Brian Kagoro offers reflections on why Africans must take charge of their own destiny and realize that “no one owes Africa a meal or a living”.
African pride
Politics and Society How former president Rawlings pioneered heritage tourism in Ghana – in his own words
In a rare series of interviews, the late Ghanaian leader spoke of how the country’s slave trade was revisited as a vehicle for economic development.
Africans rising From Ugandan child soldier to PhD graduate
In 1986 Julius Okello was forced into Uganda’s Bush War as a child soldier. Tenacity and hope delivered him through a personal wilderness to his PhD.
Arts, Culture and Sport Has the skin lightener industry learned from Black Lives Matter?
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.
Arts, Culture and Sport 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, Culture and Sport 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, Culture and Sport 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.