Africa Is a Country

Brazilians are used to this

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Brazilians are used to this

By
Sean Jacobs

The Mexican writer Alma Guillermoprieto declared this World Cup “the best ever.” Few can disagree. A total of 136 goals were scored in 48 group matches and another 18 in the 8 matches of the last round.  Not everything is surprising: with the exception of Costa Rica, all the top seeds made it to the quarterfinals. The big hit is Colombia; everyone’s favorite team with its stars James Rodriguez and Juan Quadrado in every fantasy team. Los Cafeteros is seen as the new France 1998 (but with its own racial baggage) . Colombia may still upset Brazil’s coronation later today. Off the field, the South American fans have stolen the show. Boima Tucker’s on the ground World Cup Diaries are very good on all this. But there’s also been some off-key notes. Some Neo-Nazi Croatian fans, homophobic Mexican supporters,  French and German fans in blackface (and FIFA’s tepid response to this racism), as well as–what has been a major talking point–the strange site of overwhelmingly white crowds in the stadiums whenever Brazil play.  FIFA is partly too blame (ticket prices) and so is the harsh reality of Brazil: the most unequal country in the world where race and class divides coincides to a large degree. Outside the stadiums, where public viewing mostly comes free, the crowds are more representative of Brazil’s “mixed character.” The Brazilian blogosphere have been good on this. (It’s media, less so.) There’s also been a few excellent pieces in English language media this; go read them: Alex Bellos in The Independent, Musa Okwonga on Monocle (he gets profiled by cops too) and Stephanie Nolan in The Globe & Mail, among others. Outside the stadiums, at public viewing areas things are better.  But then none of this should be surprising:

It’s worth noting what happened in the lead-up to the Cup, which is perhaps more illuminating about the ordinariness of racism in Brazil. For the official tournament draw in November, the organizers decided to change the two main presenters at the last minute. Some defenders of FIFA’s decision suggested it had to do “with sponsorships” and “standards of English.” But Brazilians, especially black Brazilians used to this kind of thing, could not help noticing that the original presenters—two well-known soap actors—happened to be black and mixed race. Their replacements happened to be white and blond.

More here at The Medium.

Further Reading

Kenya’s vibe shift

From aesthetic cool to political confusion, a new generation in Kenya is navigating broken promises, borrowed styles, and the blurred lines between irony and ideology.

Africa and the AI race

At summits and in speeches, African leaders promise to harness AI for development. But without investment in power, connectivity, and people, the continent risks replaying old failures in new code.

After the uprising

Years into Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict, the rebellion faces internal fractures, waning support, and military pressure—raising the question of what future, if any, lies ahead for Ambazonian aspirations.

In search of Saadia

Who was Saadia, and why has she been forgotten? A search for one woman’s story opens up bigger questions about race, migration, belonging, and the gaps history leaves behind.

Binti, revisited

More than two decades after its release, Lady Jaydee’s debut album still resonates—offering a window into Tanzanian pop, gender politics, and the sound of a generation coming into its own.

The bones beneath our feet

A powerful new documentary follows Evelyn Wanjugu Kimathi’s personal and political journey to recover her father’s remains—and to reckon with Kenya’s unfinished struggle for land, justice, and historical memory.

What comes after liberation?

In this wide-ranging conversation, the freedom fighter and former Constitutional Court justice Albie Sachs reflects on law, liberation, and the unfinished work of building a just South Africa.

The cost of care

In Africa’s migration economy, women’s labor fuels households abroad while their own needs are sidelined at home. What does freedom look like when care itself becomes a form of exile?

The memory keepers

A new documentary follows two women’s mission to decolonize Nairobi’s libraries, revealing how good intentions collide with bureaucracy, donor politics, and the ghosts of colonialism.

Making films against amnesia

The director of the Oscar-nominated film ‘Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat’ reflects on imperial violence, corporate warfare, and how cinema can disrupt the official record—and help us remember differently.