In 2017, Nigerian poet Romeo Oriogun stunned readers with his complex, urgent poetry full of brimming emotion, stark imagery, and biting questions. In a unanimous vote, this young poet was awarded the 2017 Brunel International African Poetry Prize. This prestigious £3,000 major poetry award, sponsored by Brunel University and Commonwealth Writers, is given to poets who have not…
Let’s be honest; when you hear the name Dolce & Gabbana, you know you’re going to see elegance that is almost spellbinding with exquisite old world tradition blended in. On Friday, her final day in Italy, First Lady Melania Trump donned a vivid floral D&G coat when she met with Emanuela Mauro, wife of the Italian…
The World Health Organization (WHO) hasn’t exactly been viewed in the most positive light as of late and many have accused the organization of failing to respond quickly and effectively enough to the most recent Ebola outbreak—a charge that WHO officials eventually admitted to. There was also the questions as to whether the organization was…
Since 1998, the World Bank and its World Economic Forum have been publishing the “Africa Competitiveness Report,” which is released every two years after members of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund meet to issue forecasts for global economic growth. In 2017, the report presents a positive outlook for the Continent, and this…
Representation and inclusivity matter. Playing with dolls, particularly Barbie, is a large part of childhood for many, but the doll and its clothing haven’t been very representative of all people. Barbie has made some strides recently by introducing dolls with different body shapes, different skin tones, and even dolls with disabilities. One Muslim woman from…
Even though Major League Baseball dates back to 1869, the history of this professional sports association continues to be written in 2017. First of all, the Chicago Cubs of the National League are the defending champions after decades of languishing as perennial underdogs; second, in the same National League, a player born in Africa took…
Although most people outside of the country are unaware, South Africa has a long history of receiving populations from China. In fact, the very first groups, comprised of laborers and slaves, were brought over from China to the newly-founded Dutch colony in South Africa during the late 17th century. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s that…
Donald Trump’s campaign for the US presidency contained few specific foreign policy suggestions; Africa was hardly mentioned at all. Since taking office in January, Trump has been heavily embroiled in political scandal, and has had difficulty achieving his major goals as rapidly as he had hoped. Africa has been mentioned very little in these first…
The Community Health Worker (CHW) in South Africa is considered a valuable part of the nation’s healthcare system. They have been employed as a connection to health facilities, the government, non-government organizations (NGOs) and also the homes of citizens, particularly in rural locations. Many citizens of South Africa do not have access to medical care. In…
There have long been warnings that the world may eventually experience a chocolate shortage due to the growing demand in rising economies like China and India. One place where there has long been a shortage of chocolate is in countries where the majority of the cocoa is grown to meet the world’s growing chocolate demands.…
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,…
When Moonlight won Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards, it may have been a sign that the future of the Oscars will include more recognition of diverse casts and stories. Some of the predicted contenders for the 2017 Oscars do indeed point in that direction. First on the list is Get Out, Jordan Peele’s…
