Brazil’s New Problem With Blackness
As the proudly mixed-race country grapples with its legacy of slavery, affirmative-action race tribunals are measuring skull shape and nose width to determine who counts as disadvantaged. PELOTAS, […]
Author Archives: Chika Oduah
Black Women Tackle Dangerous Stereotypes
The pop culture landscape is littered with lazy images of black women ― the nurturer, the hussy, the angry bitch. Hovering around the all-encompassing myth of the “strong black […]
Brown Girls Do Ballet
I took ballet classes when I was a little girl. I remember going to the store to buy a pink tutu. I remember lacing up my slippers. I remember doing […]
Muslim & Queer
I started wearing hijab when I was around three years old. It was both cultural and religious, so I never questioned it and wore it on and off until I […]
To so many Africans, Fidel Castro is a hero
If Africa is a country, then Fidel Castro is one of our national heroes. This may come as a surprise to many oblivious of Africa’s postcolonial history and Castro’s role […]
Zin’naariyâ! (‘The Wedding Ring’)
It’s a beautiful new film by the Nigerien journalist and film director, Rahmatou KEÏTA, which explores the themes of longing, love and travel. The film is called Zin’naariyâ, which means the […]
Recognizing the Genocide in Namibia
More than a century since the German Empire carried out racial extermination in Namibia and in the wake of its recognition of the Armenian genocide, Germany is being urged to do the same for Namibia. But Berlin’s unwillingness to grant reparations has been criticized.
Road trip in Senegal
On a road trip in Senegal, Dakar’s nightlife shines and Saint-Louis sings DAKAR, Senegal — From dizzying Dakar to vibrant Saint-Louis, Senegal pulsates with rich culture, history and […]
The Woman, The Soul, The Worshiper
the Woman woke up one clear night under the spell of a mighty cough it scratched her throat until it bled sore raw red and in one enormous blow […]
Africans & #BlackLivesMatter
Activists in both South Africa and Kenya are drawing on the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile to highlight the global echoes of their own social justice causes. CAPE […]
Afrocentric Confessions 