American tribalism
Political 'tribalism' has for far too long been seen as an African problem. It is also an American problem, reflecting parallel legacies of colonialism.
Culture
I have rarely seen a people pray as much as Haitians do
The legacies of colonialism and the African slave trade on religious practices in the African diaspora.
Democracy by numbers
If you want a prejudice to look respectable, put a number to it and compile an index. You can then rule the minds of many people.
The burden of being Nigerian
On xenophobia against Nigerians in Ghana.
The spear of the nation
Apartheid propaganda, white media and Afrikaner nationalists painted Verwoerd's killer as crazy, but Dimitri Tsafendas was a committed political activist.
This is what a neoliberal trade union looks like
Zambia's mining unions increasingly focus on profit-generating businesses, at the expense of collective action.
The house of exile
Edward Said once said of the usefulness of exile for intellectual work: it involves adopting “a spirit of opposition, rather than accommodation.” James Baldwin and Sisonke Msimang took it to heart.
O problema com ‘Black Panther’
No primer aniversario do estreno do filme 'Black Panther,' re-publicamos o ensaio de Russell Rickford traducido em Português.
Schooling desegregation and decolonization are not the same thing
Constant attention to segregation in formerly white South African schools limits our understanding of how race works in the school system.
African history on its own terms
There are far richer and complex stories to the Africa's history than we think we know; especially the perspectives of African women.
Ghana’s royal visitors
The contrasting receptions for high profile visitors to Ghana—first Prince Charles and Camilla from the UK, then a group of African-American celebrities from the United States—says a lot.
Bus politics in Dar es Salaam
The secretary of a Tanzanian bus drivers' union explains why the system of privately owned commercial buses is breaking down. He proposes collective ownership.
The disidentification of Mahamat Saleh Haroun
2019 marks the twentieth anniversary of Chad's first feature film, 'Bye Bye Africa.'
Meditating on youth in Mogadishu
In Somalia young people are the majority, yet have to act and perform “age"—appear older—to succeed or get anywhere in life.
What’s new? Making money off poor school children again
The latest trick is to transfer tax-payer funded aid aimed at Africa and the Middle East into the pockets of corporations and individuals.
Speculative view
Two new Nigerian films explore the world of traditional worship in Nigeria
Albert Luthuli, MLK and global human rights
Albert Luthuli was ANC President when South Africa's biggest liberation movement turned to armed struggle. He's been the subject of much conjecture. What did he actually think about political violence?
Voltamos a Africa
Is emigrating to Africa an option for Black Brazilians in the time of Jair Bolsonaro's toxic, racist, rightwing regime?
The gentrification of African studies
Displacing African Studies outside of Africa and emptying it of transformative potential, obscures its revolutionary legacy. The result: an impotent, banal field.
The slave holders on the border
Why do people on the border between Nigeria and northern Cameroon refer to Boko Haram as slave holders?