Month: February 2019

American Odessey

It isn’t easy migrating to America. Three refugees’ stories

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Sudanese refugee Kuol Deng sits in his Louisville apartment next to a stack of old black and white Western films that his daughter and son will watch from South Sudan using FaceTime.

It has been more than three years since Kuol has seen his kids in person. They often ask him when they will get to come to America — a difficult question to which he doesn’t know the answer.

On the other side of town, fellow Sudanese refugee Rizik Lado sits outside his apartment tightening his shoes in preparation for a run. This time, the run is for leisure, but he can still remember running while bullets whizzed past his body as he fled his village in South Sudan.

Continue reading “It isn’t easy migrating to America. Three refugees’ stories” →

Celebrity

Lupita Nyong’o, A Gracious Role Model for Our Times

Photography– Willy Vanderperre   Styling-Olivier Rizzo     Text-Lynette Nylander

It’s been just six years since her Oscar-winning turn as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave but Lupita Nyong’o has already redefined what screen actresses might be, what they might achieve, what they might represent, and how they might inspire others. In fiction, she has inhabited different worlds, told different stories. In reality, she has affirmed the beauty of millions of black women across the globe, reaching way beyond the limitations of cinema.

Last year, as special-forces operative Nakia in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-nominated Black Panther, Lupita Nyong’o and her accompanying all-black lead cast – unprecedented in the superhero-movie genre – caused a seismic shift.

Marrying the black experience, which in Hollywood is rarely seen through the African lens, with fantasy fiction, the resultant epic carries an enormous cultural significance that will be its legacy. It was wildly popular:

Black Panther was the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time. 2018 also saw Nyong’o reprise her performance as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars franchise, due for release later this year. Both roles – pivotal to megawatt, mega-buck productions – transcend any vague notion of Nyong’o as an ingenue, a rising star.

Continue reading “Lupita Nyong’o, A Gracious Role Model for Our Times” →

News

Former South African President, De Klerk speaks on “Globalization Without Isolation” at Illinois State University

Former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner F.W. De Klerk stopped by Illinois State University on Tuesday to talk to students on the topic “Bridging the Gap: Globalization Without Isolation.”

In 1994, De Klerk and the late Nelson Mandela collaborated to end apartheid, or institutional racial segregation, in South Africa.

De Klerk said though many call him “the last president of apartheid” he did not support it, and worked to change the country once he was elected. When it comes to America, he said the country used to be a leader in racial equality.

“I think America should go back to its good history of eradicating discrimination and fighting racism,” De Klerk said.

He came to the university to be a part of their Speaker Series, bringing history to life. Continue reading “Former South African President, De Klerk speaks on “Globalization Without Isolation” at Illinois State University” →

Awards

Otrude Moyo, Zimbabwean academic at University of Michigan awarded Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship

By Ashley Schafer

Otrude Moyo, chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of Michigan-Flint has been named a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship from the Institute of International Education.

She joins a prestigious group of 385 scholars who have been awarded African Diaspora Fellowships to travel to Africa since the program’s inception in 2013.

Moyo received the fellowship for her project, “Internationalizing the Social Work Curriculum: Breathing Life into New Possibilities, Integrating Local-Global Thinking about Social Problems to Rebuild Healthy and Vibrant Communities.” Moyo will collaborate with faculty at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa on the project.

Moyo, an assistant professor, specializes in social welfare, critical multiculturalism, diversity and social justice, understanding quality of life, and inequality issues. She currently teaches social policy, diversity and social justice courses at University of Michigan-Flint.

Continue reading “Otrude Moyo, Zimbabwean academic at University of Michigan awarded Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship” →

Uncategorized

The Congolese-American activist who scaled the Statue of Liberty isn’t backing down from taking on Trump

By Chidinma Irene Nwoye

As a child in the Congo-Brazzaville, Therese Patricia Okoumou loved climbing things, particularly houses. No one else, not even her brothers, joined her in these escapades; feats that decades later came in handy as she scaled New York City’s revered Statue of Liberty on July 4, 2018, in protest of President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy.

By doing this, Okoumou became the first woman in history to successfully climb Lady Liberty’s pedestal but she could spend up to 18 months behind bars for doing so.Last December, a federal district court in Manhattan found Okoumou guilty of three misdemeanors: disorderly conduct, trespassing, and interfering with government agency functions.

Each charge carries a sentence of up to six months in prison. Ruling in The United States of America v. Therese Okoumou, Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein asserted that Okoumou’s political motivations did not override the law.

Continue reading “The Congolese-American activist who scaled the Statue of Liberty isn’t backing down from taking on Trump” →

Uncategorized

Nigeria Expects $3 Billion in Diaspora Investment Funding

Nigeria expects $3 billion in investment funding from citizens living mainly in the U.S. to support the agriculture, power, mining and transportation sectors, a senior presidential adviser said.

The government will support “a diaspora investment fund,” Abike Dabiri-Erewa, President Muhammadu Buhari’s adviser on diaspora affairs, said in an interview in Abuja, the capital. “They’re planning a $3 billion investment in Nigeria. The fund will be driven by Nigerians in America.”

Continue reading “Nigeria Expects $3 Billion in Diaspora Investment Funding” →

Communities

President Akufo-Addo leads fund-raiser in Washington to build National Cathedral in Ghana

Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo has called for support to construct the National Cathedral of Ghana.

He made the call on Friday, February 8, 2019, at the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.

Prior to the launch of fundraising for the National Cathedral of Ghana, on December 28, 2018, the President made a personal donation of $100,000, a demonstration of his commitment towards the building of the Cathedral.

The National Cathedral of Ghana when constructed will have an auditorium with a seating capacity of 5,000 and with its chapels and baptistery.

Continue reading “President Akufo-Addo leads fund-raiser in Washington to build National Cathedral in Ghana” →

Music

Soweto Gospel Choir take home 2019 World Music Awards at Grammys

Johannesburg – Multiple award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir have won the Best World Music Album Grammy for their collection of songs titled Freedom.

The awards took place on Sunday night in Los Angeles and were hosted by Alicia Keys.
This was the group`s fifth nomination in this category and they have now won the prestigious award a total of three times.

Receiving the award on behalf of Soweto Gospel Choir were album producer Diniloxolo Ndlakuse Shimmy Jiyane, Mary Mulovhedzi and Mulalo Mulovhedzi whose late father David Mulovhedzi co-founded the group with producer/director Beverly Bryer 17 years ago.

Continue reading “Soweto Gospel Choir take home 2019 World Music Awards at Grammys” →

Uncategorized

Meet Ibra Ake, the Nigerian-American who produced Childish Gambino’s “This is America”

BY AMARACHI NWOSU

Ibra Ake is a Nigerian-American visual artist, creative director and writer based in Los Angeles, California. Living in cities around the world from Lagos to New York has played a major role in his unique approach to visual art.

From shooting covers of magazines to being the creative director for artist’s like Childish Gambino as well as writing on the hit show Atlanta, Ake is no stranger to expressing himself through different mediums.

Having been introduced to art through animation and drawing, he later picked up photography through a class in art school before he decided to leave, and go into creating full time.

Continue reading “Meet Ibra Ake, the Nigerian-American who produced Childish Gambino’s “This is America”” →

Music

Nigerian-American, Ibra Ake grabs first Grammy for producing Gambino’s ‘This is America’

Nigerian-American producer, writer and filmmaker, Ibra Ake snagged his first Grammy Award at the 61st ceremony. He won the award for Best Music Video for producing Childish Gambino’s critically acclaimed visuals for ‘This is America’.

Reacting to the win, Ake excitedly tweeted @ibralikezebra, “I can’t believe I just won a Grammy. Where’s the catch? Royalty forever.”

The visual artist, creative director and writer based in Los Angeles, California and shuttles between cities around the world from Lagos to New York.

While he has spent most of his life in America, he constantly credits his Nigerian upbringing for allowing him to understand the value of documentation and storytelling.

Ake, who grew up in Nigeria and New Jersey, is also a writer for hit TV show, ‘Atlanta’ which also features Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’ won a total of four Grammy awards on Sunday night.

Giving Back

US community donates relief materials to internally displaced persons in Nigeria

The Town of Lincoln in Massachusetts, a community in the United States has donated tonnes of relief items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria through the Peace Institute.

Founder of the Institute, and also a Nigerian Human rights lawyer, Hauwa Ibrahim said the materials include clothes, bicycles, a car, tents, beddings mosquito nets amongst. Professor Hauwa who is a lawyer at Harvard University and the winner of  the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize  for Human Rights in 2005  said the need to assist the less privileged stemmed from the need to assist the Chibok Girls and with the situation surrounding their abduction and the communities displacement and others.

While distributing some of the relief materials, Professor Hauwa said the aim was to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged and assist them in what little way she can. Continue reading “US community donates relief materials to internally displaced persons in Nigeria” →

Appointments

Refugee, teacher, turnaround agent, he’s the first Somali-American on St. Paul’s city council

By Frederick Melo

Shortly before being sworn into office, the newest member of the St. Paul City Council received an unhappy social media message from “Mike from Facebook.” The topic: trash.
What could be done, said Mike, about the refuse accumulating at Minnehaha Avenue and Duluth Street?

Kassim Busuri and his legislative aide, Scott Renstrom, immediately contacted a store owner at the corner to discuss the situation, and then Metro Transit to determine who owns a bench at the location. By the end of the day, the likelihood of getting a trash receptacle installed seemed high.

“We’re going to make sure it’s going to be fixed,” said Busuri on Wednesday, minutes after being seated at his first council meeting. His first project as council member may not be one for the record books, but Busuri’s arrival at City Hall holds special meaning for the city’s growing Somali-American population.

Continue reading “Refugee, teacher, turnaround agent, he’s the first Somali-American on St. Paul’s city council” →

Uncategorized

Taste of Nigeria Serves Up a Ton of Tribal Cuisine Near the Galleria

By Alaena Hostetter

A brand new restaurant Taste of Nigeria just debuted a lengthy menu of Nigerian eats near the Galleria. The new eatery, located at 5959 Richmond Avenue, is from Ayo and Tiffaney Odewale, the husband-and-wife team behind Cafe Abuja.

“We opened Taste of Nigeria based on demand in the Galleria area; there’s a decent population of Nigerians here,” Tiffaney tells Eater. The new spinoff is larger and has a more upscale feel than its predecessor. Diners will find seating for about 50, wood-clad walls, punched copper pendant lights, and a bar (unlike at Cafe Abuja).

As far as the menu is concerned, the Odewales expanded that also to accommodate more Nigerian tribal cuisines, according to Tiffany. “There are a lot of tribes in Nigeria,” she explains of her husband’s home country, leading to a rather lengthy menu of more than 50 dishes. Continue reading “Taste of Nigeria Serves Up a Ton of Tribal Cuisine Near the Galleria” →

Eulogy

Lamin Sanneh: The Gambian-born Yale Professor who was a foremost African theologian

BY FRANCIS ANEKWE OBORJI

Lamin Sanneh (1942-2019), a foremost African theologian of our time from Gambia in West Africa, was called to great beyond on January 6, 2019, the Feast of Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ to the gentile world. Sanneh suffered a stroke and died at the age of 76, in his place of abode, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut in the United States of America.

Until his sudden demise last January, Professor Lamin Sanneh was the D. Willis James Professor of Missions and World Christianity at Yale Divinity School and Professor of History at Yale University. Sanneh is internationally, respected and acknowledged as the world’s foremost theologian of World Christianity and Islam.

He was also a co-founder and joint convener of the Yale – Edinburgh Group on the History of Missions and World Christianity. The Group’s annual Conferences, meeting in Yale and Edinburgh alternately, have been an input feature of the academic contribution of this illustrious son of Africa to the world. Continue reading “Lamin Sanneh: The Gambian-born Yale Professor who was a foremost African theologian” →

Communities

South Africans living in Canada brave the snow to register for upcoming elections

While almost 10 million eligible voters in South Africa  have not yet registered to vote in the upcoming national elections, some South Africans abroad have braved the cold to play their part.

Meet 21-year-old Katelin Hogue who visited the South African High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, to register, despite the -18°C weather.

“The weather was very cold; the roads were snowy, and the traffic was busy. But going through all of it was worth it to get registered,” she told News24.
Hogue has been living outside of South Africa for 15 years and still makes it a priority to vote.

Continue reading “South Africans living in Canada brave the snow to register for upcoming elections” →

Black History

Black History Month: Five facts about Black foreign-born immigrants in the United States

By Felicia Persaud 

Happy Black History Month! Seems rarer and rarer these days to see an ad on television or anywhere that says that yet around 12-14 percent of the U.S. population is considered to be Black or African-American. That figure includes, conservatively, 4.2 million Black foreign-born immigrants who now make up a sizable percentage of the immigrant-voting bloc.

Continue reading “Black History Month: Five facts about Black foreign-born immigrants in the United States” →
Music

Nigerian-American music star, Davido, sets new record on Billboard chart

Atlanta-born Davido’s “Fall” continues to break international records.  The music video for the 2017 hit, is already the first Nigerian music video to reach 100 million views on Youtube, making it the most watched Nigerian music video on YouTube.

Now, the massive Nigerian pop song has reached another unprecedented record: it’s officially the longest-charting Nigerian song in Billboard history.   Last year it became the first Nigerian music video to reach 100 million views on YouTube, and now it has been named the longest-charting Nigerian song in US chart history.

By Damola Durosomo in okayafrica.com
Continue reading “Nigerian-American music star, Davido, sets new record on Billboard chart” →

Visit to Africa

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2019: ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ initiative invites African-Americans back to Africa

Given its history and commitment to the unification of African peoples throughout the world, it’s not surprising that the government of Ghana is sponsoring an unprecedented “Year of Return” in 2019, during which people of African descent in North America are invited to visit Ghana.

Described as an event to celebrate the resilience of African people and to mark the 400th anniversary of the first Africans being forcibly transported to what is now the United States of America, it was officially launched in August 2018 in Ghana and announced in September at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Year-round events, activities and special happenings abound in Ghana.

Continue reading “BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2019: ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ initiative invites African-Americans back to Africa” →

Events

Nigerian Seun Kuti and Malian Fatoumata Diawara to perform at Grammy Awards

Seun Kuti, the Afrobeat singer, and son of the late legend, Fela has been listed as one of the performers at the 61st Grammy Awards.

Kuti, who was nominated for Best World Music Album will perform with Malian singer/songwriter, Fatoumata Diawara, at the award’s Premiere Ceremony on February 10.
This was contained in a recently published statement on the Grammys’ website.

Continue reading “Nigerian Seun Kuti and Malian Fatoumata Diawara to perform at Grammy Awards” →

Sports

Ghanaian Richard Commey wins world boxing title in Texas

Richard Commey made his second crack at the vacant IBF lightweight title count, claiming his first world title with a second round stoppage of Isa Chaniev. in a figh held at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Ghana’s Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) became the IBF lightweight champion with a sensational performance against Isa Chaniev (13-2, 6 KOs), utterly demolishing him in two rounds.

Commey (28-2, 25 KO) tore through Chaniev (13-2, 6 KO), dropping him late in the first round on a monster right hand. As Commey went to end things before the bell could sound to end the frame, he tripped, which may have been all that saved Chaniev at that point. Continue reading “Ghanaian Richard Commey wins world boxing title in Texas” →

Uncategorized

Talking With Ambassador Nominee Lana Marks, Who’s Ready to Ditch Palm Beach for Pretoria

By Tish Durkin

“I am not the female Donald Trump,” demurs Lana Marks in the very polite, very firm way that you can tell she does many things.

At this moment, she certainly seems right about that. Perfectly coiffed, polished, and pearl-necked at her desk in the office behind the Palm Beach boutique that bears her name, Trump’s nominee to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to South Africa appears exactly as trim, sunny, and measured as her would-be boss is stout, grouchy, and combustible.

Continue reading “Talking With Ambassador Nominee Lana Marks, Who’s Ready to Ditch Palm Beach for Pretoria” →

Uncategorized

Investors gather in Miami to Power Africa

The 5th Powering Africa: Summit will host over 370 investors and public and private stakeholders from across North America, Africa and Europe to present energy projects, discuss investment opportunities and build relationships within the international power community.

The Powering Africa: Summit (PAS) to take place for the first time in Miami from February 25-27 will be attended by delegates of the World Bank, OPIC, MCC, Power Africa, USAID and USADF alongside African energy leaders from Morocco, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Nigeria.

Participants will discuss new innovative partnerships to implement the Power Africa Initiative launched by former US President Barack Obama five years ago. The initiative seeks to provide 60 million households and businesses across Africa with access to electricity and add 30,000 MW of power supply by 2030. Continue reading “Investors gather in Miami to Power Africa” →

Sports

David Accam and Florence Dadson, US based Ghanaian Soccer stars Wed in Cape Coast

Ghana and Philadelphia Union striker David Accam married Black Queens forward Florence Dadson in a traditional ceremony held in Cape Coast. Ghana

The duo, who reportedly began their relationship not long ago, took many by surprise after pictures of their marriage flooded social media. The marriage took place at the start of the New Year.  Both footballers are based in the United States of America and had been dating for about a year.
Continue reading “David Accam and Florence Dadson, US based Ghanaian Soccer stars Wed in Cape Coast” →

Uncategorized

U.S.-based Nigerians to attract $3bn investment to Nigeria

A Nigerian professional forum in the U.S. have put measures in place to attract an estimated $3 billion investment into the Nigerian economy in the next three years.
The Nigerian American Business Forum (NABF) stated at its 2019 Investment Conference with the theme: Entrepreneurship in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities at Tampa, Florida.

The President of the forum, Mr Kenneth Shobola, said the forum aimed to impact the wealth of experience of accomplished Nigerian Diasporas for the rapid development of their homeland.
Continue reading “U.S.-based Nigerians to attract $3bn investment to Nigeria” →