Skin Bleaching or “colorism” among people of color is a topic that rarely comes up in community discussions in the United States or in African countries. The practice is also known as “skin lightening.” It involves the use of chemical products by mostly black and brown people to help change or lighten their complexion…
Historically, Black women hold few elected or appointed offices in the US. That is according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rudgers University. This trend may be changing as some notable elections and nominations have seen Black women and other women of color take positions of leadership in America. This includes the…
They may have left their African homeland in Cameroon’s Western Region and settled in parts of the United States and Canada, but the Bamelikes show us they have not forgotten where they came from. The Bamilekes in Cameroon, a group of African Bantu people, represent one of the more than 250 ethnic groups that form the…
The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola won in the general election with the lowest margin since coming to power in 1975. LUANDA, Angola — Angola’s ruling party on Monday was declared the winner of the general election, but it was its weakest showing in the five elections that have taken place since the country…
William Ruto was recently declared president-elect of Kenya, but victory did not not come without contestation. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the runner-up, is challenging the results. Odinga received 48.8 % of the votes compared to 50.5 % for Ruto. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Odinga referred to the results as “null and void.”…
AURORA (Africa News Matters) – On the evening of Saturday, July 30, natives, friends, and well-wishers of the African nation of Liberia filled the corridors and ballroom of the Holiday Inn Express in Aurora to celebrate 175 years since its independence. Formerly a US territory, Liberia was founded by freed American slaves on July 26,…
DENVER (Africa News Matters) — There are no doubts about the strategic importance of the African continent to the world’s superpowers. Just as Russia, China, and India have upped the ante in relations with African nations, the United States, considered grossly lagging in its strategic relations with the continent, appears ready to change its ways. The Obama…
The recent achievement of a group of female volunteers opposed to ‘violence against women’ in central Mozambique provides a good chance to examine the country’s gender-based violence problem in greater depth. Recognizing the deficiencies and a lack of progress in human rights in Mozambique, Mariem Marouani takes a look at the critical impact that these…
DENVER (Africa News Matters) —Since its inception in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship program has seen participation from more than 5000 young African leaders from all countries on the continent. That’s according to the Department of State’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) program website. The fellowship program, a significant part of YALI, works in collaboration…
It was a festive Sunday in Philadelphia, as folks celebrated Juneteenth in several parts of the city. In Center City, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, or AAMP, hosted a Juneteenth block party where hundreds of people jammed to hip hop and dance classics like “The Wobble” and Jay‑Z’s “I Just Wanna Love You.” The block party…