James Baldwin’s White History Week
In 1986, one year before he passed away, James Baldwin announced a radical idea: “White History Week.” In this post, Ed Pavlic writes about how Baldwin got to that moment.
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Miguna Miguna
Miguna Miguna is a Kenyan activist and lawyer.
#CaptionThis: What was Madonna pointing at?
For some odd reason, last weekend, this striking black and white image by photographer Terry Kane of pop singer Madonna "tour(ing) a UN millennium village in Mtanga, Malawi, in 2007" illustrated a Financial Times book review of ‘The Tyranny of Experts’ by William Easterly and ‘The Idealist’, by Nina Munk. Madonna is not mentioned in the piece and the review rumbles on. You can read it here. In any case, we were struck more by the image and posted it on our Facebook page, where we asked readers to #captionthis. We promised that we'd feature a few on the blog, so here are some of them.
#WhiteHistoryMonth: When Marlon Brando brought up Native American rights at the Oscars
In March 1973, Marlon Brando won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in “The Godfather.” Before the live broadcast of the ceremony Brando indicated he would not turn up at the ceremony and refuse the prize if he won. He won. Brando had asked Shasheen Littlefeather, a Native American media activist, to go on stage and give a speech about the portrayal of Native people in Hollywood films. In this video you can see what happened at the ceremony. Basically Ms Littlefeather was not able to give the full speech (no surprises, some attendees in the audience booed her), but afterwards handed it out to journalists. Some media ran it in full the next day.
When Salazar met one of Lumumba’s murderers
António Oliveira Salazar founded Portugal’s New State dictatorship in 1933. Some Portuguese still remember him fondly.
Aimé Césaire on Europe
“At the end of capitalism, which is eager to outlive its day, there is Hitler. At the end of formal humanism and philosophic renunciation, there is Hitler.”
Ruud Gullit and the Struggle for South African Freedom
When Gullit won the Ballon d’Or in 1987, he dedicated the award to the imprisoned Nelson Mandela; then made a reggae song about Apartheid.
Slavery: A view from the Other South
Slavery governed the Cape Colony, the origin of colonialism in South Africa, for nearly 200 years and left a lasting legacy.
Instagramming Africa
An interview with Peter DiCampo and Austin Merrill, founders of the Instagram project, Everyday Africa.
Steve McQueen and the Dutch
The Dutch are quick to celebrate “12 Years a Slave,” but what if Steve McQueen had decided to make the film about Dutch slavery and colonial history?
#WhiteHistoryMonth
Every February here schools, McDonald's, television, corporations, the advertising industry, celebrate Black History Month. The whole thing is a charade. That black people don't get a break from police brutality, red lining, profiling or plain neglect, doesn't matter. In 20o7, Gary Younge (he is an ally) suggested that what we needed was a White History Month. So, dear readers--in the service of good sense, this year March is the inaugural White History Month on Africa is a Country. Yes, we're a few days late, we know, but good things take time sometime. Stay tuned.
Finding the Afro- in Brazil
Last week I wrote a post about my excitement around the African musical permutations I was
Elizabeth Barrett’s house on Harrington Street
Nicholas Eppel’s photographs of a working class woman’s home life in central Cape Town doubles as a chronicle of the city’s gentrification.
Cape Town Pride’s Race Card
What happens when a corporate model of Pride is used to homogenize and silence those without privilege and power?
Cape Town’s Pretend Partnership
Cape Town’s goals: designing a more tourist-friendly European City, while keeping the unwanted and unsightly on the other side of the mountain.
The passport that does not pass ports
The story of African migrants entering the Eurozone by sea is basically indecipherable as it is told in global and national media reports, because they are described only as helpless victims.
Africa is more queerer than you think
Both in and outside of Africa, there is an argumentative frenzy around the instability of gender and sex and non-conforming performances of gender.