3 things we found interesting
What to say about the year of return? The photos, videos, insta stories, snapchat speak for themselves.
The larger political context is a little more delicate. “Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin have taken different approaches to the question of apologizing for slavery,” as an Atlantic article discusses, and “the resulting models reveal what interests might compel, or prevent, a U.S. apology for slavery, and how such an apology could get the buy-in of the American people.”
As with all great things, there is a Twitter curation of the festivities if you somehow missed #yearofreturn on facebook, ig, twitter or WhatsApp. And some criticism about its limits.
On the theme or return—it took a long journey, and time, for Nkrumah’s archive to make it back to the African continent. Yet, as Adom Getachew argues, Nkrumah’s enduring legacy for the times of Brexit, AfCFTA, and the collapse of the global order might be the fight for independence within the context of international solidarity.
The crisis of armed movements in west Africa threatens to define the immediate future of the continent. The African Union’s proclaimed goal of reducing the number of arms by 2020 has failed spectacularly. A spokesperson for the Chadian military confirmed Saturday that the military has withdrawn all of its soldiers from Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram. Local media reports that people have begun to flee out of fear of a Boko Haram resurgence in the region after the military’s departure. Just two weeks ago, the extremist group killed dozens of people in an attack on the border of Cameroon and Chad, which, according to the mayor of the Cameroonian region, had become a Boko Haram hot spot after the Chadian military departed that area. There is the fear that the region will become a new theater of war. Germany is considering expanding its presence and there is potential for numerous countries to be caught in larger geopolitical crossfires.
Did you know
Informal couriers are delivering packages from the U.S. to Africa
Black South African chefs are making “township food” gourmet
Ethiopia launched its first satellite last month
African pop artists ruled the last decade
These Ivorian cool kids are hosting the coolest parties in West Africa
What the Zodiac has to do with Black Liberation
Whats the status with the African revolution
What happened in Haiti in 2019
Oh, also:
Prête-moi Ton Rêve is a touring art exhibition that will hit seven cities on the continent.
Watching Joker in Cairo
An Open Letter to Young People
The African roots of Brazilian New Years celebration
Happy New Year!
Anakwa and Katie