Did you know we are in the midst of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent? On the 23rd of December 2013, the UN General Assembly decided on resolution 68/237, proclaiming a decade dedicated to people of African descent. The period runs from 2015 to 2024, promoting the themes of recognition, justice,…
Despite the many ethnic tensions and high levels of unemployment that continue to plague many African nations, the continent is now being referred to as the “world’s most exciting economic frontier.” Africa is experiencing record economic growth rates, surpassing the vast majority of developed economies. Although there are many underlying factors behind the growth, most notably…
Iomikoe Johnson was 25 when she noticed a small spot of white skin under her arm. She worried it might be skin cancer, but then she noticed patches of white popping up elsewhere on her body. Johnson has vitiligo, a condition that may eventually turn her skin completely white. Though the condition once had her…
In the United States, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are designated by Congress as institutions that provided higher education to African American students prior to 1964. In March 2017, Howard University, the most iconic HBCU, celebrated 150 years of advancing knowledge with a positive announcement: enrollment statistics were on the rise and diversity…
André Alexis, one of Canada’s premier playwrights and novelists, is now recognized for the scope of his bibliography as the winner of the 2017 Windham-Campbell Prize. This coveted American literary prize, known for awarding one of the richest literary prize amounts in the world, recognizes Alexis’ entire body of diverse creative works. Alexis was born in…
The glamorous stage where the English National Ballet performs is worlds away from the grinding poverty of the Kuwinda slum in Kenya. Yet that stage appears to be where one former Kuwinda resident is destined to be seen. Sixteen-year-old Joel Kioko is a phenomenon in the ballet world. Like many male dancers, he came to…
Gabourey Sidibe was probably sent to earth to show the rest of us how to live a truly authentic life. Her physical appearance is, to most people, the thing most remarkable about her. It is antithetical to everything our culture has trained us to value. Obese and dark skinned, she has nevertheless carved out a stellar…
As a deeply modern poet who effortlessly mixes literary style with contemporary slam, Tyehimba Jess is one of the most celebrated American wordsmiths of his generation. After receiving quiet praise for his previous poetry endeavors, Jess received the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his 2016 collection, OLIO. Jess was born in Detroit and raised by…
Nicki Minaj has promoted a number of causes over the years and has made some huge donations. Her latest act of philanthropy took place unexpectedly on Twitter this Saturday night. While tweeting about a lip-synching contest, she mentioned that she makes plenty of money, enough to fly a winner out from anywhere in the world. A user…
The Neem Foundation program focuses on helping the former captives of Boko Haram. This terrorist group, widely known for its mass kidnappings—most sensationally the 2014 kidnapping of over 200 Nigerian school girls—uses various violent means to fuel its terrorist organizations, as well as spread its zealous ideology. Some kidnapped girls have even been forced…
