Dog day afternoon
The basic lesson from Halima Ouardiri’s short film, “Clebs,” about over 750 stray dogs living in a Moroccan sanctuary: We behave just like dogs.
Culture
A time for farewell, and a return
Africans rarely re-evaluate ourselves, the basis of our knowledge and our traditions on our own terms, argues Sierra Leonean writer Ishmael Beah.
Ivan Vladislavic and Muhammad Ali
How do white writers confront South Africa's as well as their own pasts?
An ode to Somali girlhood
A new film set in Djibouti City presents a searing class critique of Somali girlhood.
The bedroom adventures of African women
Talking to other African women about sexual experiences, desires, and fantasies without feeling judged.
A brief history of anti-black violence in China
The recent news of evictions and mistreatment of African students in China during the COVID-19 pandemic is rooted in a history of violence and discrimination.
Confronting the weapon of photography
The imperial legacy of the camera and the narrative power of words and images.
Eric Garner in Palestine
Activists in the occupied territories reinvent the Freedom Rides of 1960s America and in the process link US and Palestinian struggles for liberation.
The complex history of skin lighteners
The intersecting dynamics of class and gender, changing beauty ideals, and the expansion of consumer capitalism in Africa.
Invitation diplomacy
A film about North Korea’s relationship to African countries suggests a unique transcontinental relationship that resists easy classification.
Feminist organizing on digital platforms
The coverage of African women in the mainstream media continues to be lacking and often times problematic. The website, African Feminism, wants to change that.
The picture is a beginning
There’s a certain humanity in the work of late South African photographer Santu Mofokeng in how he approached his subjects and the politics of representation.
This is my country
The Liberian academic and writer talks about citizenship, belonging, and what unites her fragmented nation.
How to steal a country
Rehad Desai's film celebrates the investigative journalists who expose the corruption of Zuma's regime in South Africa, comes with a depressing note: To date, no one has gone to jail.
Mandela and the Others
Dennis Goldberg’s passing and a new film presents an opportune moment to revisit The Rivonia Trial and consider the lessons of this trial and the lives of these defendants for contemporary South Africa.
‘Planet of the Humans’ is a mess. You should watch it
The new documentary on the future of our planet, executive produced by Michael Moore, fails on a number of fronts. But believers in green growth could still learn from it.
Being a feminist is a journey
Afro-feminism does not make enough of an effort to connect with the African feminist movement, argues the founder of Eyala.
‘Queen Sono’ and Netflix’s future in Africa
Queen Sono may be Netflix’s most popular series, but it may not be the right home for the new wave of African film and television.
Wole Soyinka’s little known musical endeavors
Among other notable achievements, Wole Soyinka made political music. In 1983, he even released an album.
Reclaiming digital platforms for African feminists
The Hub of Loving Action in Africa (HOLAA), promotes conversations about African experiences with sex and sexuality. Rama Salla Dieng speaks to one of her founders.