World's Most Power Black Women (STUNNED Who Made The List)

Today I checked out Forbes' list of the world's most power black women. I was not surprised to see that Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey or Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's Finance Minister made the list. I was shocked, in fact floored, that recently announced pregnant Beyonce Knowles was on the list. Even more shocking (even though I am unsure that this list is a ranking), Beyonce was listed second to Mrs. Obama.

This is the first time I have disagreed with Forbes on a listing. Beyonce does not control a media empire. She does not do anything that could change the lives of millions. Her clothing line is like Juicy Couture, high quality and low taste, so she's not influential in the fashion world. Maybe she's influential in the music world, but that is where it ends. I am highly disappointed that in a league of black women who seriously make a difference in people's lives, an entertainer, with a small philanthropic resume, is included. Maybe when shaking that ass becomes paramount in feeding the hungry in the Horn of Africa and other parts of the world, then maybe would I agree with this list.

Blackface Mishap in Korea AGAIN?

It's one thing when you make a mistake once, but when you make the same mistake TWICE, that's a problem.

Like a growing but unknown number of black people across the world, I am fan of K-Pop. I don't know what it is that got me hooked, but when a song by Big Bang comes on or one of those cute Girls' Generation hits start making the speakers boom, it puts a smile on my heart and makes my booty do a little dance. But of course, it seems when there is anything good, there has to be something bad. In the case of the K-Pop world, that evil zombie created in antebellum America seems to show it's face (its blackface, which should have died in the 1950s).

For those of you that are not familiar with blackface, here is a classic example from a movie starring one of America's sweethearts, Judy Garland.



Blackface, as defined by Webster's dictionary as "makeup applied to a performer to play a black person, usually in a minstrel show." However, one thing that Webster's does not tell us is that most of the time this was done by someone who was usually a non-black to push a stereotype of a black person, and almost always it was negative and had racist overtones, further marginalizing blacks from mainstream society. Blackface minstrelsy was prominent for over 100 years in the United States and has critically damaged the image of black people globally and can even be blamed for the black self-hate theory. Black people across the world are still recovering from its legacy.

The first time I heard of this blackface mishap going in Korea was back in 2009 when BEAST member Lee KiKwang was in classic blackface makeup on a variety show and there were complaints on blogs (English language blogs as far as I know) from mainly black fans. Yes, I was one of the pissed, but also I was curious why this was thought to be funny. At this point, I had met several Koreans (many of them are my good friends today) and I had never gotten a racist vibe from them, so assumed maybe Koreans thought that was cute. Then I went to Korea, worked on a documentary (coming soon) and learned that the views of black people vary, but there is general consensus pushed by the media images they get from the United States and other Western countries, which is not a very good image. I also considered the homogeneity of Korea, and, in general, when you seldom see any other race or ethnic group, you are ignorant of that group. Then, only a few days ago, a similar incident arises with Super Junior.

Despite the ignorance to to the lack of diversity in Korea and blackface is arguably a thing of America's past, why is it in Korea's present? South Korea is a highly developed nation with probably one of the world's most rigorous educational systems. So, how can a group of educated people be so ignorant, especially with the Internet being right at their finger tips? Well, there are two types of education that I feel a person needs to be successful on this planet: a formal academic education and a world education. The latter is a the type of education that no school can teach. An academic education is paramount to help one understand the world, but a world education helps you apply what you have learned in a formal educational setting. Both go hand and hand, especially considering how our world is "shrinking" and the economy is becoming more global, it's more important than ever to have both.

Sadly, from my interviews while I was in Korea, I noticed time and time again the most ignorant were the ones that had not left Korea and most of them were 40 or older. Many of people in their 20s and 30s, however, either have been outside of Korea or were planning on traveling to another country. Now, don't get me wrong, Koreans are extremely welcoming to foreigners, especially to me. I felt like a celebrity the whole time I was there because I was treated as such, but there was definitely a lot of ignorance about black people and if I was an extremely aggressive and easily offended person, things would have been different. Luckily, like I try to do any time I'm not in the United States, I arrived in Korea with an open mind.

Back to this recent blackface incident in Korea, most likely most of the blame does not go to Shindong, just like the incident with Kikwang; fingers can be pointed at their managers and producers, who are usually in their 40s. As in a lot of popular music today, the performer is pretty much does what their managers and producers tell them to do, or they could lose their job (and we all know that a paycheck is important). However, the performer and the producers have the responsibility to be ethical, especially in media. Whatever the reasoning was, even if it was an homage to black folks (because there are Koreans that I met that are obsessed with black people), it is still a caricature of a black person by someone who is not black and when something like that is done in a homogeneous society, it perpetuates a generalized image of an entire group of people that is far from true for every individual in that group. It legitimizes and preconceived distinctions between Koreans and blacks people and hinders successful intercultural communication.

So, should it have happened TWICE? NO! Koreans are not stupid people (well, I met a few that were, but there are dumb people in every society). If one K-Pop celeb does something that causes an uproar with your international fans, you should know not to do. And if you don't know why, RESEARCH why. As a producer, that is what you are supposed to do - keep the wrong type of press from your product. And if you are not doing that, you are failing at your job. Since Korea's government is pushing multicultural education, this is one thing that needs to be considered.

Meet Liberian PepeSoup

I don't know what it about this song, but I'm totally feelin' it! Check this out from Liberia.

Meet Mozambican Artist Lizha James

I'm beginning I just have a thing for Portuguese-speaking Africans, LOL. Check this song out by Lizha James, one of the biggest artists in Mozambique.

Oh, Mississippi...

Another tragedy in Mississippi - and I'm not talking about a hurricane.

Some people like to believe that racism is a thing of the past, but despite the United States having a black president, racism is still very alive and in this case it was nowhere near subtle. Take a look at this video from CNN.

I've said this from the moment Barack Obama was elected - racism did not die simply because a black man was elected. In fact, I strongly believe many non-blacks voted for him because they did not want to be tagged as "racist." His election even brought the talk of race to the forefront, and rekindled that old American tradition of hate. Some even say the Teabaggers have a racist agenda.

Granted that this situation took place in Mississippi, which is still notorious for racial issues. However, there have been several incidents throughout the US. In school in California suspended students for forming a white supremacy group; President Barack Obama was likened to a tar-baby just last week; and in Seattle, someone was apprehended for attempting to bomb an MLK parade. These are just a few of the incidents that have happened this year.

If anyone tells you that racism in America is dead, tell them they are living in a fairy tale. It is not dead, maybe different from the horror stories prior to the Civil Right Movement, but if you look around, a lot of the madness from that era seems to show it's ugly face from time to time.

A Royal Nigerian Wedding

Seeing someone who's not Nigerian in Nigerian clothing is always cool to me. Another reason why I love CNN's Christian Purefoy. Check this out.

Another Accolade for Lagos, But Who Knows About This?

Lagos, Africa's second largest metropolis has been experiencing a lot of good press in the past decade. Reports show the city of 15 million is successfully facing African urban challenges (for example, traffic and cleanliness has dramatically improved over the past few years, due to rigorous improvements in public transportation and smart environmental schemes). The city, already popular for it's booming entertainment industry, is becoming better known for world-class urban feats, primarily Eko Atlantic, the reclamation project off the coast of the exclusive upscale neighborhood, Victoria Island. Most importantly, the Lagos State government has been successful in collecting taxes to fund statewide projects. Today, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola's accomplishments were highly noted by Nigeria's federal government, according to the governor's website.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Muhammed, is touring Lagos today along with Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, in hopes to make similar improvements on a national level and continued work in Abuja. The best part is when Muhammed congratulated Fashola on his improvements in Lagos and how it shows that "Nigeria is working."

Similar success stories have been going on in several other African nations, Rwanda being a great example. Lately, we've been hearing about the disaster in Somalia (which I have yet to address). My biggest problem at the moment is African success stories seemed to get little press and African problems, like the one in Somalia, seem to be at the top of the news. Not the the famine in Somalia shouldn't be addressed (it's a very serious and complex issue), but I wonder what happened to balance in our news coverage (some may argue it was never there)?

I have said this many times before, but the reason why many people have this negative and very one-sided stereotype of Africa (Africa is a poor and devestated NATION) is because there are usually ONLY reports of the continent's problems. Yes, the famine in Somalia is horrible, but look at Ghana and Rwanda and Nigeria and Botswana - these are just some countries that have been having positive change in the last decade. Tell me how often you've heard about any of these positive changes.

Using This Man's Toilet Could Cost You Jail Time

This is a little late, but apparently President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe doesn't like folk using his toilet. In fact, he was so irritated with Detective Alois Mabhunu relieving himself at a toilet designated for the president back in June that the homicide detective served a 10-day sentence in jail. This definitely brings a new meaning to the old saying: "Be careful where you [defecate]."

To be honest, I am tired of Robert Mugabe's tyranny in Zimbabwe. Someone using your toilet should be the least of your worries when more than half of the population is living below the poverty line and unemployed and the country's economy is nothing compared to it's neighbor Botswana and several other African nations. He needs to focus on the prosperity of Zimbabwe and it's people, not who decides to pee or poo in his toilet. I think Zimbabweans should attempt a Tunisian-style revolt, and there have been a few so far. I'm sorry, this may be crazy to some, but Mugabe has been the president for over two decades and change has been for the worst since.

Nollywood is Online (duh!)

Apparently, as much as love CNN International's Christian Purefoy for his coverage of Nigeria, he is kinda late on this.

This week in African Voices, Nollywood's online presence is the focus. In fact, the focus on the YouTube channel, Nollywood Love, which has hundreds of Nollywood titles for peeps to watch - FOR FREE.

One of my friends got me hooked on Nollywood Love a few months ago when I was taking care of business in Korea. Seriously, this is a treasure for any person of the African diaspora and another simple way for non-Africans to take a look into the continent (and, of course, the world's second largest film industry).

And, for readers of this post, if you can name the Nollywood actress spotted WORKING in this edition of African Voices (watch all three parts), I have THREE Nollywood DVDs to give away to the ONE person that gets the answer right (after random selection if there are several with the right answer)! To enter, follow me on Twitter (@theobomanu) then comment on this post like so:

Answer

Your Name

Twitter ID

City, Country

The three I have all have good stories and one is hard to find online and even in typical African stores. I think anyone will enjoy all of them! The winner will be announced at the end of August! Good Luck!

Obama is a "Tar Baby"

Wow. Seriously some of these politicians have taken us all back to a time when the divide between people because of your skin color was thought as normal and unchangeable. Either that or it proves not much has changed.

Rep. Doug Lamborn likened Obama to a "tar baby" on a KKZN-AM760 radio show last Friday. For some of you that don't know the meaning or significance of this word, let me break it down:

The term "tar baby" actually comes from the tale of Be'er Rabbit, in which he makes a doll out of tar to to trap Be'er Fox. However, according to TIME magazine, the term seemed to develop it's racist meaning in John Updike's Coup (even though I believe it was used earlier than that), where he wrote about a white woman who vies for the company of black men. If you don't get it now, it is pretty much is associating a black person to tar. Oh, that's cute.

Now, I can excuse John McCain and Mitt Romney for their use of the term, since in context it referred to a sticky situation, but Lamborn crossed the line. He seriously stepped over to the side that I call the contemporary white person's taboo - being labelled a racist. Oh, well. He should have thought before he spoke. Now he needs to come up with an apology. It's been a few days already. America's waiting.

Nigeria, Angola and South Africa Should Invest in Solar Power

Nigeria, Angola and South Africa are three of the most prosperous countries in Africa. Nigeria and South Africa are the most influential not only throughout the continent, but increasingly in the world. If these two countries begin to focus more on green energy alternatives, not only will they fuel their economies, but they will be Africa's green leaders. If Angola follows suit, it could potentially be in the top 5 of Africa's largest economies and people could even move out of poverty at rates like those in China and Brazil.

An obvious resource, Africa receives a lot of solar energy throughout most of the year. In fact, North Africa alone receives so much that it is estimated that there's more than enough to provide electricity not only for the region, but also for neighboring Europe and the Middle East. Imagine the potential of other African nations combined. Furthermore, it is a clean and renewable resource, which translates to less pollution (which means fewer people being sick) and poverty reduction. It can also be used on a small scale to power remote towns and villages, as is being done in several African countries now.

Let's look at Nigeria first. Nigeria is currently Africa's largest oil producer and it's third largest economy (maybe the second, since Egypt still has a lot of stability issues at the moment). Also, Nigeria is still plagued with infrastructural issues, the main complaint being it's electrical grid. If a Nigerian invests in this (especially if it is the world's richest black man, Akilo Dangote, owner and founder of Dangote Group, West Africa's largest conglomerate), the money to be made would be incredible and the jobs created would be astounding. On top of that, the energy provided would affect every aspect of business and raise the living standards (Nigeria has one of the highest in Africa). For immediate solutions, Nigerian governments on the state or even federal level could give incentives to businesses and developers that invest in solar energy. What Nigerian would not want to wave good-bye to their loud, smokey generator? I know the businesses would be more than happy. Mr. Dangote, I seriously think this should be your next endeavor. You will not only make a great investment for yourself, but also for you country in one of the best ways.

Angola, which has experienced astronomical growth since it's nearly three decade civil war has ended in 2002, is quickly becoming an African powerhouse - and the world has taken notice. It's global notoriety has even made it's capital and largest city Luanda the world's most expensive for expatriates. However, Angola currently has one of the widest income gaps in Africa, and most of it's poverty is in the rural areas. Investment in small to medium scale solar energy projects, especial in remote areas, would close the income gap and even quicken the pace of developing schools, hospitals and other public facilities that have been closed or destroyed during the war. All of these things are necessary for continued economic growth and to raise the standard of living and Angola is currently relying on their oil wealth.

Finally, we have South Africa, Africa's largest economy and sometimes even considered with the BRIC. South Africa has not been have infrastructural problems or a dire public service problem like Nigeria and Angola respectively, but they are going to have a severe environmental problem if they don't stop investing in coal plants. Last year, the World Bank contributed nearly $3.75 billion to South Africa to construct these toxic factories in an effort to avoid a power shortage. Seriously, that is one of the worst excuses I've heard. We know a power shortage is looming, but resorting to the dirtiest option will simply cause more problems and only prevent one.

Despite each country's unique problems, there is one problem each country has: lack of human capital. Most importantly, for any economy to grow, it needs human capital. If there is not enough power, there's no way to train the people needed to fuel the economy. If people are suffering disease due to the pollutants from a coal plant or from mining coal, that would mean less people able to work. If homes are without electricity, how will these workers store food and how will their children do their homework? A common saying in Nigeria is "charity begins at home." If you're not doing well at home, how will be able to do well at work. Investing in solar energy does more than keep the lights on. It's a lucrative business investment that can last a lifetime with little to no harm to the environment and the people.

Dirty Socks Mosquito Box to Compliment Mosquito Net

Africans are seriously some great people. Of course, we commonly hear about their contributions to the arts and entertainment, but what about their contributions to science and the well-being of mankind? Well, folks, here is one example of a man who has invented the mosquito box, a box that attracts and kills mosquitoes in open air in hopes to reduce the spread of malaria, and endemic in tropical climates like many African countries. His name? Fredros Okumu, a scientific researcher at the Tanzanian Ifakara Health Institute.

Some new readers may be shocked that there's a research facility in an African country. Some of them may not have even heard of Tanzania. Well, guess what? There's a wealth of researchers in Africa and many of them are African, who have schooled either in Africa or abroad (I did talk about a possible reversal of Africa's "brain drain" a while back).

Back to this box, according to CNN International, mosquitoes are attracted to the scent of human sweat. The box uses the smell of human feet (eww, gross) which is blown out of the box by a solar-powered fan that lures the pests. The viral insects enter the box, get comfortable, and are killed by the poison inside. Okumu also says that mosquitoes adapt quickly. I wonder if they will catch on to this and avoid the humans all together because the smell of human sweat. We'll see.