3 things we found interesting
The Vladification of Africa
Somehow, there is both a whiff of the Berlin Conference backroom-dealing, and the Cold War gaming, lurking behind this most recent scramble for Africa between the US, China, Russia, Japan, and every one else in the world it seems. That the first Russia-Africa Economic Forum seems to have focused on, and resulted in nuclear arms deals for problematic leaders across the continent gives us cause to worry.
Mothers of the Revolution
During the revolution that brought down the Bashir government, a photograph of Alaa Salah went viral. It became a symbol of women’s leadership in the movement and the title Kandaka, in reference to the Nubian queens of ancient Sudan, was given to these protestors. Now we get to hear from the mothers of the martyrs.
Out of Africa
The Ghanaian architect David Adjaye, famous, among other things, for his work on the National Museum of African American History in Washington, DC, has been tapped to design a new museum in Benin for the return of stolen treasures currently in Western museums. It is debatable if these treasures will ever make it back home but the fact that conversations, and studies are are happening is encouraging.
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The apartheid activist and scholar Fatima Meer was also a brilliant artist | New Yorker
Did you know that
There are anti-immigrant black immigrants in Italy | BBC
Rumors of Lake Chad’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated | The Guardian
Tunisia has a new president | AlJazeera
African migrants who didn’t make it to Europe are now struggling to resettle at home | CSMonitor, AfricasaCountry
Okyeame subscriber Grieve Chelwa wrote a great critique of the Nobel Econ winners, and their experimentation on the poor | AfricasaCountry
Goodluck Jonathan is being considered for UN Crisis Management Role—he must have left the Chibok girls crisis off his resume | The Africa Report
Brazil’s Black Women musicians, overlooked for a long time, are carving a space for themselves | Black Women of Brazil
We found pettiest public holiday in the world | Voice of America
Oh, also:
We are very excited about the fiction writing scene in West Africa
This uncanny story about how two siblings, separated at birth, found each other
Kanye channeling the “Ghanaian Uncle” look. H/T Okyeame subscriber Melvin Backman
We are jamming to:
(Gado)
Peace & love,
Anakwa and Katie