Hello all! I know it's been MONTHS since I have been on here. I've been mainly posting on my Tumblr page (kobomanu.tumblr.com). I would love for you all to check it out.
Why? Aside from it being AWESOME, I am moving away from my Blogger page since my Tumblr page better fits my style and who I am trying to reach. Plus, I can better micro-blog and source information that is easier and quicker for those to understand, since our world is becoming more visual.
Don't fret - I will still write commentary on what is going on in the Black World, but I'll share photos and images from that world, too.
So, check it out! Once and a while I may post something here, but majority of my posts will be here.
Thanks for your continued support. You all have been with me from the beginning and I have a feeling you'll be with me for a long, long time. :)
Friday, October 5, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
In Korean air and in Kenyan fire
Monday started off in flight with the unintentionally offensive marketing ad by Asian airline giant Korean Air.
The airline is promoting it's newly added flights to Nairobi, but unfortunately referred to Kenyans as "primitive." The airline apologized and removed the ad for revisions. Below is the revised version, which has the classic generalizations.
The use of "primitive" disgusted residents of the East African nation and others in the black world. However, I do not find this surprising and, in fact, I'm used to it.
This goes again to show why global awareness and having a broad worldview is so absolutely important, especially if you live in a homogeneous society where meeting someone who does not look like you is a rarity. Everyone, in Kenya and in South Korea and everywhere else on this planet, should educate themselves by the virtue of critical thinking to become culturally relative and culturally sensitive.
This world is shrinking, thanks to the advent of the internet. It's baffling that a country like South Korea, which is considered one of the most (if not the most) wired nation in the world, still has these embarrassing moments. I hate to say this, but if multicultural/global awareness training does not take place in this Asian economic power, these upsets are bound to happen again.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Hot Summer, Hot Afro-Centric Attire
Summer is almost here officially, but for many parts of the US, the heat is already burning. Like, seriously, it was over 90 degrees a few days ago and ridiculously humid. Stay cool and look hot, here are some low budget tips that'll give anyone that high fashion look.
First, I'll start with this video I found on BattaBox, which is one of my favorite Nigerian websites co-directed by honorary Nigerian and former CNN report Christian Purefoy. It's how to make an Ankara fabric (Dutch wax) top. These girls are a bit silly and video is kind of long, but it delivers.
Many African fabric stores in the United States carry this fabric and it's pretty well priced. There are places online, but I think you might get a better deal in the store. This top could be paired with shorts over a bathing suit (can you say "pool party?"). Plus, you can be creative and discover many other ways to tie it.
For men, it can also be easy to get some African flair without digging deep in your wallet. This is a little tougher than for the girls, but it's doable, I promise. One place to look for inspiration is from South Africa designer, Stiaan Louw, who gives a modern approach to menswear by fusing several African cultures and modern trends to create a unique and sophisticated men's look. His prices might be out of this world for some, but a lot of similar pieces can be found at stores like H & M and Topman. Both of them also have a lot of men's jewelry from leather and beads that can give an African vibe when paired with a simple well fitted tee and a pair of shorts. Really, the trick is to be simple and clean with your clothing (mainly solid colors and bold patterns) and pair with interesting accessories. That keeps you modern, cool and Afro-centric.
You know what to wear and how to dress, so just do it!
First, I'll start with this video I found on BattaBox, which is one of my favorite Nigerian websites co-directed by honorary Nigerian and former CNN report Christian Purefoy. It's how to make an Ankara fabric (Dutch wax) top. These girls are a bit silly and video is kind of long, but it delivers.
Many African fabric stores in the United States carry this fabric and it's pretty well priced. There are places online, but I think you might get a better deal in the store. This top could be paired with shorts over a bathing suit (can you say "pool party?"). Plus, you can be creative and discover many other ways to tie it.
For men, it can also be easy to get some African flair without digging deep in your wallet. This is a little tougher than for the girls, but it's doable, I promise. One place to look for inspiration is from South Africa designer, Stiaan Louw, who gives a modern approach to menswear by fusing several African cultures and modern trends to create a unique and sophisticated men's look. His prices might be out of this world for some, but a lot of similar pieces can be found at stores like H & M and Topman. Both of them also have a lot of men's jewelry from leather and beads that can give an African vibe when paired with a simple well fitted tee and a pair of shorts. Really, the trick is to be simple and clean with your clothing (mainly solid colors and bold patterns) and pair with interesting accessories. That keeps you modern, cool and Afro-centric.
You know what to wear and how to dress, so just do it!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Post-Racial My *** (Part 2)
Yes, folks, I'm back with more of an insight on post-racial America. I already dissected this term before, so I won't delve into it again, but for those who have never read my blog before (or might become so enraged that they won't revisit), post-racial simply means "after a period of racism" and suggests that racism in the United States has ended, primarily because now we have a black president. I am here again to say that the United States is still just as racist now as it was before Barack Obama was elected president. Some of the interesting events this week show why.
In the lovely world of sports so far this year, we've had the pleasure of hearing player for the New York Knicks Jeremy Lin called several racial slurs because he is one of few Asian-Americans on a NBA team. This week, however, Twitter was blown up with the cutest usage of the n-word by several disgruntled hockey fans. Joel Ward, a light-scoring winger for the Washington Capitals who happens to be black, made the winning score on Wednesday night's game against the Boston Bruins which was followed by a lot of praise and a lot of good ol' hate. My favorite tweet: "Can't believe Boston just let a sand nigger beat them #gobacktothejungle" - @abrownn36. Isn't that cute? She used the wrong racial slur and everything.
As racist comments 360-spun their ugly heads in the Twittersphere, somehow they found their way on Facebook from the most unlikely source: an editor at Essence Magazine, the historic black women's magazine. Before several of my sistas start burning copies of the revered magazine, that editor was a white man. Yes, a WHITE MAN. He has now resigned. However, an earlier outrage with the hiring of a white woman (who probably knows better not to post racist comments on the internet) is happily still in her position as fashion director.
It did, however, take a white woman, Lindy West at Jezebel to be exact, to address the issue of racism in white America, which she has cleverly dubbed as "Hipster Racism." One thing she noted, many use (mild) racial comments to make themselves seem not racist when, in fact, they are being very racist (white readers who think they are not racist, please note):
"There's been a lot of talk these last couple of weeks about "hipster racism" or "ironic racism"—or, as I like to call it, racism. It's, you know, introducing your black friend as "my black friend"—as a joke!!!—to show everybody how totally not preoccupied you are with your black friend's blackness. It's the gentler, more clueless, and more insidious cousin of a hick in a hood; the domain of educated, middle-class white people (like me—to be clear, I am one of those) who believe that not wanting to be racist makes it okay for them to be totally racist. "But I went to college — I can't be racist!" Turns out, you can."
I've said this for a while, but I'm just seen as the radical black man who doesn't understand a joke or is taking it too seriously. I'm glad someone who is not black also sees this as what it is - racist. I think if we ALL notice this, regardless of skin color (because we are all guilty of it, but white America is always pointed out because they are historically and in many ways presently the oppressor in this country), racism can become a thing of the past. I'm not saying we should ignore the social construct of race and reality of ethnicity, but instead educate ourselves to better understand them.
I attended the Nobel Peace Summit this week (which was AWESOME, by the way) and one things that Prof. Jody Williams, one of the Nobel Peace laureates, most notably for her work to ban landmines through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, told the audience of mainly comprised of high school students that staying in school and being well educated and hearing all sides of the story are compulsory to become an activist for peace. Sean Penn, during his emotional speech after receiving his award, talked about how Americans do not travel, which alludes to another for education that is not restricted to being in school, but to also being in world and surrounding yourself with diverse populations and people of different backgrounds other than your own.
In the United States, we are one of several countries that are lucky to have people from so many different ethnic and religious backgrounds, but yet we do not take advantage of this precious resource that could lead to world peace. A post-racial society would be one of peace, but are we there yet? Nope.
In the lovely world of sports so far this year, we've had the pleasure of hearing player for the New York Knicks Jeremy Lin called several racial slurs because he is one of few Asian-Americans on a NBA team. This week, however, Twitter was blown up with the cutest usage of the n-word by several disgruntled hockey fans. Joel Ward, a light-scoring winger for the Washington Capitals who happens to be black, made the winning score on Wednesday night's game against the Boston Bruins which was followed by a lot of praise and a lot of good ol' hate. My favorite tweet: "Can't believe Boston just let a sand nigger beat them #gobacktothejungle" - @abrownn36. Isn't that cute? She used the wrong racial slur and everything.
As racist comments 360-spun their ugly heads in the Twittersphere, somehow they found their way on Facebook from the most unlikely source: an editor at Essence Magazine, the historic black women's magazine. Before several of my sistas start burning copies of the revered magazine, that editor was a white man. Yes, a WHITE MAN. He has now resigned. However, an earlier outrage with the hiring of a white woman (who probably knows better not to post racist comments on the internet) is happily still in her position as fashion director.
It did, however, take a white woman, Lindy West at Jezebel to be exact, to address the issue of racism in white America, which she has cleverly dubbed as "Hipster Racism." One thing she noted, many use (mild) racial comments to make themselves seem not racist when, in fact, they are being very racist (white readers who think they are not racist, please note):
"There's been a lot of talk these last couple of weeks about "hipster racism" or "ironic racism"—or, as I like to call it, racism. It's, you know, introducing your black friend as "my black friend"—as a joke!!!—to show everybody how totally not preoccupied you are with your black friend's blackness. It's the gentler, more clueless, and more insidious cousin of a hick in a hood; the domain of educated, middle-class white people (like me—to be clear, I am one of those) who believe that not wanting to be racist makes it okay for them to be totally racist. "But I went to college — I can't be racist!" Turns out, you can."
I've said this for a while, but I'm just seen as the radical black man who doesn't understand a joke or is taking it too seriously. I'm glad someone who is not black also sees this as what it is - racist. I think if we ALL notice this, regardless of skin color (because we are all guilty of it, but white America is always pointed out because they are historically and in many ways presently the oppressor in this country), racism can become a thing of the past. I'm not saying we should ignore the social construct of race and reality of ethnicity, but instead educate ourselves to better understand them.
I attended the Nobel Peace Summit this week (which was AWESOME, by the way) and one things that Prof. Jody Williams, one of the Nobel Peace laureates, most notably for her work to ban landmines through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, told the audience of mainly comprised of high school students that staying in school and being well educated and hearing all sides of the story are compulsory to become an activist for peace. Sean Penn, during his emotional speech after receiving his award, talked about how Americans do not travel, which alludes to another for education that is not restricted to being in school, but to also being in world and surrounding yourself with diverse populations and people of different backgrounds other than your own.
In the United States, we are one of several countries that are lucky to have people from so many different ethnic and religious backgrounds, but yet we do not take advantage of this precious resource that could lead to world peace. A post-racial society would be one of peace, but are we there yet? Nope.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A Gay, Deaf and HIV Positive South African Activist
CNN's African Voices has once again brought another interesting story out of Africa. This one, out of all so far, is definitely the most interesting of all of them. Take a look.
In this video, for those of us who are not hearing-impaired and/or know how to sign, the most interesting thing I think can be learned is how similar those who are hearing impaired are to those who are not. Who would have thought there was a "gay" way to sign, like there is to speak? This leads to another discussion in how certain "norms" can transcend any language.
In this video, for those of us who are not hearing-impaired and/or know how to sign, the most interesting thing I think can be learned is how similar those who are hearing impaired are to those who are not. Who would have thought there was a "gay" way to sign, like there is to speak? This leads to another discussion in how certain "norms" can transcend any language.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Wande Coal NEW Video: "Private Trips"
You know, I love promoting Nigerian music, especially if it's Hip-Hop or R & B. Hope you enjoy this new song by Nigerian megastar, Wande Coal.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Open for business
 |
| Aerial view of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The city recently reopened it's national theater. |
For Nigeria, this looks like the beginning of the end of several power outages in a day, which, despite it's steady economic growth in the past decade, has pretty much crippled it's full economic potential. In Mogadishu, notorious for being a failed city in a failed nation, maybe this marks a cultural revival (theater culture, that is). Looks like in both countries, a lot more open signs will be up.
Post-Racial My ***!!
One unarmed black teen is shot dead by a neighborhood vigilante. Two white teens make fun of their black peers and post it on YouTube. One black student is told to read a Langston Hughes poem "blacker." These are just a few of the things that have happened in the past few weeks and yet we're in a post-racial society. What the hell is post-racial? Let's deconstruct.
Post is a prefix meaning "behind, after or later," according to Dictionary.com. Racial means "pertaining to, or characteristic of, one race or the races of humankind." We can deduce that post-racial means "after things pertaining to race" or that "race is in the past." Really? Watch the video below and tell me that race is something of the past.
After the death of Whitney Houston, a high school coach from the Chicago suburbs called her the N-word on his Facebook wall, according to Chicago Sun-Times. In the article, he's quoted saying he didn't even realize what he wrote. So, is he saying that he's innately racist? Well, he stated that he's not racist and now he can't get a job anywhere. Too bad.
In the highly publicized Trayvon Martin tragedy, this is apparently one of a string of racially charged incidents between the black community and the police, according to Huffington Post. So, this is not the only and probably won't be the last.
All of these racial incidents make this post-racial society seem very, well, racist. Pretty much, it looks like nothing has changed since a black president has been elected. And many of us know that a good portion of the white people that voted for Obama voted for him for one reason alone; they didn't want to be called the white man's n-word - a racist. So, no, we have not entered a post-racial society. Instead, we're still in a very racist society.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Two Twitter trends, one continent
Twitter seriously has become my number one social media connection, especially since I have decided to phase out my Facebook page (which I seriously have found to be the hottest mess of ads and unnecessary "improvements"). What makes it even easier to use - the trending topics. Two kind of stood out to me this week - Kony 2012 and What I Love About Africa.
The Kony 2012 trend was started by Invisible Children, a very well known activist group famous for it's work in Uganda to end the abduction of children that are turned into soldiers by the infamous leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony. It looks like Invisible Children (also the name of their first documentary that revealed the atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army) have created another film titled Kony 2012. You can watch it below (yes, it's on YouTube, legally, by Invisible Children).
Overall, this is well done, well marketed and well targeted. This is a movie for disenfranchised white middle class people who only think of Africa in the sense of war, famine and disease. This is for them to give their money and other kinds of support to end Joseph Kony's power in Central Africa. This is, again, another failed opportunity to educate people about an African nation (in this case, a region) that has some issues but also has some serious strengths. This is why Ugandans are generally upset and disappointed with this film.
Before I continue and before someone sends me some hate mail, let express that I do support the efforts of Invisible Children. What Joseph Kony is doing to innocent children in Central Africa is a grave crime against humanity and he must be stopped. Anyone reading this SHOULD support this cause. Secondly, not all white middle class people are disenfranchised from what's going on outside of their white bubble, but a lot of the ones in the United States are (let me not get started on why). I am also not saying that Ugandans shouldn't be upset. Hell, they need to get mad to make it standard to show the world what Uganda is REALLY about.
This was what the What I Love About Africa trend was all about - showing the realities of a continent that sadly is the most misconceived. The trend was started by Diaspora African Women's Network (DAWN) founder and executive director, Semhar Araia (Twitter ID: @semhar).
What I love about Africa is people don't play passive aggressive - they're assertive aggressive. Kony 2012 (the film, not the movement) pissed them off because they know that there are many more layers to the story that the film did not address. There are stories from many people in Uganda and neighboring countries that have lost family and children to Joseph Kony's nonsense. They want them to be heard. I'm also sure that those who have watched the movie in the United States do not know that humongous oil reserves have been found in Uganda and the country's economy has seen substantial growth in the past decade like many other African nations.
Other things I love about Africa: innovation seems to never stop, having a conversation face to face is highly revered and opportunities seem to be endless (the European colonizers and the United States noticed that and currently so does China). I'm glad so many people hashtagged this trend and celebrated the many great things about such an amazing continent. I also like the people that treated the hell out of those ignorant fools that said the loved that everyone in Africa is black. NEWSFLASH: not everyone in Africa is black. Go read a damn book.
Both of these trends brought some buzz to Twitter and hopefully opened some eyes to the good, the bad and the ugly in Africa.
The Kony 2012 trend was started by Invisible Children, a very well known activist group famous for it's work in Uganda to end the abduction of children that are turned into soldiers by the infamous leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony. It looks like Invisible Children (also the name of their first documentary that revealed the atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army) have created another film titled Kony 2012. You can watch it below (yes, it's on YouTube, legally, by Invisible Children).
Overall, this is well done, well marketed and well targeted. This is a movie for disenfranchised white middle class people who only think of Africa in the sense of war, famine and disease. This is for them to give their money and other kinds of support to end Joseph Kony's power in Central Africa. This is, again, another failed opportunity to educate people about an African nation (in this case, a region) that has some issues but also has some serious strengths. This is why Ugandans are generally upset and disappointed with this film.
Before I continue and before someone sends me some hate mail, let express that I do support the efforts of Invisible Children. What Joseph Kony is doing to innocent children in Central Africa is a grave crime against humanity and he must be stopped. Anyone reading this SHOULD support this cause. Secondly, not all white middle class people are disenfranchised from what's going on outside of their white bubble, but a lot of the ones in the United States are (let me not get started on why). I am also not saying that Ugandans shouldn't be upset. Hell, they need to get mad to make it standard to show the world what Uganda is REALLY about.
This was what the What I Love About Africa trend was all about - showing the realities of a continent that sadly is the most misconceived. The trend was started by Diaspora African Women's Network (DAWN) founder and executive director, Semhar Araia (Twitter ID: @semhar).
What I love about Africa is people don't play passive aggressive - they're assertive aggressive. Kony 2012 (the film, not the movement) pissed them off because they know that there are many more layers to the story that the film did not address. There are stories from many people in Uganda and neighboring countries that have lost family and children to Joseph Kony's nonsense. They want them to be heard. I'm also sure that those who have watched the movie in the United States do not know that humongous oil reserves have been found in Uganda and the country's economy has seen substantial growth in the past decade like many other African nations.
Other things I love about Africa: innovation seems to never stop, having a conversation face to face is highly revered and opportunities seem to be endless (the European colonizers and the United States noticed that and currently so does China). I'm glad so many people hashtagged this trend and celebrated the many great things about such an amazing continent. I also like the people that treated the hell out of those ignorant fools that said the loved that everyone in Africa is black. NEWSFLASH: not everyone in Africa is black. Go read a damn book.
Both of these trends brought some buzz to Twitter and hopefully opened some eyes to the good, the bad and the ugly in Africa.
Friday, February 24, 2012
"Chop my money...because I don't care"
I'm definitely not talking about my money; my wallet is on lock and chain. P-Square and Akon, however, have explicitly stated they want women spending their dinero in their new song cleverly titled "Chop My Money."
Of course, all of these guys are pretty much ballers (SURPRISE! Not everyone in Africa is poor and helpless) and they are not afraid to flaunt it...in the music video that was released today.
Even though the song's melody and chorus feel kind of average to me, the overall music is well done. Kudos! Despite all of this, I could not get past thinking of another music video starring a popular Nigerian comedian, Nkem Owoh.
Of course, all of these guys are pretty much ballers (SURPRISE! Not everyone in Africa is poor and helpless) and they are not afraid to flaunt it...in the music video that was released today.
Even though the song's melody and chorus feel kind of average to me, the overall music is well done. Kudos! Despite all of this, I could not get past thinking of another music video starring a popular Nigerian comedian, Nkem Owoh.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Columbia College Hosts Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Black History Month is already in full swing with events happening everywhere. One in particular I had a chance to attend and partake in was at Columbia College Chicago, the country's largest media arts university, and also where Degrassi's Shannon Kook-Chun made his first trip to the great Midwest. Here's a look what the Columbia Chronicle (the school's award winning newspaper and currently the best weekly college paper in the state of Illinois) put together.
I touched on an Ethiopian coffee ceremony in the past, and it's a pretty ceremonious, yet non-religious and mostly cultural. The important thing is that there is evidence (maybe not concrete) that Ethiopians (yes, Africans) were the first to create and drink coffee. You know, that globally famous beverage that Starbucks made over $11 billion last year from?
Anyway, per a question I was asked earlier this week, "Why is Black History Month important?" - this is one of many reasons why. The contributions black people have made to the world is just as great as any other race, but thanks to the dominance of the West, many things about black people are unsung. This month, I hope to expose as much as I can that would make the world very different if we did not have. Seriously, imagine a world minus coffee, even if you don't drink it. The impact Starbucks has made on the world is almost as remarkable as McDonald's. The next time someone asks why Black History Month is important, refer them to this site or even tell them to go to one of my favorite news sources AfricaReview.com.
I touched on an Ethiopian coffee ceremony in the past, and it's a pretty ceremonious, yet non-religious and mostly cultural. The important thing is that there is evidence (maybe not concrete) that Ethiopians (yes, Africans) were the first to create and drink coffee. You know, that globally famous beverage that Starbucks made over $11 billion last year from?
Anyway, per a question I was asked earlier this week, "Why is Black History Month important?" - this is one of many reasons why. The contributions black people have made to the world is just as great as any other race, but thanks to the dominance of the West, many things about black people are unsung. This month, I hope to expose as much as I can that would make the world very different if we did not have. Seriously, imagine a world minus coffee, even if you don't drink it. The impact Starbucks has made on the world is almost as remarkable as McDonald's. The next time someone asks why Black History Month is important, refer them to this site or even tell them to go to one of my favorite news sources AfricaReview.com.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Real Housewives of Atlanta Visit South Africa
I would be the world's biggest liar if I said I didn't enjoy watching Bravo's highest rated reality TV show "Real Housewives of Atlanta." Seriously, this show never fails at having me laugh either at the silly women (which half of them are not married so I don't know what qualified them as housewives) or the downward spiral of the production value per season.
What's vexes me more than the fact that some of these women are ignorant (Nene) or pretentious (Phaedra) is who REALLY arranged this - and I am sure that Phaedra only brought up the idea, even if she did. All this modern day buffoonery falls into the hands of their executive producer, Vice President of Bravo, Andy Cohen. He probably didn't say "Let's put these animals in their natural habitat" but, like they say, actions speak louder than words.
All the fans know that these women have had a lot of tension since the middle of the previous season and more tension was piled on with the arrival of the guest housewife (who'll probably replace Kim), Marlo. There was bound to be a fight somewhere (and as many are learning about reality TV, producers tend to orchestrate how things will progress) and the animalistic mudslinging between Marlo and Sheree, heightened with strange and eerily exotic noises, is probably just a small glimpse of what is bound to happen next.
We're entering Black History Month and what we have to show for black people again perpetuate black caricatures. This time, they are that of the 21st century. But like in the past, a white man has capitalized on exploiting black caricatures and all Americans have accepted it as okay. And I do not care that Andy Cohen is gay and Jewish. Being a minority in the US and capitalizing on the caricature of another minority does not make it excusable. This episode clearly was an example modern day blackface.
Am I going to keep watching this show. Of course. Should I? Yes. Any medium is worth reading, watching or hearing because it's someone else's viewpoint, even if you disagree with it. In fact, if you do disagree with it, then you have more information to back up your own opinion. Being well informed is the key to success in an ever-shrinking global world. Plus, there's something oddly refreshing about mindless TV after a thought provoking work week.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Zara Opens in South Africa
The first major (and fashionable) global clothing retailer to hit the African Continent is none other than Spanish retailer, Zara. According to Africa Review, the clothing giant is targeting the growing middle class in South Africa.
This is following Wal-Mart's big purchase of South African retailer Massmart, which has (or had) stores in 14 African countries.
Now, is the world finally beginning to see the growing economies of Africa, especially since now many African nations have economies with growth outpacing those with "developed" economies?
This looks like people are finally beginning to notice, after nearly a decade of sustained growth in several African countries, that this "dark continent" is not really as dark as many mainstream media sources try to make it seem. There is REAL potential on the continent - and now numbers are showing and businesses that are not fairing as well in the developed nations due to several economic woes are looking to places that they may see now (or again) as untamed lands.
There's really no taming to do, but really products to sell with people who are ready (with thick enough wallets) to buy them. Today, I read a few stories about Ghana and it's steady economic growth (which has been for beyond a decade) and the amount of people that have moved out of poverty, even though most of the economic growth is centered southern part of the nation and around Accra, it's commercial, financial and official capital. However, there are talks and things in the works to help even out the growth through the country.
Now that Africa is again the New Frontier (maybe that's too early to say), maybe the diversity of the continent will actually be seen.
It's Never Too Late to Say: "Happy New Year!"
After a nice long break, I'm back! There have been SEVERAL things in the news that have been going on in the black world since the last time, and here are a few highlights - some funny, some serious, and some just down right messy.
Obama Sings
All I can say is watch. As many of you may know, I'm not a Obama supporter, but I think all can admit this makes one chuckle at least a bit.
Etta James Dies at 73
The legendary Etta James passed this morning in Riverside, CA from complications with leukemia, according to an article posted by New York Times. Her name is currently a top trend on Twitter, along with her signature song, "At Last."
Promoter for Nas Held Hostage in Angola
Okay Africa posted a suspicious story about a New Year's Eve concert in Luanda which featured Nas. Nas didn't show up and instead was livin' it up in Miami. Apparently, someone is angry and demands the $300,000 payment for Nas's appearance to be repaid, and all additional expenses. Until that is repaid, the promoter (who is Angolan) will be held. Okay Africa has said that the details are kinda iffy, but I am sure they will have an update as soon as all the details are in order.
Zara Opens It's First Store on the African Continent
I have a more detailed analysis of this here, but in short, Zara opened it's first store on the continent in a posh mall in Johannesburg not too long ago, reported by Africa Review.
Pres. Wade Spends Millions to the Arts in Senegal
Arguably, this is a mess. The 85-year-old Senegalese president is has already spent several million dollars on what he's dubbed "Cultural Park." Most recently, the next addition to Cultural Park will be the Museum of Black Civilisations. Good note - this helps bring tourism and spreads awareness of the diversity of black cultures. Bad note - will this help elevate the many in Senegal that are living at or below the poverty level? We'll see. See more at Africa Review.
Obama Sings
All I can say is watch. As many of you may know, I'm not a Obama supporter, but I think all can admit this makes one chuckle at least a bit.
Etta James Dies at 73
The legendary Etta James passed this morning in Riverside, CA from complications with leukemia, according to an article posted by New York Times. Her name is currently a top trend on Twitter, along with her signature song, "At Last."
Promoter for Nas Held Hostage in Angola
Okay Africa posted a suspicious story about a New Year's Eve concert in Luanda which featured Nas. Nas didn't show up and instead was livin' it up in Miami. Apparently, someone is angry and demands the $300,000 payment for Nas's appearance to be repaid, and all additional expenses. Until that is repaid, the promoter (who is Angolan) will be held. Okay Africa has said that the details are kinda iffy, but I am sure they will have an update as soon as all the details are in order.
Zara Opens It's First Store on the African Continent
I have a more detailed analysis of this here, but in short, Zara opened it's first store on the continent in a posh mall in Johannesburg not too long ago, reported by Africa Review.
Pres. Wade Spends Millions to the Arts in Senegal
Arguably, this is a mess. The 85-year-old Senegalese president is has already spent several million dollars on what he's dubbed "Cultural Park." Most recently, the next addition to Cultural Park will be the Museum of Black Civilisations. Good note - this helps bring tourism and spreads awareness of the diversity of black cultures. Bad note - will this help elevate the many in Senegal that are living at or below the poverty level? We'll see. See more at Africa Review.
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