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Meeting the Herero of Ombu Village: History, Memory, and Tradition

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Ms. Ngurungunda pounding aromatic herbs Ever since I saw a video about Herero women and their distinctive way of dressing years ago, I had hoped to one day see them in real life. When I finally did, they were every bit as captivating as I imagined—but what struck me even more was how much I learned about the Herero people, their history, and the broader Bantu cultural heritage across Sub-Saharan Africa. One of the facts I learned was that the first genocide of the 20th century was committed against the Herero people. Germany had colonized Namibia in 1884, often using deceptive agreements. The Herero and Nama were pastoralist communities, but as more German settlers arrived, their land was systematically confiscated. In response, the Herero rebelled—and the consequences were devastating. Between 1904 and 1908, an estimated 80% of the Herero population  was killed.* Ombu Village, Namibia In May of this year, I visited the Ombu Herero Cultural Village in northern Namibia, located off ...
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Paris Noir at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

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  Paris Noir showcases many of the Black artists who came to live in Paris, study in Paris, work in Paris, from all over the world. Paris was especially a refuge for Black American artists who in the 1950s fled Jim Crow and the lack of freedom in the United States to live a free(-er) life in France. The show includes visual art: paintings, collages, and sculptures, as well as film clips, and texts describing the various periods in time, between the 1950s and 2000. As per the Centre Pompidou website : From the creation of the  Présence Africaine  review to that of  Revue noire , “Black Paris” retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The exhibition celebrates 150 artists coming from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, whose works have often never been displayed in France before. Gerard Sekoto, South Africa: Self-Portrait, 1947 Artists shown hail from Martinique, Guadeloupe, the former French African colonies: Senegal, C...
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Location: Paris, France
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Matriarchal Authority among African Women: examples in Cameroon and a Note from Zimbabwe

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Examples of Duala and Bamileke Matriarchal Authority... and a note from Zimbabwe Nowadays, seen from afar, African women appear to be living in very patriarchal societies for the most part. That impression would often not be incorrect, sadly. An exception could be made for the powerful “Mami Benz,” the traders of West Africa. On the other hand, who knows how the men in their family might be behaving with them, no matter their wealth and power! African women had a recognized authority in the socio-political and economic spaces established by traditional cultures. Cameroon has examples of traditional roles played by women. Some of these roles are still relevant today.   Amongst the Duala, the eldest daughter in a family was known as the Mangon, literally “Mother woman.” Even when she marries into another village community, she continues to play a vital role in the important stages of family life, such as births, marriages, and widowhood. She is the last resort in family disputes...
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NoViolet Bulawayo's novel: We Need New Names

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This was my review on Goodreads: This novel's storyline follows a young girl, then teen, then woman from post-independence Zimbabwe to the United States.The tone may seem flippant. But the underlying pain is real: whether back in the home country, or in the diaspora.  In Zimbabwe, it is sad to find the descendants of people who fought the Rhodesians, who had their own style of Apartheid, suffering at the hands of those who won back the country. Life is often untenable but people are helpless. In the United States, an exilee tries to fit in without losing their identity, but it's not easy. The heartbreak of leaving your home remains no matter what. And your children will have another take on life than you do. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/17624883-diane-chehab">View all my reviews</a> Below we can read that the author is writing a memoir; I can't wait to find out about her own life! From Goodreads: About the author NoViolet Bulawayo 12 ...
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New Cameroonian movie: MAMBAR PIERRETTE Trailer | TIFF 2023

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https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/en/film/mambar-pierrette Rosine Mbakam is a Cameroon-born filmmaker. She  is currently based in Belgium. Her movies are quiet but true to real life in Cameroon.  Feature length films include The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman, Chez Jolie Coiffure, and Delphine's Prayers.
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Memories of Aunt Jessie in Douala

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A couple of months ago, my aunt through marriage, known as "Tantie Jessie" to the nephews and nieces, passed away in Douala at the age of 80. I was thankful to have seen her a while ago in Paris at the home of one of her daughters. She was a big part of my daily life as the spouse of a Cameroonian in Douala, at the start of my career and later of motherhood, trying to fit in. She and her husband had us often over for delicious Sunday meals. She would tease me about my attempts at speaking Duala (although later, she was proud of me). I'd like to pay a personal tribute by writing about one of our adventures, which we could laugh about in hindsight! When I moved to Cameroon, the country still had its first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo. However, in 1982, the French president, François Mitterrand, convinced him to leave power and the then Prime Minister, Paul Biya, became president. We managed an architectural firm, and one morning in April 1984, we started our morning and notice...
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Germany faces its colonial legacy

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  Since the end of World War II, Germany has been grappling with the consequences of the Holocaust. Since about ten years, the country has also started facing its colonial history, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Germany started controlling territories in Africa in the 1800s, mostly after the "Scramble for Africa" initiated by Bismarck during the 1884 Berlin Conference, when the continent was divvied up among European countries. Germany annexed territories in present-day Cameroon, Togo, Ghana, and Namibia. After World War I, they lost most of their colonies, which were taken over by France and Great Britain. The Germans were brutal in their rule and committed genocide in Namibia in 1914. Until a few years ago, German city streets often carried the names of German colonizers, such as Petersallee in Berlin, dedicated to Dr. Carl Peters, who set off to start colonizing Eastern Africa in 1884. After the Berlin West Africa Conference, he was named Chairman of the German East-Afr...
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Location: Germany
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