Away from Africa

Nice, in southern France, is not a hotbed of African culture. So it was a surprise to see a poster for the exhibition Africa Pop , showcasing African textiles in an original way, at a museum I had never heard of, the Musée International d'Art Naïf Anatole Jakovsky.  The museum in itself was a nice surprise. Anatole Jakovsky was an art critic, collector, and writer, of Moldovan origin, who was very interested in 20th Century "naive" art, art from self-taught artists. He donated his extensive collection to the city of Nice. The museum was opened in 1982, in the historical Château Sainte-Hélène, which used to belong to the perfumer François Coty. The ground floor houses the permanent collection, that includes well-known artists such as the postman Rousseau and Grandma Moses. Africa Pop (running through October 18, 2026) is on the upper floor.  There were many wall hangings made of superimposed African cotton fabrics ("pagne" in French), each wall hanging combining...

  Jacques Agbobly’s Journey from Lomé to American Fashion’s Future

Picket with a black rhino on a dehorning exercise* A few years ago, in 2021, we had the pleasure of meeting  Picket Chabwedzeka at the Hwange game count . Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, he studied Geography and Environmental Management in South Africa. After working for several years in a South African game reserve, he returned to Zimbabwe and enrolled in a Master’s degree program, graduating with an MS in ecological resources management. He went on to receive a Post Graduate Certificate in Ecological Survey techniques at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.  He currently serves as a Game Reserve Manager in a private reserve near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where he lives on the premises with his young family, surrounded by a variety of wildlife, including many birds. His passion and area of expertise is rhinoceros conservation, both black and white rhinos. Aside from humans, rhinos have no natural predators, yet they remain under constant threat due to poaching drive...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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.

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...

  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...

Via Amanda Tento, founder of my wonderful online networking group, the 337 group , I met Yeve Sibanda. Yeve is a Zimbabwean native who now calls the United States home. She is a wife, mother, attorney, public speaker, and author, and she founded Philisa Creatives, a media company, that celebrates and amplifies African heritage. Philisa means “to bring to life” in Ndebele; its mission is to create innovative products to enhance multicultural learning. Her debut book is " My First Book of Shona and Ndebele Words ." Just a week before, I had been discussing the need to promote African languages with Elle Charisse , creator of the Speaking Tongues podcast. On a popular language-learning app, until very recently, the only African language being taught was Swahili. I just read that Zulu and Xhosa, spoken in South Africa, will soon be taught, too.  There are some apps and websites, such as Mandla (for English speakers) and ParleAfrique for French speakers. However, they often have...