african diaspora
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Marked Man: Winston Duke to Portray Marcus Garvey in Upcoming Feature From Amazon Studios
Black Panther and Us star Winston Duke will be stepping into the role of political activist Marcus Garvey soon, The Root has learned. Deadline reports that the upcoming drama, titled Marked Man, was partially inspired by Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey, a biography written by Colin Grant. Acclaimed playwright…
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Amazing Artists From Africa I Learned About From Watching Africans Celebrate Them In Beyoncé's Black Is King
I love Beyoncé. But more importantly, I really love when members of the global Black diaspora connect with each other. It brings me joy to listen to Afrobeat, the genre that dominates the soundtrack for The Lion King which turned into the visual album Black Is King that Beyoncé released on Friday. I remember the…
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I May Destroy You: Weruche Opia, on the Importance of Showcasing Different Stories Within the African Diaspora
Weruche Opia is the brightest light. Portraying Terry on the critically acclaimed series created by (and starring) Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You, Opia exudes an energy that you can’t take your eyes off of. As Arabella’s (Coel) best friend, Terry is like the piece of a very relatable puzzle. As the series progresses, you…
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Africans Say Pandemic Has Caused Widespread Anti-Black Racism in China: Report
As reports fill our newsfeeds about the bigotry and discrimination Asian people are facing amid the coronavirus outbreak, in China, African residents are alleging anti-black racism resulting from the pandemic. The Washington Post reports that Africans living in the Chinese city of Guangzhou—home to the largest African diaspora population in Asia—say they have been experiencing…
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Returned: My Year of Return and Rebirth
I am one of the disrespectful negroes who returned to Ghana and left the rest of you unsuspecting negroes back in triflin’, dumb, and dirty-ass America, and was admonished, defriended, blocked, and unfollowed by Damon because of it. While I didn’t intend for my social media feeds to add to anyone’s FOMO-turned-existential crisis, I am…
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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…
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Are Only Black American Descendants of US Slaves Deserving of Reparations?
With the nation’s renewed focus on whether or how to compensate black Americans for the evils of generations of chattel slavery in the U.S. and its systemically racist aftermath, some have questioned who should qualify for reparations should such reparative justice come to pass. William “Sandy” Darity, a Duke University economics professor and longtime proponent…
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'Life Is a Carnival': The World According to Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo is an African icon. A musical masterclass. A woman of the world. She speaks and sings in five languages—no, six, if you count her recent foray into the native Spanish of the late Celia Cruz for her 17th album, released in April and simply titled Celia. Kidjo’s Wikipedia page alone is a dizzying…
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She’s Gotta Have It Writer Responds to John Boyega Regarding ‘Trash’ Black Brits Scene
In the fifth episode of She’s Gotta Have It’s second season, titled, “SuperCaliFragiSexy,” Nola Darling (DeWanda Wise) and her new lust interest Olumide “Olu” Owoye (Michael Luwoye) are chillin’ on the couch discussing Black British actors’ impact on Hollywood. “Black British actors are better suited than black American actors because they don’t carry the burden…
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Enough: Rwanda Becomes the 3rd African Nation to Ban Skin-Bleaching Ingredients
Rwanda just became the latest country to take aggressive action against the widespread practice of skin bleaching, now enforcing a ban on products that contain ingredients intended to lighten the skin—most commonly, hydroquinone. In December, Rwandan police told national outlet The New Times the move, in which officials are patrolling markets and seizing bleaching products…