Omar Victor Diop: Liberty Project Diaspora

Omar Victor Diop is a Senegalese photographer who gained momentum in 2012 with his art. I discovered him through his current exhibition showing in London (the details are below) and even had the opportunity to have a quit chat during his and Black Masculinity and Self-fashioning talk. The talk dealt with his journey, a quick …

Une Si Longue Lettre or So Long A Letter by Mariama Ba

Une Si Longue Lettre, or So Long a letter is a book written by the late Senegalese author, Mariama Bah. This semi-autobiographic book published in 1979 narrates the author's lfie, as she writes a letter to her best friend - hence the title. In this letter, she describes her feelings, as she slowly unconvers the …

Visit the Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

After seeing an exhibition on the life of Nelson Mandela in Paris in 2013, I developed an interest for South Africa, its history, its people and its culture and its challenges. I finally decided to go and visit the country in December 2017,  by visiting Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Apartheid Museum based in Johannesburg …

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Reni Eddo Lodge here narrates the history of racial bias and injustice in the UK. From the colonial times, to immigration waves incensed by the UK government post WWII, one gets to understand the struggles that immigrants went through, whether it was verbal, or physical violence, and the lack of accountability of institutions which once …

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah is definitely one of my favourites ever. It narrates the story of a Nigerian girl, Ifemulu, and her life in Nigeria, up until she has the opportunity to move to the United States. There, Ifemulu, discovers that she is Black. She discovers that the way she looks will influence people's perceptions, on her, such …

Born A Crime

Born A Crime is a book written in 2016 by the South African comedian and current host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah. It narrates his childhood under and after apartheid, as he was literally born a crime - from a South African mother and a Swiss-German father, which was illegal at the time. This …

A Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela

This book is a must for anyone interested in South African history - and more specifically, apartheid. The period of apartheid (1948-1991) was a dark time in the South African history, marked by openly racist policies towards 'coloured people'. This autobiography traces back the story of Rolihlahla 'Madiba' Nelson Mandela, from his birth in a …

Our Culture Is Not For Sale

(Painting of  the Ife Princess Adetutu 'Tutu' Ademiloyu, Ben Enwonwu, 1974) I will assume that most of us have now seen the latest Marvel’s Black Panther. While I could expand on how this movie broke down barriers, and how much representation matters, especially for those with African descent, I chose to focus on a particular …

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures was written by Margot Lee Shetterly was first published on 2016,  and consequently gave birth to the 2017 movie starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae. It narrates the story of three Black female mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson in a segregated United States. Through their storylines, we …

Podcast: On 1 with Angela Rye

Angela Rye is a CNN political commentator, the former director of the US Congressional Black Caucus, and the CEO of Impact Strategies. Angela Rye is a sharp and funny analyst, and it reflects in her podcast, as she discusses US politics, pop culture and the society in general. This podcast 'for the woke and sophistiratchet' …