Afropolitan Central

Hey guys, we’re so excited to bring you yet another Afropolitan Central episode! In light of Omolayo’s impending nuptials, we thought it only fitting to discuss all things love, relationships and marriage in this last episode of the season (we know, the time has really flown by!) We ponder on the following questions and more-- Is dating with the intention of marriage the way to go? What deal breakers did we pick up from our parents’ marriage? Is a 50-50 marriage partnership a myth? Is our gut really always right when it comes to the matters of love? What do fboys teach us about ourselves? As always we’re eager to hear your take and insight on our social media pages, Afropolitan Central on Instagram and Facebook and AfropolitanC on Twitter! Don't be a stranger, come say hello! Background music: https://www.bensound.com

From alarming headlines about land grabs to debt traps all amidst bold claims of an ongoing bid to neo-colonise Africa, we have all been witness to China’s increasing presence and investment in various African countries. But what are the facts vs overly blown out myths? Should we be more alarmed than we already are? To help us navigate this subject, we are joined by Bénédicte, a China-Africa scholar, whose in-depth knowledge on China’s political, economic and cultural history provides the much needed context to examine this burgeoning relationship. We touch on these and more in our conversation: How has China’s history shaped its current “business only strategy” with the African continent? Is the devil we know (the West) better than the new, potential devil we’re just getting to know (China)? How and why do African countries continuously strike bad deals even in areas like tourism where we have a bargaining chip? Debt traps vs poorly researched deals, which is which? Are we selectively outraged, after all Indians, Lebanese and others have been getting up to shady activities on the continent for the longest This time around, how can we play the game to win? As you’ll hear from this episode, this is a topic we were quite excited to finally get into with Bénédicte so definitely let us know your thoughts! We’re Afropolitan Central on Instagram and AfropolitanC on Twitter. More about the ever impressive Bénédicte: Bénédicte is a China-Africa scholar, holding a masters in international development & African studies from Sciences Po Paris and a masters of law from Peking University, where she wrote her thesis on the political economy of Chinese tourism to Africa. Bénédicte is also a Comparative East Asian Studies scholar from Keio University, Japan - Hong Kong University and Yonsei University in South Korea She has experience consulting with Chinese and African organizations in the field of renewable energy and sustainable development. During her spare time, Bénédicte often shares her thoughts on her blog benedicteking.wordpress.com or contributes to blacklivitychina.com, a platform dedicated to the Black Experience in China. You can follow her on Twitter and instagram @benedicteking

Hey guys, we’re excited back with you after our little unscheduled break! We start this episode’s chit chat on the topic of #cancel culture. It’s so easy to join social media movements to cancel brands like HM or Gucci when they show their behinds or even celebs that make questionable remarks, we’re looking at you Maya Jama. But how easy is it to actually cancel people in real life and is that even a mature approach? Of course, with summer fast approaching we delve into all the exciting things that this season brings with it- from the Afrobeats parties such as those organised by Afropolitan DC,NY and Miami, to the heady explorations of new places through travel, festivals like Carnival and summer romances! What do you have lined up for summer 2019? Our summer playlist is still loading so let us know what tunes you’re currently jamming to! We’re Afropolitan Central on Instagram and AfropolitanC on Twitter. Hop on and let us know your thoughts!

Episode 11: Wait, Was That Sexist or Racist?! Hey guys, we’re excited to bring you yet another episode of Afropolitan Central! This week, we’re chit chatting about some of the maddening experiences we’ve had in the workplace and in academia that makes us go hmmm, was that because I’m woman, because I’m black or both! Which discrimination is it? Oh the joys of being black and a woman! Most importantly, how should we react in these situations? Is speaking out against such acts always the best course of action? Tune into the episode and hear our take! As always we’re eager to hear your take and insight on our social media pages, Afropolitan Central on Instagram and Facebook and AfropolitanC on Twitter! Check out the articles linked below for further details on the articles mentioned in the episode: Cyclone Idai-How to help: https://qz.com/africa/1582798/cyclone-idai-how-to-help/ Fasiha Hassan from Fees Must Fall: https://twitter.com/allthefas?lang=en Carla Harris' Ted Talk- How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpE_W50OTUc&frags=pl%2Cwn

Hi guys, thanks for tuning in to another episode of Afropolitan Central. We’re super excited to bring you our conversation with Paakow Essandoh, the founder and CEO of Mizizi, the fashion brand that’s making it cool and exciting for members of the African continent and diaspora to rep our heritage. Our conversation with the 24 year old Ghanaian American entrepreneur covers the difficult and highly inspiring story behind the launch of Mizizi, the unique role social media plays in the company’s business model, its recent Marvel collaboration and his ambition to eventually manufacture on the continent. We also analyse the dangers of potentially homogenising and tokenizing “African culture” as well as the role fashion can play in African narrative. You definitely don’t want to miss this episode so go ahead and press play already! As always, we want to hear your thoughts so hit us up on our social media channels- we’re Afropolitan Central on both Facebook and Instagram and AfropolitanC on Twitter Useful links Mizizi’s Profile in Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephdeacetis/2019/01/18/meet-mizizi-how-one-twenty-four-year-old-ghanaian-american-is-inspiring-africans-to-stay-rooted/ Mizizi’s social media- Mizizishop on all social media channels Paakow’s social media- Paakowessandoh on Instagram Africa Growth and Opportunities Act: https://agoa.info/about-agoa.html

Hello everyone, thanks for joining us for another episode of Afropolitan Central! We’ve heard the arguments made about the term Afropolitan being too elite much like its predecessor of sorts, Pan African. But is that such a bad thing after all? Why is the portrayal of Africans as rich and economically mobile often hotly contested? Is there merit in the argument that terms like Afropolitan for instance, focuses more on making us palatable for the Western gaze? Is our development threatened because it’s too Western identified and elite led? Is all this dialogue much ado about nothing with little impact on the ground for everyday citizens? Tune in to the episode to hear our answers to these and many more as we explore this topic. As always we’re eager to hear your take and insight on our social media pages, Afropolitan Central on Instagram and Facebook and AfropolitanC on Twitter! Check out the articles linked below for further details on the articles mentioned in the episode: Articles referenced Debates about the Afropolitan term https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/afropolitanism-global-citizenship-with-african-routes/ The New Single Story http://asterixjournal.com/afropolitanism-africas-new-single-story-reading-helon-habilas-review-need-new-names-brian-bwesigye/ Africans can have multiple sub cultures http://www.msafropolitan.com/2013/04/can-africans-have-multiple-subcultures-a-response-to-exorcising-afropolitanism.html Why I'm Not Afropolitan- an argument on the term’s shortcomings http://africasacountry.com/why-im-not-an-afropolitan/

Hey guys, we’re excited to bring you yet another episode of Afropolitan Central! This time, we’re joined by returning guest, Nicole Magabo, who was featured on our Children of Blood and Bone episodes, to discuss the topic of moving back to the African continent to the various places we call home. This topic has received increased attention in recent months particularly with Ghana’s “The Year of Return” theme for 2019 amongst others so it was only right to turn our lens to it. In exploring this topic, we ponder a gamut of questions: Is there a right time to move back home? Do we overly romanticise the move? What happens when we get home and it isn’t sunshine and rainbows? As returnees, do we enjoy a level of privilege once we’re back? How do we wield this correctly? Tune in to the episode to hear our answers to these and many more. **Our question to you is: Have you thought about moving back? If you’ve already returned, how has your experience been so far?** As always we’re eager to hear your take and insight on our social media pages, Afropolitan Central on Instagram and Facebook and AfropolitanC on Twitter Follow our guest Nicole Magabo, on Instagram at btsp_moments on for her photography adventures and familytreefilmug for the latest on her debut film.

Hey guys, we’re so excited to be back with another episode and this time we’re talking all about friendships! From pondering the art of maintaining long distance friendships as Afropolitans, “cancelling” toxic friends, figuring out why the “black head nod” doesn’t seem to be a thing in these London streets to highlighting how the definition of home plays an anchoring role in defining our friendships, we dig deep in this convo! So get comfortable and dive right in. As always, we’re curious to hear your thoughts so weigh with your thoughts on our instagram, Afropolitan Central and on Twitter at AfropolitanC! If you haven’t already, please don’t forget to subscribe to us on Soundcloud or iTunes podcasts and leave a review as well! Link to Sarz’s latest project- SINYM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE-q--TLhjM&frags=pl%2Cwn

Episode 6: Should we all be Feminists? Happy New year folks! This episode, we’re exploring feminism in the African context. We’ve had so many offline conversations on this topic so it’s only right that we finally brought it to the Afropolitan Central table for discussion. Along with our special guest Rafe, a writer and documentary maker based in Abuja, we share our own feminist awakenings and hangups on the term and discuss the patriarchy and the role some women play in upholding it, the Superwoman trope, feminism 419s (cons) some guys play for dating cool points among others. Here’s our question to you- as a modern African, what does it mean to be a feminist? We’re particularly eager to hear your thoughts on it so chime in on our social media channels! We’re Afropolitan C on Twitter and Afropolitan Central on Facebook and Instagram. To find out more about Rafe and her work, check out her website: rafeeataliyu.com. She’s also on Twitter @rafeeeeta References THE GUILD SYSTEM AND ITS ROLE IN THE ECONOMY OF PRECOLONIAL YORUBALAND by Dr AOY Raji & Dr TS Abejide In the Shadow of the Bush by P. Amaury Talbot Mother Is Gold, Father Is Glass Gender and Colonialism in a Yoruba Town by Lorelle D. Semley

Y'all, we say this every time but it really feels like this year flew by! Guided by a list of questions, we take a look back at 2018. From friendship wahalas to a fainting spell at the Nigerian border among others, we reflect on the highs, lows and funny (you decide for yourself) moments that 2018 brought us and share some gems (again you decide for yourself) as we prepare to take 2019 by storm! As always, we’d love to continue to the conversation on our social media channels! What are you looking forward to the most in the new year? What are your tips for a successful 2019? Also, what was your favorite Afropolitan Central episode or moments?! We’re finally on Twitter at AfropolitanC-https://twitter.com/AfropolitanC so tweet us yo! As always, we’re also on instagram and Facebook as Afropolitan Central. Thank you all for making our year such an amazing one, we appreciate your endless support so much. Cheers to an enriching and fulfilling 2019!

On this episode of Afropolitan Central, we dive into several facets of the Afropolitan experience: from gathering as a community at events like TedxEuston, to holding on to our traditions and histories through the stories of our elders, to building our collective and individual futures. To start off, we reflect on our experience volunteering at TedXEuston earlier this December. Then, Omolayo takes us on a deep dive session with Kirstie Kwarteng, a PhD candidate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, on her unique take on what the Afropolitan community needs to move forward. By the end of the episode, you'll be ready to call up your grandmother and add her wisdom to the list you'll take from the Tedx speakers we highlight! Additional information For Kirstie’s PhD, she’s working on the transnational ties maintained by 2nd generation Ghanaians in the London and New York City. The Nana Project created by Kirstie is an archival project preserving first hand accounts of Ghana's history - she highlights the importance of listening to our elders and learning our true histories, in order to shape a better future. Nana project: https://instagram.com/the_nana_project?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=xad0lejb2d9e TedxEuston: https://www.tedxeuston.com/

Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that “African heritage can’t just be in European private collections and museums” and commissioned for a report that would inform the temporary or permanent repatriation of looted African art currently held in French museums. On this episode of Afropolitan Central, we give our 2 cents on this topic starting from the absurd stance of giving African art back on “loaned” terms, whether the continent is equipped with the infrastructure to maintain these artefacts when returned or if museums are too Western a construct when it comes to African art appreciation among others! As always, chime in on our social media channels and let us know your thoughts on this topic- are we as a continent ready to receive these artefacts back? Resources mentioned: Omolayo’s blog post on the Congolese art exhibition: http://findingnkem.com/beaute-congo/ Initial announcement from Macron: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/macron-repatriate-african-heritage-1238219 Report findings: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/france-urged-to-return-looted-african-art-treasures-macron

On this episode of Afropolitan Central, we're joined by our lovely friend and licensed therapist, Kobe Campbell from the Healing Circle, to have an insightful, vulnerable and honest conversation about our mental health as Afropolitans. We start by sharing the perceptions and misconceptions we held growing up in African households, the shifts that have occurred as adults, the nuanced factors and burdens that impair our mental well-being as Afropolitans living in Western societies among others. Finally, we share some simple tips that can help us to continually take better care of our mental and emotional well-being. You absolutely don’t want to miss this episode so listen in two takes if you have to! We want to hear from you on what it would look like for us to build a mentally Afropolitan community as well as your general thoughts and musings from this episode! Join us at our instagram or Facebook page to chime in. Make sure to check out Kobe using the following links: Kobe's Website: https://www.kchealingcircle.com/ Kobe's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehealingcircle_kc/ Kobe's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAv-PN2jz414V5EorlLN6WQ Resources mentioned: Article on Black Mothers Experience in the US Health Care System & Black babies birth weight: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/magazine/black-mothers-babies-death-maternal-mortality.html Ujojesse, Nigerian comic who draws on lots of different topics, but often hits on mental health: https://www.instagram.com/ugojesse/ Dami, British-Nigerian photographer highlighting multinational women in sports: https://www.instagram.com/damikhadijah/

And just like that, we’re back again and so excited to bring you the 2nd season of Afropolitan Central! This first episode is a laid back conversation where we re-introduce ourselves and catch you up on all our latest updates including Omolayo’s recent move to London, Nana’s travels to Thailand among others. Then, we explore the word “Afropolitan” and delve into the meaning and vision behind this podcast. We want to hear from you as well on what the word Afropolitan means to you! Join us at Afropolitan Central on instagram and Facebook to share your insights! Articles mentioned http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/17/world/africa/who-are-afropolitans/ http://thelip.robertsharp.co.uk/?p=76 http://africasacountry.com/2013/11/the-afropolitan-must-go/ http://africasacountry.com/2014/01/why-im-not-an-afropolitan/

On our latest Afropolitan Central episode, we're discussing the highly buzzed about debut novel, "Children of Blood and Bone" by 24 year old Nigerian American author, Tomi Adeyemi. Described by Tomi as "Black Panther with magic" this epic fantasy takes us on a wild ride in a fantasy Nigerian/ African world as we follow our heroine, Zelie, along with her brother and a princess on a quest to bring magic back to Orisha. With our special guest, Nicole Magabo a writer herself, we delve into the hype surrounding this book, our thoughts on the main characters the key themes explored in the book among others. You absolutely don't want to miss this episode which is actually double the fun and split into 2 parts! As always, share your thoughts with us on Afropolitan Central on both Instagram and Facebook.

On our latest Afropolitan Central episode, we're discussing the highly buzzed about debut novel, "Children of Blood and Bone" by 24 year old Nigerian American author, Tomi Adeyemi. Described by Tomi as "Black Panther with magic" this epic fantasy takes us on a wild ride in a fantasy Nigerian/ African world as we follow our heroine, Zelie, along with her brother and a princess on a quest to bring magic back to Orisha. With our special guest, Nicole Magabo who's a writer herself, we delve into the hype surrounding this book, our thoughts on the main characters the key themes explored in the book among others. You absolutely don't want to miss this episode which is actually double the fun and split into 2 parts! As always, share your thoughts with us on Afropolitan Central on both Instagram and Facebook.

In this 2 part episode, we're putting a spotlight on music emanating from various African countries and the larger African diaspora with our special guest, Chineme. In this second episode, we discuss the rise of the Afrobeats on the global stage, the effects of technology on our local music industries in regards to monetisation and copyright infringement as well as summer bops to check out! As always, don't forget to follow us on our social media channels i.e. Afropolitan Central on Instagram & Facebook to share your thoughts on this episode!

In this 2 part episode, we're putting a spotlight on music emanating from various African countries and the larger African diaspora with our special guest, Chineme. In this first episode, we start by examining the evolution of Ghanaian music over the decades, revisiting our own love affairs with music from the continent and then spotlight some of our favourite artists and songs.

This week on Afropolitan Central, we're taking a walk down memory lane and discussing all the things that came with the territory of growing up in an African household! We revisit our fondest childhood memories, classic tales of getting in trouble and getting whooped to our relationship with our parents and how those dynamics continue to change as we've grown older. We'd really love to get your thoughts and hear your own stories on so hop on our Insta or Facebook to share them! Thank you for your continued support! Additionally, we'll be discussing The Children of Blood & Bone by first time writer, Tomi Adeyemi, in July so get your copy so you can join our discussion! https://www.instagram.com/afropolitancentral/ https://www.facebook.com/AfropolitanCentral/

On this episode of Afropolitan Central, we're talking about all things travel as they relate to the African continent. We dive into the cultural, societal and economic factors and barriers that we believe have influenced how we as Africans explore our continent. Next, we dive into recent travel trends we've observed through social media and some of our favourite Instagram accounts who continue to give us a different view of various African countries through their travels. Lastly, we turn our attention to underrated spots in our own countries and also highlight the cities and countries across the continent that we're dying to cross off our bucket list! Thank you all for the continued support! As always, we look forward to getting your thoughts and insight on our Instagram and Facebook pages: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitancentral/ https://www.facebook.com/AfropolitanCentral/ Article referenced for the Black Panther soundtrack lawsuit discussion https://qz.com/1291390/kendrick-lamar-sza-sued-by-african-artist-over-copyright-for-black-panther-anthem-all-the-stars/ Social media accounts highlighted Tstmkrsafrica https://www.instagram.com/tstmkrsafrica/ Social prefect https://www.instagram.com/socialprefect/ Spirited Pursuit https://www.instagram.com/spiritedpursuit/ Visiter l'Afrique https://www.instagram.com/visiterlafrique/ Lorikemi https://www.instagram.com/lorikemi/ Chineme EZ https://www.instagram.com/chistory_/

On this episode of the Afropolitan Central podcast, we’re shining the spotlight on “African Fashion”. We’re exploring the evolution of our personal relationships with our local, traditional prints, sharing some of our funny tailor/ seamstress stories and then turning the lens on the increasing visibility of our local prints on the global stage with emphasis on the role that social media platforms have played in this. Lastly, we delve into the history of the Holland wax prints and how they came to be the fabric of our societies. Resources used in the making of this podcast: How Dutch Wax Fabrics Became a Mainstay of African Fashion: https://hyperallergic.com/335472/how-dutch-wax-fabrics-became-a-mainstay-of-african-fashion/ Accounts mentioned in the podcast and more to check: Zuvaa-https://www.instagram.com/shopzuvaa/?hl=en AAKS-https://www.aaksonline.com Lisa Olawiyo-https://www.instagram.com/lisafolawiyo/?hl=en Diana Opoti- #100daysofAfricanfashion https://www.instagram.com/dianaopoti/?hl=en Barkers Woode- https://www.instagram.com/barkerswoode/?hl=en Chimamanda Adichie- https://www.instagram.com/chimamanda_adichie/?hl=en Andrea Iyamah swimwear- https://www.instagram.com/andreaiyamah/?hl=en Andrea Iyamah bride- https://www.instagram.com/andreaiyamah.bride/?hl=en Miss Kabi -https://www.instagram.com/miss.kabi/?hl=en Demestik- https://www.instagram.com/demestik/?hl=en

We're so excited to bring you the very first episode of the Afropolitan Central podcast! On this intro podcast, we talk about our Nigerian and Ghanaian backgrounds, our experiences navigating the challenges of the "single story" of the African continent and highlight our motivation for starting the Afropolitan Central podcast. We aim to build Afropolitan Central into a true community where we celebrate the varied cultures and narratives of the African continent and diaspora through fresh and exciting content. We're excited to have you on this journey with us! Be sure to share your thoughts on this episode and keep updated of the latest developments in the Afropolitan Central platform through our social media channels listed below: Instagram: www.instagram.com/afropolitancentral/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/AfropolitanCentral/ Further resources to explore: Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie's Ted Talk, The danger of the single story: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story

On this episode of the Afropolitan Central podcast, we're talking about the record breaking film, Black Panther and examining the wider topic of African development. Honing in on the varied themes development represented in Wakanda, we explore what this representation means to us, the complex role colonialism among others has played in the reality and perception of the continent's development and spotlight Benin city of the ancient Benin empire, a real life Wakanda! Join us and let us know your thoughts and reactions after listening to the episode either in the comments box here or on our social media channels listed below! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitancentral/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfropolitanCentral/ Resources used in the making of this podcast: Benin city- the might medieval city now lost without a trace: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/18/story-of-cities-5-benin-city-edo-nigeria-mighty-medieval-capital-lost-without-trace Benin- the sack that was by Professor Ekpo Eyo, O.F.R. http://www.dawodu.net/eyo.htm Benin city- the majestic city the British burnt to the ground https://afrolegends.com/2012/08/16/benin-city-the-majestic-city-the-british-burnt-to-the-ground/ Further resources to explore: 9. Racism and Ruins- the plundering of Great Zimbabwe https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/18/great-zimbabwe-medieval-lost-city-racism-ruins-plundering SUNU Journal: https://www.instagram.com/sunujournal/ SUNU, a Wolof (Senegal) word which means "our", is journal of collective African affairs, critical thought and aesthetics. Sunu's mission is to amplify the youth voice and contribute to strengthening their collective consciousness in critical engagement with African affairs, and aesthetics L’enfant Noir by Camara Laye https://www.amazon.com/LEnfant-Noir-Camara-Laye/dp/1585101532 The concept of Negritude in the poetry of Leopold Sedar Senghor https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt13x19xb