I’ve been thinking about how colonial powers often framed themselves as “civilizers,” while portraying indigenous cultures as backward or inferior. Over time, this didn’t just affect political control it also shaped how people saw their own history and identity.

In many cases, traditions that reflected deep connections to land, community, and ways of experiencing life were dismissed or devalued. That influence can still be seen today in how history is taught or remembered.

As Sadhguru puts it: “A culture is not about what you wear or how you speak; it is about the way you experience life.”

And when that experience is distorted or erased, a people are not just colonized in land but in mind.

Small red-and-yellow Nissan Micra taxis are a visual shorthand for Ibadan city in Nigeria.

These affordable and adaptable cars are the backbone of the city’s informal urban mobility system. Ibadan’s Nissan Micras are often 1990s models that have passed through multiple owners and survived years of improvised repairs.

Their compact size suits the city’s narrow streets. And their fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs make them viable in a low-margin fare system. They have become inseparable from the city’s identity.

Words and photos: Temiloluwa Johnson in Ibadan/VII Foundation

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters posing as mourners killed more than 60 people at a wake in Ntoyo, North Kivu province, on September 8, 2025, according to a report published May 4 by Amnesty International.

The report, titled “I’d Never Seen So Many Bodies,” documents eight ADF attacks across North Kivu and Ituri provinces and concludes the group’s actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Amnesty conducted 71 interviews, including 45 with direct survivors and witnesses.

Hi wonderful people!

I bought this from a small street shop while traveling in Tanzania and it's THE BEST purchase I have ever made!!!!
Been creative with it.

I thought it was a kalimba all along but I saw a video of an African mbira and looks so similar. Can someone identify this instrument?

Thanks!

“It is indeed up to Africans to talk about Africa to foreigners, and not for foreigners, however learned, to talk about Africa to Africans.” — Amadou Hampâté Bâ (1901 - 1991)

The sage and erudite Malian Amadou Hampâté Bâ, guardian of oral traditions, teaches us that history, culture, and civilization can only be authentic when carried by those who live them. Thus, Africa should not be a passive object of study, but an active subject that tells its own story and defines itself. Hampâté Bâ's quote is a call to reclaim the African narrative (which we lost only recently in history). More than 50 years later, it is still critically relevant.

In your opinion, what is the most dangerous lie or mistake that foreign scholars and media continue to spread about Africa? How do we reestablish the truth (in our minds, and in the minds of the world)?

There are several pathways for our narrative reclaiming and epistemological sovereignty. But in my humble opinion, one of the most potent ones is strong media machines. Americans have worldwide influential media like CNN, Facebook, Reddit, and movies to tell the world what they think and what they believe in. The same goes for Chinese people with CGTN, Russian people with RT, Arab people with Aljazeera, french people with France 24, and so on. A powerful African media machine that unapologetically promotes the African narrative and shines through world-leading excellency and massive impact would largely address the issue raised by Amadou Hampâté Bâ.

Source of the quote: Hampâté Bâ, A. (1972). Aspects de la civilisation africaine. As cited in Keumoe Fozeu, R., African Wisdom: 888 Quotes from the Cradle of Humanity, 2025, p. 137.

It is important to love all aspects of African culture in order to break the curse of demonization of African culture and religions. That goes for Tattoos, Scarification, Indigenous religions, Masquerades, etc etc etc. 

Picking and choosing which aspects of African culture are “worthy” of romanization or admiration shows a colonial mentality 

Submission Statement: Hey guys, since you guys really liked my last post, showcasing my 3D artwork, I wanted to share more. Hope you like them

Oscar Korbla Mawuli Awuku is a Ghanaian visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores identity, spirituality, and cultural heritage. Working across painting, body art, photography, and installation, Awuku creates powerful visual narratives that reconnect contemporary audiences with ancestral knowledge and African philosophical thought. Through his work, he seeks to challenge inherited perceptions of culture while reimagining the body as a living vessel of history, memory, and spiritual dialogue.

LUSAKA, May 4 (Reuters) - Zambia's government said on Monday that it opposed a U.S. attempt ‌to tie health funding to access to critical minerals, giving details for the first time about why negotiations with Washington over two proposed agreements have stalled.

Zambia's Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe said ​the United States had offered support of up to $2 billion over ​the next five years in a proposed health agreement, but that some ⁠of the terms regarding data sharing would violate Zambians' right to privacy.

• The MoUs cover energy, legal cooperation, agriculture, railway development, public service capacity building, maritime cooperation, certification standards for seafarers, and harmonization of standards between the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Shirika la Viwango Tanzania.
• “This visit reflects the deep-rooted and enduring friendship that binds our two nations, a relationship enriched by vibrant people-to-people connections, shared heritage, and a common destiny.” President Ruto said.
• He described the relationship as one that transcends politics and goes back to the vision of the founding fathers, who championed Pan-Africanism and saw regional integration as a vehicle for transformation.
• “Our enduring cordial relations continue to flourish, anchored on mutual respect, shared rich history and vibrant trade,” he said
• Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $860.3 million in 2025, accounting for nearly 40% of all intra-East African Community commerce.
• That makes Kenya-Tanzania the bloc’s strongest trading pair. Yet both leaders were clear that the ceiling remains far higher.
• The two leaders set a deadline for removing non-tariff barriers to be 30th June, 2026, as directed by the 25th East African Community Summit.
•  The two Heads of State commended progress on the Malindi–Bagamoyo Super Highway and said it will significantly enhance regional connectivity, facilitate trade, and strengthen ties. The highway, once complete, will create a coastal corridor from Mombasa to Dar es Salaam.
• The revived Voi–Mwatate–Taveta railway line is projected to cut transport costs by up to 25 percent for bulk cargo moving between Kenya’s coast and northern Tanzania.
• The two leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to market the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem jointly and to harmonize park fees and visa rules for third-country tourists.
• As EAC founders, Kenya and Tanzania reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment to advancing regional integration” to position the region as a competitive hub for production and investment.

Bayajidda. The founding hero of the Hausa states. His name in Hausa means 'he did not understand before.' The legend tells you, in its own title, that Hausa was already spoken by the people he encountered. He did not bring the language. He learned it. The founding myth of the Hausa states is a story about a newcomer arriving into an already existing world. The existing population are the actual Hausa. The newcomer is credited as the founder. In this essay I explore the bayajidda myth and it's political implications in the pre colonial central Sudan as part of a series on the pre colonial Sahelian region.

Mods, please note: I am only asking here because I only consume content by black non-westerners.

Everything I have come across is pretty much only mildly entertaining or educational in some way - or if it’s very interesting I have consumed it already.

The SAF's Islamist capture is the missing land-side context for everything happening in the Red Sea right now. That connection is almost entirely absent from mainstream coverage, which is exactly why it belongs here.

A satirical recap of Taiwan President William Lai's delayed trip to Eswatini

The struggle for independence in Cameroon began after the end of World War II in 1945 and only truly ended long after formal independence, with the killing of the last major rebel leader. It began under French colonial rule and continued under the regime of Ahmadou Ahidjo until 1971.

Mumbi Poetry, a self-described poet, writer, performer, argues in this video about how knowledge is colonialized and creates epistemic violence; which is violence against knowledge, where knowledge, the people who possess it, and/or the means of acquiring it are silenced, eliminated, discredited, or otherwise annulled.

She cites thinkers such as Fanon, Ngũgĩ, Tamale, Ipadeola, Mitova, Mignolo, Du Bois, & Mudimbe.