The story is always more important than the picture
I was born during the state of emergency in South Africa in the 1980s and witnessed
Culture
Checkpoint Babylon
The depressing new norm for one of the most vibrant grassroots, immigrant cultural traditions in New York City.
Africa Is a Radio presents #INTLBLK, Episode 1
It has been awhile since our last Africa Is a Country Radio episode. More than a
Unequal Scenes
Anthropologist Johnny Miller's aerial photographs chronicles geographic stratifications in South Africa and beyond.
The South African Youths
An edited version of this post appeared in the South African newspaper, City Press, as part of "Thought We Had Something Going," an e-anthology exploring post-1994 experiences.
The Worker with a Pen
In his life and books, Alex La Guma struggled for a society in which all people could find their humanity, argues his friend Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
Uganda’s Bonfire Youth
A group of young Ugandans employ poetry and storytelling to speak out against state repression, corruption and abuse of power.
Despacito Will Not Save Us
The hit song and its production reflect everything that is wrong with the music industry and how it exploits the cultural production of communities of color.
Jeffrey Gettleman’s tired tome
Jeffrey Gettleman was until recently the East Africa correspondent for The New York Times. He left Africans a memoir, 'Love, Africa.'
Black Fire
When Cape Jazz found a perfect mix with R&B, fusion and pop.
Next time you see the Mediterranean
The number of African migrants who have lost their lives in the Mediterranean is a tragedy, shamefully under-analyzed over the past 20 years.
Encountering the promised land
The story of the Rastafari community who moved to their promised land of Ethiopia on land granted by Haile Selassie in the late 1950s as thanks for diaspora's support during the Italian occupation.
The world of photographer Osaretin Ugiagbe
A Nigerian immigrant to the Bronx, New York, Osaretin Ugiagbe documents the lives of his friends and strangers on the streets.
A place to call home
A black woman, born in Cape Town, returns to the city to buy a house where she will hopefully retire.
Put some respect on Nollywood’s name
The American network VICE turns to Nigeria and its film industry as a further source of wonder for its mostly white correspondents.
What’s bad for America’s children
Liberians should not be guinea pigs in an experiment to transform public education into a market opportunity for foreign capital.
The popping sound of rubber bullets
There have been few protests in South Africa’s post-Apartheid history that are as documented as Fees Must Fall. Add Aryan Kaganof’s “Metalepsis in Black” to the list.
Cultural appropriation and sugar drinks
Contrary to the utopian dreams of the early internet, the idea of a more democratic communications space has given way to a system of capitalist exploitation, including how we consume music.
The bad immigrants
Few immigrants make the connection between their immigration status and the potential for deportation if they came into contact with the criminal justice system.
Biafra in the film archives
What personal and collective memory is evoked when we encounter films from a historical period?