My fellow Africans

On the next AIAC Talk, we talk with several AIAC fellows about their work. Tuesday on Youtube.

Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash

A few weeks ago on AIAC Talk, we spoke to Anakwa Dwamena and Bhakti Shingrapure about the world of writing and publishing on the African continent. A recurring theme throughout the conversation was how to revive the lively intellectual culture which thrived on the continent during its wave of decolonization.<

But, in romanticizing the past we can sometimes ignore that in the present, there exists a vibrant world of ideas on the continent already, that sometimes, we just aren’t looking closely enough. This is one of the reasons why Africa Is a Country began a fellowship program, the purpose of which is to “support the production of original work and new knowledge on Africa-related topics that are under-recognized and under-covered in traditional media, new media, and other public forums. It particularly seeks to amplify voices and perspectives from the left that address the major political, social, and economic issues affecting Africans in ways that are original, accessible, and engaging to a variety of audiences.”

In May last year, we awarded ten fellowships and since then have been working with the inaugural class of fellows to support the creation and publication of their original work. This week on AIAC talk, we will profile two fellows and their projects: Youlandree Appasamy, a freelance writer and editor from South Africa, will explore South African Indian class identities, particularly in Kwazulu-Natal province; and Liam Brickhill, a freelance journalist from Zimbabwe, will unearth stories on Zimbabwean cricket.

Another fellow, Ricci Shryock, has previously appeared on AIAC talk to discuss the role of women in Guinea-Bissau’s liberation war.

Last week, we were joined by Grieve Chelwa to remember the life and legacy of Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda, as well as Herman Wasserman to discuss the rise of media disinformation in Africa. Watch that show on our YouTube channel and stream the next show Tuesday at 6pm in Johannesburg, 7pm Nairobi, and 12pm in New York.

Further Reading

Energy for whom?

Behind the fanfare of the Africa Climate Summit, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline shows how neocolonial extraction still drives Africa’s energy future.

The sound of revolt

On his third album, Afro-Portuguese artist Scúru Fitchádu fuses ancestral wisdom with urban revolt, turning memory and militancy into a soundtrack for resistance.

O som da revolta

No seu terceiro álbum, o artista afro-português Scúru Fitchádu funde a sabedoria ancestral com a revolta urbana, transformando memória e militância em uma trilha sonora para a resistência.

Biya forever

As Cameroon nears its presidential elections, a disintegrated opposition paves the way for the world’s oldest leader to claim a fresh mandate.

From Cornell to conscience

Hounded out of the United States for his pro-Palestine activism, Momodou Taal insists that the struggle is global, drawing strength from Malcolm X, faith, and solidarity across borders.

After the uprising

Following two years of mass protest, Kenya stands at a crossroads. A new generation of organizers is confronting an old question: how do you turn revolt into lasting change? Sungu Oyoo joins the AIAC podcast to discuss the vision of Kenya’s radical left.

Redrawing liberation

From Gaza to Africa, colonial cartography has turned land into property and people into populations to be managed. True liberation means dismantling this order, not redrawing its lines.

Who deserves the city?

Colonial urbanism cast African neighborhoods as chaotic, unplanned, and undesirable. In postcolonial Dar es Salaam, that legacy still shapes who builds, who belongs, and what the middle class fears the city becoming.