During a few weeks in November, a group of young Kenyans competed in the fourth edition of the Africa Tech Challenge, a professional skills competition sponsored by AVIC International, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. More than 100 competitors showed off their carpentry, masonry and steelwork skills at the future site of…
After a break from acting, Nigerian movie star Omotola Jalade Ekiende has made her triumphant return to the big screen. During her time off, she was working on building her business, a film village in Badagry, as well as continuing her philanthropic work with the Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme. Speaking to This Day, Ekiende said,…
Although the hiplife genre began in the 1980s, Ghanian musician Sarkodie has done perhaps more than any other artist to help the genre grow and spread. Hiplife uniquely blends the genres of highlife and hip hop. An an unofficial ambassador for the genre, Sarkodie raps in his native Twi language and doesn’t shy away from…
Most of us know Venus Williams as the spectacular tennis pro with seven Grand Slam singles titles under her belt. The striking, international star has also achieved other impressive feats off the court, including a degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from…
President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania has been praised as the type of African leader that his country has desperately needed in the 21st century. Since taking office in November 2015, President Magufuli has been executing on an agenda that has largely consisted of shooting from the hip; his targets have included international mining companies,…
2017 has been an eventful year for Tanzanian-born Bongo artist Nasibu Abdul Juma, better known as Diamond Platnumz. He started the year on a high, releasing “Marry You” featuring Ne-Yo. The melodious blend of Ne-Yo’s R&B and Diamond’s African style got many of us dancing to this tune for months. The video did incredibly…
Sexual harassment has been a major issue in the news as of late in America. Time magazine has even named the #MeToo movement as its ‘Person of the Year’ for 2017. But is sexual harassment as prevalent elsewhere in the world? Sadly, yes. Sexual harassment is a truly global phenomenon. There is often a close connection between the prevalence…
When you struggle to find something that meets your own needs, one solution is to create it for yourself. That was the impetus for DeShuna Spencer when she started KweliTV. She told The Root that she was discouraged when looking for something to watch on cable. “I was frustrated because there was not a space…
During three days in January 2017, more than 184,000 people from around the world packed the majestic Las Vegas Convention Center for the 50th anniversary of the Consumer Electronics Show—the largest trade event focused on technology innovation developed specifically at the consumer level. Each CES features the latest and the next in consumer tech. The…
Nigerian musicians and identical twins Peter and Paul Okoye formed their R&B duo P-Square in the early 2000s. After winning a few competitions and building a fanbase, they signed to a record label in 2011. They put out a number of hit records together before dramatically disbanding in 2016, after some intense disagreements. For Peter,…
The first major visit to the African region from a high-profile American official in the troubled Trump administration was cut short due to diplomatic issues between the United States and North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a former oil industry leader who has been at odds with President Donald Trump on various issues, participated…
Canada is making important history. Civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond is being honored on the Canadian $10 bill. In 2016, Canada’s national bank announced plans to put a non-royalty woman on their currency for the first time and appealed to the public for suggestions. While many wonderful names poured in, Desmond rose to the top…
There are three northern white rhinos remaining in the world, two of which are female. The male is wallowing in severe illness and reports from its caretakers indicate that the world’s only male northern white rhino is on a death watch. Sudan graced news headlines when Tinder, a dating application, named him the…
The looming water shortage in South Africa has affected citizens in different towns with Cape Town being the first on the list. Officials warn that Cape Town is bound to face one of the world’s worst droughts. Most officials have also resorted to the switching off of taps to ratio the distribution of…
