to engage authentically with members of their generation.

OluTimehin Adegbeye opens up about the difficulties of being a single-mother living with depression.