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Showing posts with label Africana. Show all posts

Supermodel Alek Wek Revisits Her Refugee Past To Commemorate The 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention

Written By: MIM!—Supermodel Alek Wek recently sat down with National Public Radio's Michel Martin to share her personal story about being a refugee to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. Listen to her interesting and inspiring story on NPR's website.

(Photo Credits: © Printemps)

Today Marks The 51st Anniversary Of Congo's Independence

Written By: MIM!—After more than 70 years of colonial rule, the people of Congo rose up and claimed their freedom with a free and fair election, electing Patrice Lumumba. When Patrice Lumumba was elected he declared, "The Republic of the Congo has been proclaimed, and our country is now in the hands of its own children. Together, my brothers, my sisters, we are going to begin a new struggle, a sublime struggle, which will lead our country to peace, prosperity, and greatness. Together, we are going to establish social justice and make sure everyone has just remuneration for his labor.

We are going to show the world what the black man can do when he works in freedom, and we are going to make of the Congo the center of the sun's radiance for all of Africa. We are going to keep watch over the lands of our country so that they truly profit her children. We are going to restore ancient laws and make new ones which will be just and noble. We are going to put an end to suppression of free thought and see to it that all our citizens enjoy to the full the fundamental liberties foreseen in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. We are going to do away with all discrimination of every variety and assure for each and all the position to which human dignity, work, and dedication entitles him. We are going to rule not by the peace of guns and bayonets but by a peace of the heart and the will. And for all that, dear fellow countrymen, be sure that we will count not only on our enormous strength and immense riches but on the assistance of numerous foreign countries whose collaboration we will accept if it is offered freely and with no attempt to impose on us an alien culture of no matter what nature."

The Baptism of Liberty from Falling Whistles on Vimeo.

Must See Documentary: Taxi Sister By Theresa Traore Dahlberg

Written By: MIM!—With the help of a progressive government initiative supporting female taxi drivers, there are 15 female taxi drivers in Dakar ... that's out of 15,000 taxi drivers. Who’s talking about women's equity besides Senegal's government? Promising Swedish/Burkinabe director and producer Theresa Traore Dahlberg is, in her documentary Taxi Sister which follows a woman behind the wheel who grapples with society’s view and expectations on women. Watch the trailer below ...

TAXI SISTER TRAILER from Theresa Traore Dahlberg on Vimeo.

What Will Tomorrow's Cities Look Like If We Don't Care About The Environment Today?

Tomorrow's Cities from Luke Younge on Vimeo.

Profiles In Leadership: Joan Mjomba "Women Are Born With A Very Definite Power"

Written By: MIM!—Luke Younge (of Lucid Pictures) collaborated with Harvard Business School to profile nine women from across the continent, who, under difference conditions, political systems, and in their own way, have tried to use their political platforms to mainstream women's agenda into policy and legislation. Here, we bring you the story of Joan Mjomba, one of the leaders profiled in the series of videos that is sure to leave you inspired.

Joan Mjomba from Luke Younge on Vimeo.

To see more profiles of women you should know about, including Julia Ojiambo and Eddah Gachukia, visit www.LucidPictures.co.za.

Weekend To-Do List: Watch "Skin" Starring Sophie Okonedo (Now Out On DVD)

Written By: MIM!—Skin is one of the most moving stories to emerge from apartheid South Africa: Sandra Laing is a black child born in the 1950s to white Afrikaners, unaware of their black ancestry. Her parents are rural shopkeepers serving the local black community, who lovingly bring her up as their ‘‘white’’ little girl. But at the age of ten, Sandra is driven out of white society. The film follows Sandra’s thirty-year journey from rejection to acceptance, betrayal to reconciliation, as she struggles to define her place in a changing world—and triumphs against all odds. Watch the trailer below, and catch it on DVD now.

SKIN Trailer from Sandra Laing on Vimeo.

For more information, visit www.skinthemovie.net.

(Photo Credits: © Elysian Films)

In Limited Theatrical Release Now: Desert Flower Starring Liya Kebede

Written By: MIM!—Desert Flower, the biopic about model Waris Dirie starring Liya Kebede in the title role, has made its way Stateside, and is in limited release across the United States. If the trailer below doesn't convince you just how powerful this story is, read our interview with Waris from October 2005: The Truth About FGM. The critics are also moved. The New York Times writes, “The film, based on Ms. Dirie’s memoir of the same title, is heartening both for Ms. Dirie’s rise-and-overcome tale and for the reminder that a helping hand from a stranger can still occasionally be found in this unkind world. But, of course, it’s also disheartening because of what was done to Ms. Dirie, a moment revisited in a hard-to-watch flashback. The film makes bluntly clear that this is a trauma that lasts a lifetime.” This Day Live echoed similar sentiments, “It is hard to sit through Desert Flower without the nagging thought about the inhumanity of the female genital mutilation, or FGM for short. It is also hard not to credit Waris with not only the courage of escaping from the clutches of this bestiality, but also for telling the world her story.”

Desert Flower (Wüstenblume) - Trailer English from MajesticFilm on Vimeo.

Creative Flow: Stocktown South Africa Showcases Street Style

stocktown x southafrica teaser from Stocktown on Vimeo.

Snapshots: Sweet Salone "Portraits Of Contemporary Sierra Leone" By Sophia Spring

Written By: MIM!—Photographer Sophia Spring's ‘‘Sweet Salone’’ project is a series of portraits of Sierra Leoneans today. She says about the project: ‘‘It is a project that aims to give a small insight into the lives of some of the individuals that make up this vibrant country. For too long Sierra Leoneans have been depicted in a less than positive light. It is time that this outdated portrayal is finally discarded.’’ Her photograph above tells the story of Abubakar Kamara (19):

Abubakar was only 8 years old when he watched his father and grandmother being murdered by rebel troops. On that day his left leg was also amputated, in what can only be described as an act of senseless cruelty. Today, at the age of 20, he is surprisingly nonchalant about the horrors that he faced at such an early age. Perhaps this is because his story is not unique in a country that saw thousands of men, women and children brutally dismembered during the violence of their decade long civil war. Abubakar actively shuns sympathy, and feels that his disability should not hinder his future chances of success. As a member of Sierra Leone’s amputee football team he’s already accomplished a great deal, and is something of a local hero in this football mad country.

To see the full set of photos and stories from ‘‘Sweet Salone’’ visit, Sweet Salone: Portraits From Contemporary Sierra Leone and to see more of Sohpia's work, visit: www.SophiaSpring.com.

(Photo Credits: © Sophia Spring)

How Long Would You Remain Afloat If You Suddenly Lost Your Job?

Written By: MIM!—You've suddenly lost your job, and have to start from scratch with $1000 in your savings account. Can you make it through the month? Walk a virtual mile in the shoes of someone living from paycheck to paycheck by visiting www.PlaySpent.org and figuring out how long you could remain afloat if you were suddenly jobless.

(Photo Credits: © Keeweeboy / Veer) (Model Used Solely For Illustrative Purposes)

Not Quite Black And White

Written By: Imani Jones—“We’re not in Birmingham, Alabama, Dorothy, but there are traces of racism in our interactions with others. It’s not racist, it’s racistish.” Nicole Parker-Jones.

. . .

“Do you live here?” the concierge asked as I sauntered past his front desk with bags of groceries in my hand. At first, I didn’t know whether he was talking to me. Maybe someone new to the condominium building that I called home had snuck in behind me as I walked by, and the concierge was talking to the trespasser. I scanned the lobby: no one was there except for me, and the concierge, who was waiting for a response to his question. And so I politely responded, “Yes, I do” and proceeded to carry on with my day. I immediately wondered, was he racist? Maybe the concierge carefully monitors everyone who comes to the building, and asks everyone who walks past his desk whether they belong in the building. If that is true, I should give him the benefit of the doubt and move on. But what if the concierge singled me out because I am a thirty-something black woman, living in a high-end condominium, and based on his beliefs about thirty-something black women, I couldn’t possibly live where a two-bedroom condo commands a one million dollar asking price—surely, I would be in the wrong place if he believed that. Except, I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am a thirty-something black woman who can afford the mortgage on her one million dollar condo, and after living in said

apartment for five years, but continually being mistaken for a trespasser, I cannot help but wonder whether Kanye West got it right in All Falls Down when he lamented, “even when you’re in a Benz, you’re still a n***** in a coop.”

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Not Quite Black And White.

(Photo Credits: © Ocean Photography / Veer)

Africa + Me

Written By: Nkeiru Oruche—I wear a t-shirt that boldy proclaims “SPEAK YOUR MOTHER TONGUE.” That’s an idyllic goal (I would know, I designed the t-shirt), but it brings about mixed feelings. What is my mother-tongue? I recently learned that the answer to that question is complicated to say the least. Read on to find out how so.

. . .

I love meeting other Africans. I have this fantasy of visiting other African countries for at least two weeks to any number of months at a time per country, and giving myself up to total submersion of my fetishized appetite for their dance, music, language and food. I’ll totally be that Anglo person that I criticize all the time. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I have this ongoing far away obsession relationship with Congolese, Cameroonian, and Ivorian dance and music. And I think it is the ultimate shame that I have been to various countries around the world, but not one other African country aside from Nigeria. And now I'm beginning to have a mild obsession with the Caribbean and Latin America ... and South Asia ... and ... sigh.

Read the rest of this article in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in the article Africa + Me.

(Photo Credits: © PunchStock / Brand X Images)

MIMI's Poetry Corner: Arise Black Man

Written By: Thobani Khumalo—I see the presidency of Barack Obama illuminating like he holds the

globe giving everybody hope. A man arose from a black nation to pick up the cross for Jesus; a universal mission was then achieved. Fact or fiction I descended on the side of Ham. White became Sire while I black became a pariah.

But to this day I still stand.

Arise black man conquer and devour. Arise black man plan and strategize, for you are a beloved of God.

My dark skin is a vessel that keeps a champion inside. No more will a black man be called by the name of his master. I told them perseverance is encoded in a black’s man DNA. I watch the portrait of Mandela and gain wisdom of words, stereotypically known to be poor and shallow minded, through the “I Have A Dream” speech oppression ended. Bombarded by foreign languages, my soul is wrapped in bandages, because my culture is diluted. I keep up, defending my roots like a king holding his throne.

Read the rest of this poem in MIMI's Love Africa, Always issue, in Arise Black Man.

Making A Difference: Turning Bullets Into Beautiful Jewelry

Written By: Jamelia Mmari—Lovetta Conto was born just before she was forced to leave her home country, Liberia, because of a civil war. Lovetta fled to Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, before settling in a refugee camp inn Ghana, awaiting the end of the war. During this time, she was spotted by Cori Stern, founder of The Strongheart Fellowship and subsequently met by other members of the Strongheart team who chose her as the first-ever Strongheart Fellow. Through her fellowship, Lovetta created a jewelry line, Akawelle, that creates pieces from spent bullets. Watch her inspiring story below.

My (True) Fairy Tale from Strongheart on Vimeo.

Making A Difference: Me, Myself, And HIV

Written By: MIM!—MTV Staying Alive has tirelessly campaigned to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in our generation. Their latest campaign, Me, Myself, And HIV follows the lives of two twenty-somethings—Slim, an aspiring DJ and music producer from Zambia, and Angelikah, a college student from the USA—both living with HIV. The show follows them as they tell their stories from the very beginning: why they decided to get tested, to the aftermath of getting their results, right through to the present day where we get to see the complicated layer HIV can sometimes add when it comes to everyday lifestyle choices such as dating, work, friends and the future. Watch the enlightening and entertaining series below.

Me, Myself And HIV from mtv staying alive on Vimeo.

Pledge your support for the Me, Myself, And HIV campaign, by visiting hiv.staying-alive.org.

Making A Difference: POWA's Social Experiment Raises Domestic Violence Awareness

Written By: Ogilvy South Africa—On the 9th of May POWA, in partnership with Ogilvy Johannesburg, decided to conduct a social experiment in a townhouse complex in a Johannesburg suburb. The idea was simple: make as much noise as possible in a quiet part of suburbia to test when the neighbours would start complaining. The results, however, were rather disturbing. While the neighbourhood was immediately up in arms during a vigorous drumming session, a (pre recorded) physically violent fight between a couple, supplemented with screams, the live sound of smashing walls, crockery, broken glass and a vicious beating, elicited no reaction whatsoever. Watch the disturbing video below.

POWA Social Experiment from Ogilvy South Africa on Vimeo.

For more information, visit www.powa.co.za and www.ogilvy.co.za.

Today Is World AIDS Day

Written By: MIM!—
Today, the world unites to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of the HIV virus. Learn how you can take action to tackle HIV prejudice and to protect yourself and others from HIV transmission by visiting www.worldaidsday.org.

Miss Beautiful: South Africa In Pageants

Open publication - Free publishing - More winners

Making A Difference: Kakenya Is An Award Winning Animated Film That Is All About Girl Power!

Written By: MIM!—
"Vital Voices: Kakenya" is a partly animated film based on the real-life story of Kakenya Ntaiya, who followed her dream of building the first primary school for girls in her Maasai villiage in Kenya. Watch the inspiring animated feature below which won www.ViewChange.org's online film contest this month.