The romanticism of history
The resistance legacy of Brazilian slaves suffers from both romanticism and a spotty historical record. But it also persists as a potent social and cultural symbol.
History
The beautification of Stellenbosch University
The arrogance of apartheid-denialism at Stellenbosch University.
The first genocide of the 20th century
The language, methods, and scale of the Herero genocide remain shocking even in the aftermath of the horrors of the Holocaust.
This brand of non-racialism is no better than denial
A review of a documentary film about the life of Albie Sachs, a noted antiapartheid activist and later Supreme Court Judge in postapartheid South Africa.
Paralyzed with Fear of the Past
J.M. Coetzee wondered in the late 1980s what price white South Africans are willing to pay for fraternity with Black South Africans.
It’s Not Just About Cecil John Rhodes
Statues of icons of colonialism continue to exist in their visibly unaltered state throughout South Africa’s major cities.
Rhodes Must Fall Everywhere
Aside from the heady enthusiasm of campus politics, is there any variable that unites these seemingly disparate campus struggles and what can they learn from one another?
Which Art History in Africa?
As an art writer working in Africa, I have no available model to craft an entire practice of writing books on contemporary art in Uganda.
Obroni, a History
Most Ghanaians think "obroni" means "white person" or "foreigner", but it stems from the Akan phrase "abro nipa" meaning "wicked person."
The University as a Place to Think
How we harness knowledge to the ethical injunctions we uphold against marginality, pain or suffering, on a global scale.
Remembering Differently
Slavery, despite its centrality to South Africa's founding, remains on the periphery of popular and institutional memory there.
Apartheid Israel
Is it fair to compare Israel to Apartheid South Africa? And no, making the comparison is not antisemitic.
The limits of the idea of “alternative Africas”
How much energy should we invest in counterfactuals like: What if a diminished Europe, devastated by a plague, did not produce colonial powers, how might Africa’s history have unfolded?
The Digital Mandela
Finding ways to deconstruct the legacy from reality when it comes to South Africa's democratic president, Nelson Mandela.
The Spear of the People
The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has a bit of a reputation as a “sleepy hollow.” But it was a crucial node in the struggle against apartheid.
Burkina Faso Is on The Boil
And can someone tell the BBC: No, Blaise Compaore is not a "peacemaker."
Ali Mazrui and Me
A fateful meeting with Mazrui, the famed Kenyan historian and broadcaster.