The idea of being one another’s keeper, which many Democrats talked about during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia, PA leads me to Cory Booker. The senator from New Jersey received lots of praise after he spoke so eloquently during the event. He is often considered a star in the Democratic Party. He was a…
The Republican (GOP) and Democratic national political conventions were interesting. Of equal interest was the near absence of anything African in them. More broadly—while the conventions illuminated the vast differences between Democrats and Republicans in America, at least with an unusual nominee on the GOP side, they spelled out where both parties would like to take…
For the seven years or so that he’s been in office, U.S. President, Barack Obama has focused on the African continent. This is something that is not talked about much, despite such accomplishments as holding the first US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in 2014. Before him, President George W. Bush was praised for his Africa policy. Since the…
United States President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 12. In his speech, Obama focused on a number of ideas, including the fact that America has never stopped being great, that diplomacy is a better way to deal with conflict, and that all Americans — regardless of differences in…
Every time U.S. President, Barack Obama makes a trip to the African continent something interesting happens. The media crowd, those who can’t stop saying negative things about the continent come out and begin their Africa mantra. They did this during Obama’s first stop in the continent as president in 2009. They did it when…
Today a country once separated by Apartheid has become the center stage of xenophobia. The headlines have been filled daily with the ongoing killing of foreigners in South Africa. When we think of South Africa, Nelson Mandela’s strength and fight for freedom is what comes to mind. This contributed in making South Africa the nation that…
“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian,” said outgoing Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in a statement congratulating his successor, Mohamadou Buhari on his victory. “I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word.” The March 28 election has become one of the most talked-about elections in Africa. This election was…
There is a cliché in the news business which says, ‘if it bleeds, it leads.’ It’s a reporter’s frame of mind when dealing with big news stories and events of the moment. By this maxim, there is a tendency for crises, and disaster-like events to garner much attention to the detriment of everything else. So,…
Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie is a hero, if not a literary star, among today’s generation of young Africans. Adichie’s “The danger of a Single Story,” a Ted Talk she gave in 2009 about the single African narrative portrayed by the media that focuses solely on poverty, destitution, and hopelessness, has received more than 6 million…
The death of Mandela is not to be regretted and mourned, but to be consecrated and celebrated. There is another proverb from my home of Nso, which says: “god’s life is in god’s deeds” and should “god’s deeds die then god will.” The Mandela exit is alive and well and so it is proper to talk…