africa
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Universal Music Group Announces Launch of Def Jam Africa
Monday was Africa Day, the annual commemoration of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. So it’s incredibly fitting that Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company in over 60 countries, announced the launch of Def Jam Africa, which is dedicated to “supporting the best in African hip-hop talent and culture across the…
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How the Wider Black Diaspora Is Being Impacted by COVID-19
Black people in the U.S. are dying from coronavirus at a rate higher than any other demographic, and at almost 3 times the rate of white Americans. Structural racism and bias embedded in the country’s health systems along with other inequities have contributed to COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on black people in America. Here’s how other…
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Davido, Tiwa Savage and Mr. Eazi Cover Billboard for Publication's First Issue Devoted Entirely to Africa
Tiwa Savage, Davido and Mr. Eazi are the cover stars for Billboard’s latest special issue, which is entirely devoted to the continent of Africa. The feature states that as streaming has gained popularity, the sounds and visibility of African artists and producers has similarly increased, thanks to tracks like Drake’s “One Dance” (which features Nigeria’s…
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Exclusive: TV One Celebrates Black Music Month and the Sound of D.C. With Go-Go Documentary, The Beat Don't Stop
The sounds of Go-go hit the nation on another level when we all heard those conga drums in the background of “Da Butt” by E.U. (Experience Unlimited) as part of Spike Lee’s School Daze soundtrack. However, I didn’t truly get the purity of Washington, D.C.-native pride until I accumulated a few friends from there, went…
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Africans in China Say Police Have Told Them to Stop Sharing Stories About Racial Discrimination: Report
A Ugandan woman who filmed a racist encounter at a Guangdong, China 7-Eleven earlier this month says Chinese police officers visited her shortly afterward demanding she delete the video. As BuzzFeed reports, Darasa (who wasn’t identified by her full name to protect her from possible retribution) is one of multiple Africans currently living in China…
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John Boyega Is Partnering With Netflix to Create Feature Films Focusing on Africa's Rich History of Storytelling
With the latest Star Wars installment now in his rearview, actor John Boyega is shifting his priorities to bring more diverse content to American audiences. Variety reports that the 27-year-old’s U.K.-based production company, UpperRoom Productions, is joining forces with streaming media giant Netflix to develop film projects that will explore a wealth of stories about…
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Visiting Cape Coast and Elmina ‘Slave Castles’: In Everlasting Memory of the Anguish of Our Ancestors
When I was 12 or 13 and living in Frankfurt, Germany, my parents loaded my siblings and me into the car and we drove about four hours south and east to a small-ish town in the Bavarian region that was the site of the first concentration camp opened in Nazi Germany: Dachau. Built in 1933…
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10 Thoughts and Observations About My First Trip to Ghana (and Africa)
When I got married in October 2018, my wife and I broached the idea of going to Accra, Ghana, for our honeymoon. Now, this wasn’t a random “Let’s go to Africa!” ideation; I’d never been to the African continent in any of my travels and had wanted to go, and my wife grew up in…
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Back to Africa: Twitter Chief Jack Dorsey Plans to Live in Africa in 2020
Jack Dorsey has designs on the Motherland. The Twitter boss recently embarked on a whirlwind tour of Africa and has plans to live there in the new year. “Sad to be leaving the continent…for now,” Dorsey tweeted Wednesday. “Africa will define the future (especially the bitcoin one!). Not sure where yet, but I’ll be living…
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Africa's the Future: Why Akon Says That African-Americans Should Invest in the Continent
“When you combine African-Americans and diaspora Africans, that unity itself is what’s gonna make Wakanda actually possible.” —Akon text After his his single “Locked Up,” Akon was determined not to be your run-of-the-mill one-hit wonder. The artist and producer had some foresight, understanding that the shelf life of an artist in a super-fickled entertainment industry…