Nude photography that explores body types and sexualities may not just be met with silent hostility in East Africa; historically, it has been met with resistance. Wawira Njeru however seeks to follow this path in her photography.
Beauty
Lifestyle Celebrating the life of Ghanaian footballer Michael Essien: A photo essay
Today, we celebrate the life and achievements of Ghanaian soccer star Michael Essien who celebrates his 34th birthday on December 3. Here are some highlights from his inspirational career thus far.
Lifestyle BeautyBeyondTheSkin: Kenya hosts inaugural Mr and Miss Albinism beauty pageant
People with albinism (PWAs) have faced unprecedented discrimination and persecution in parts of Africa, particularly in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi in recent years. To fight discrimination, persecution, stigmatisation, and alienation Kenya’s Albinism Society held its inaugural Mr and Miss Albino beauty pageant, an annual campaign to promote self awareness of PWAs in the society.
Lifestyle The Salooni Project: Black women’s hair through the past and into the present and future
‘What practices of self-care and love have been replicated and shared by black girls and women in the styling and braiding of their hair? What collective and individual traumas have we endured and perpetuated as a result of rejection from western hegemonic cultures, and in our own attempts to conform and survive a world in which beauty standards are dictated by Caucasian culture?’ These are some of the themes that the makers of the Salooni multi-disciplinary art project are exploring
African identities Rachel Dolezal admits she was born white
A US woman, Rachel Dolezal who made headlines early this year after her parents exposed her for pretending to be black has finally admitted that she was ‘biologically born white, to white parents’
Lifestyle Celebrities join ‘I Love my Natural Skintone’ campaign
Ghanaian actress, Ama K Abebrese has teamed up with other public figures in the ‘I Love my Natural Skintone’ campaign to highlight the risks and dangers of skin bleaching
Politics and Society Female beauty for sexual consumption
A 17 year old girl disclosed before a crowd at a poetry session I attended in Maseru that she had been sexually violated. Upon running into her attacker that week she decided to confront him and ask him what had motivated his actions. My heart sank, she said his response was: “because you are beautiful”! Was she supposed to have accepted that slap-in-the-face as a compliment, smiled and thanked him for it?
Arts and Culture The passion gap: Cape Town’s enduring practice
While some people are concerned with having a perfect dentition, the intentional removal of anterior teeth has become as equally important for various reasons
Lifestyle Why it’s hard to be a ‘Yellow-Bone’
Natasha Msonza discusses what it is like to be a naturally light-skinned woman of African descent during the current “yellow-bone” and skin-lightening craze