When it comes to the ongoing protests and the labour strike in Nigeria it isn’t easy to get a clear perspective of the situation without being in the country. There are many articles by journalists and bloggers who unfortunately aren’t bothering to understand the contextual particularities of the bombings and of the #OccupyNigeria protests. As [...]
When we look back at Afropolitanism in the future, 2011 will certainly stick out as a landmark year. It was the year the Afropolitan movement reached both virtual and actual spaces that define global culture. For example, Afropolitanism got a wikipedia listing. ARISE, the magazine that brought Afropolitanism to the mainstream, hosted ARISE Nigeria Fashion [...]
In the 1960s and 1970s when most African countries became independent states, one of the fundamental ultimate goals of rising pan-African ideology was to consolidate aspirations of African unity. Part of those ambitions manifested in ideologically driven cultural festivals such as the Rumble in the Jungle, FESMAN and FESTAC 77 which were pivotal in nurturing [...]
It’s the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women today and in recognition of this dedicated day (and the 16 consecutive international activist days), I am sharing quotes from one of the best speeches on women’s liberation and the African freedom struggle by one of the most extraordinary leaders of modern history, former Burkinabe president, Thomas [...]
1. People that moan about the use of expletives. 2. The combination of capitalism and yoga. I can’t claim to know all there is to yoga but I can say for certain that apart from keeping you healthy, yoga philosophy aims to connect with something profound, some call it god, some peace, some essence. There [...]
How can someone who propagates themselves as a chosen messenger of god advocate such divisive, confused and love-lacking opinion as Pastor Tapiwa Muzvidziwa? “God”, he says, disapproves of mixed marriages as these are “wrong” and detrimental to the children born of such relationships. Doesn’t he understand that the whole idea of banning interracial and interfaith relationships is deep [...]
If creativity isn’t about community in one-way or another it is dull at worst and provoking at best. Artists that manage to emphasize the spiritual, aesthetic and social elements of living are those that bring to us gifts of understanding. Artists that exemplify this idea are musicians like K’Naan, Baaba Maal, Nneka, Blitz the Ambassador, Fela, [...]
Do you know of the Africa Centre in London’s Covent Garden? If you don’t it’s a kind of home away from home for Africans in London. It hosts regular events of interest to diaspora groups, it sells books and other lovely products and it’s of historic significance. Despite this, it was revealed this year that [...]
Last Friday MsAfropolitan and I (some split-personality going on) participated in a wonderful event at the V&A Museum in London. We presented a fashion show and a panel discussion to a visitor count of over 5,000 people. Here are some of our, okay my, thoughts on the event. By the way, if you’re new to [...]
1. Kay Elizabeth Kay Elizabeth is a vocalist living in London, born in California, of Jamaican and English heritage. Her unique sound and performance style has formed through her personal voyages through history, experience and education. Becoming disenchanted in her youth with American education and popular culture, Kay found her musical interests moving away from [...]
Today marks the 100th celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s striking that the centenary should fall on the same year in which women world-over find themselves at the forefront of significant political and social events. For example, 2011 has seen the launch of UN Women headed by former Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet. Also, Brazil’s [...]
Today marks the start of International Women’s Month, and this year is also the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March. The reasoning behind all of these events is to celebrate and acknowledge women’s history and achievements that are overlooked and devalued in history books. Take for example, we all know [...]
in·spi·ra·tion Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Thursday 03/02/11: Experienced lack of stimulation of the mind resulting in a low level of feeling towards activity = leth·ar·gy I’ve been feeling sluggish this week, and particularly yesterday. I tackled work assignments in the morning, went to an interesting [...]
Facebook – Okay, we get the picture. Life’s sucks, understandably so if your boss is a dick and your partner’s dumped you and your dog simultaneously pooed on your Manolo’s. Or perhaps you are full of internal sunshine and you see the positive in everything now that you are born again and feel elevated, all [...]
The year is 2011. I’m at home in Lagos, Nigeria. I feel excited about the year to come. I always feel excited about a new year, there is always a chance for more of everything, that’s what I like about it. I’m thinking about 2010, the people I met, what I learnt, what I (still) [...]
Sometimes blogging makes me want to pull out my hair. I subscribe to some social media blogs and by no means do I follow their blogging advice religiously but sometimes a recommendation catches your eye, like the other day when I read that every self-respecting blog should have a featured posts box. It made sense, [...]
One of the challenges, and also opportunities with writing an opinion blog like mine is having to take a stand on the range of topics you write about. Whether it’s feminism, women’s libidoes, pornography or natural hair, when you take a firm stand on something you can appear to be unable to relate with the opposing side. [...]
In his book ‘Society must be defended’, written in 1976, Michel Foucault speaks about historical revisionism, hinting to a an earlier statement made by Winston Churchill who said that “History is written by the victors”. These discussions are still relevant today. A significant amount of historical narrative is still being written by those with the [...]
1. MsAfropolitan was featured on some great websites. There was an interview for the Twenty Ten Club Blog, which is a club that connects, inspires and supports Black female business owners. MsAfropolitan was also featured as one of the ‘Women of Webster’, Webster Magazine being a men’s lifestyle magazine doing some admirable work on redefining the [...]
Beauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral, passion ~ Jean-Luc Godard When it comes to beauty, all women have to find a way to feel adequate and love themselves amidst [...]
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it. ~Voltaire The African Women’s Decade 2010-2020 was recently launched in the UK by WILPF in conjunction with the Gender Studies department at SOAS (School of African and Oriental Studies). I attended for three reasons: [...]
The World Cup is almost over, and not to disregard whichever country ends up taking the trophy (g’wan Germany), but there is one country which I will remember as the real winner of the event – Ghana. I make this claim on the basis that Ghana was the first African country to make it this [...]
1. You are very different from other (insert African country) people I know – Well, could it be because I am a different person? 2. When I was in nursery school I had a friend from (insert African country) – Hold on, should I nominate you for the Nobel peace prize? 3. Do you tan [...]
Photo by Paul Watson If you rely on the internet as much as I do (who doesn’t?), then you should always look out for ways to optimize and personalize your online activity. Below is a list of helpful things to consider that could save you time, and enable you to enjoy using the internet more. [...]
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