For those who think drama is a lost art, the transcendent work of Chicago playwright Ike Holter will prove them wrong. Holter’s writing, which often depicts real community issues like public education and gay rights, earned him the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize for Drama in 2017. While Holter is known as a Chicago playwright, he was…
The 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing has been presented to Sudanese author Bushra al-Fadil. As one of the most prestigious literary awards to focus on works by African writers, the Caine is expected to raise the reputation of every author who receives it. Al-Fadil won the prize for a short story called “The Story…
Imagine waking up to a bone-shattering cold at 5 o’clock am with no breakfast to warm you up. Next, you proceed to perform various chores—under the moonlight—ranging from fetching water, washing dishes, and preparing your siblings, if any, for school. You have the same routine five out of seven days every week for the 37-week…
On July 18, the world will remember the legacy of Nelson Mandela, one of the most important and charismatic leaders in history. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was more than just a statesman; he was an African man who stood up for his people in the name of freedom, fairness and peace. Although he spent a great…
When model Nyadak “Duckie” Thot posted a picture of herself on social media recently, the internet went a little crazy. Many said that she looked like a Barbie doll. Some insisted that she was a doll. Ultimately, Duckie is an exquisite beauty that outshines any doll. Duckie has South Sudanese heritage but she was born…
“I love betting on women,” says Sherifah Tumusiime. This incredible Ugandan entrepreneur has a long list of accomplishments. Among them, she earned computer science degree from Makerere University, she was inaugurated as a Mandela Washington Fellow within a leadership program initiated by former US President Barack Obama, and she founded Uganda’s first online baby store.…
In June of 2014, the tech climate in Nigeria shifted dramatically when The Rockefeller Foundation announced a $500,000 grant in favor of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN). PIN is an ongoing project headed by social entrepreneur Gbenga Sesan that strives to familiarize underprivileged Nigerian youth with future careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). PIN’s Life…
London’s Kensington Gardens has hosted an architectural exhibition every year since 2000, but this year’s installation is a landmark occasion. It marks the first time that an African architect has designed a structure for the Serpentine Pavilion. Considered a centerpiece of London’s cultural summer season, being selected for the Serpentine Pavilion exhibition is a rare…
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has praised the creator of a secret Facebook group that provides an online haven for Nigerian woman. Lola Omolola, a Nigerian woman now based in Chicago, created the group in 2015. Lola says that Facebook helped her to “create the world I wish to live in and have my eight and ten-year-old inherit.” Her group…
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…
