Cosmetics companies have agreed to remove racially offensive language from their skin products – but history, in Kenya and South Africa, shows they’ve done the same before.
African pride
Arts and Culture Towards Wakanda – Chadwick Boseman’s passing and the power and limits of Afrofuturism
Both Black Panther and Beyoncé’s Black is King represent a utopian vision of empowerment and connection to Africa.
African identities There’s a complex history of skin lighteners in Africa and beyond
The long history of racist beauty standards alone cannot explain the ongoing global use of harmful skin lighteners.
Arts and Culture Trevor Noah receives three nominations for the 51st NAACP Image awards
South African comedian Trevor Noah received three nominations at the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) Image Awards. Nominees are honoured for black excellence in all areas of the entertainment industry, including film, television, literacy and music.
Arts and Culture Destination Festivals: Tanzania’s Ongala Music Festival – “the festival of conscience”
The second annual Ongala Music Festival took place on August 23 to 25 in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The festival named after Tanzanian musician Remmy Ongala highlights musical talents and creative collaborations in East Africa.
African identities Ghana and Rwanda provide deep lessons for Africa on Pan-Africanism
Ghana’s example of opening its borders to African-Americans and embracing all Black people is the progressive ingredient African countries need to adopt. Additionally, Paul Kagame’s call for Africa to define its own course, rejecting validation from the West, are among the necessary steps towards self-determination and meaningful development.
African identities “Proud to be trans, proud to be sex workers, and even prouder of their stunning sense of style”
Trans women sex workers collective Sistaazhood launches photo book
Arts and Culture Lupita Nyong’o narrates Discovery Channel’s docuseries which explores life on the Serengeti Plain
The ‘Serengeti’ is the title of a new, six-part wildlife docuseries series by the Discovery Channel debuting this August. The series will highlight the majestic animals of Tanzania’s Serengeti region and their day-to-day lives. It will also feature an original score and narration by Academy Award-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o
Arts and Culture How our African ancestors made sound in the Stone Age
Working with bone artefacts from archaeological sites in South Africa’s southern Cape region, we’ve been able to show that some implements might have been used for sound production in the past.