The Africanist Podcast

Step into the imaginative realms of Africanfuturism in this insightful episode featuring Prof. Kimberly Cleveland of Georgia State University in conversation with Bukunmi Bifarin (Emory University). Centered around Prof. Cleveland's groundbreaking monograph, Africanfuturism: African Imaginings of Other Times, Spaces, and Worlds (Ohio University Press 2024), the discussion traverses speculative aesthetics, historical memory, and the creative force of African cultural expression. Together, they delve into how African artists, writers, and thinkers envision futures rooted in Indigenous knowledges, spiritual continuities, and alternative temporalities—disrupting colonial frameworks and offering new ways of seeing and being. This episode is an invitation to dream through the lens of the continent and its diasporas. Music: Ismaila Lo Episode Host: Bukunmi Bifarin Editor: Luccas Perez

In this episode, Profs Devin Bryson (Illinois College) and Molly Krueger Enz (South Dakota State University) discuss their co-authored monograph, Projections of Dakar: (Re) Imagining Urban Senegal Through Cinema (Ohio University Press 2024). “Projections of Dakar studies the audiovisual creations and practices of twenty-first-century Senegalese filmmakers living, working, and distributing their films in urban Senegal. Although some observers have described contemporary Senegalese cinema as a dying industry, this book shows that it retains great potential. Senegalese cinematic practitioners are forging unique, dynamic responses to social challenges and producing content in innovative forms.” Music: Africa by Ismaïla Lo             Ndakarou by Youssou Ndour  

NB: This episode was recorded on February 8, 2025. Since then, the conflict in Eastern DRC has dramatically evolved with more than 7000 fatalities, thousands of displaced and sanctions against Rwanda. In this episode we delve into the intricate and ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with our esteemed guest, Dr. Patrick Litanga (Eastern Kentucky University). Dr. Litanga, a native of the DRC and an expert in African politics and post-conflict reconstruction, brings his profound insights to the table as we explore the multifaceted dimensions of this protracted war. He traces the origins of the conflict, sheds light on the historical and socio-political factors that have fueled the violence in the region. He also discusses the key actors involved, including the Congolese governmental forces, various rebel groups like M23, and the role of neighboring countries such as Rwanda and Uganda. Through his analysis, Dr. Litanga reveals the complex web of alliances and rivalries that have perpetuated the instability. We also examine the regional tensions and geostrategic implications of the conflict, highlighting how the struggle for control over the DRC's vast mineral resources has drawn in both regional and international players.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Natàlia Bueno, researcher at the Center for Social Studies (Coimbra University), to explore the recent political turmoil in Mozambique. The country has been gripped by violent protests and electoral violence following the contested election results that saw the ruling Frelimo party retain power. Natàlia Bueno provides an in-depth analysis of the disputed election results, highlighting the allegations of vote rigging and the subsequent unrest that has led to widespread violence and instability. We delve into the tragic assassinations of two prominent opposition leaders, Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, and discuss the implications of these targeted killings on the political landscape. Furthermore, we examine the reactions from the international community, including calls for intervention and the impact of these events on Mozambique's relations with neighboring countries and global organizations. Natàlia offers her expert insights into the potential long-term consequences of this political upheaval and what it means for the future of democracy in Mozambique.

This episode is a conversation with distinguished Zambian writer and activist Ba Mulenga Kapwepwe, who was recently invited to Emory University's Institute of African Studies to discuss her latest novel, Perfect Marriage. In this conversation facilitated by Dr. Bamba Ndiaye, Kapwepwe dissects the complexities of Bemba society, ritual practices, and social relationships in a gripping narrative that does not shy away from the scientificity of African cultures and rites often construed as pure folklore. To purchase the book click HERE. Novel's synopsys: "Dr Bwalya Katanshi and Dr Musonda Katongo are Zambian academics working in America. After meeting and falling in love, they decide to tie the knot. Neuroscientist Bwalya returns to Zambia ahead of Musonda, a mechanical engineer, to finalise their wedding arrangements. But the harmony is shattered when Musonda arrives. He is less than enthusiastic about embracing tradition and especially travelling to the village for their marriage rites and ceremonies. This reluctance strains their relationship and creates tension between the lovers, their future in-laws, and the entire village, jeopardizing the couple's future happiness.Rich with captivating depictions of Zambia's natural and cultural heritage, Perfect Marriage offers profound lessons and insights into the interconnectedness of human beings with their environment, with God, and with love-all shown through the lens of Bemba beliefs and practices." https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Marriage-Mulenga-Kapwepwe/dp/9982990624

On May 19, 2024, an attempted coup occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The assailants targeted President Félix Tshesekedi and the Economy Minister, Vital Kamerhe. They attacked both the Palais de la Nation and the Kamerhe's residence before they were swiftly pushed back by security forces. The commando's leader, Christian Malanga, was killed as a result of the security forces' response. His son Marcel Malanga and dozens of plotters were arrested. In this episode, Dr. Patrick Litanga (Eastern Kentucky University) discusses the details of this recent coup attempt, the history of military takeovers and takeover attempts in the DRC as well as the current political crisis between the DRC and Rwanda in the Eastern Congo. 

In this episode, Nyaradzai Mahachi (Emory University) discusses with Dr. Matthew Rarey (Oberlin College) about the latter's first monograph, Insignificant Things: Amulets and the Art of Survival in the Early Black Atlantic (Duke University Press, 2023) The book "traces the history of the African-associated amulets that enslaved and other marginalized people carried as tools of survival in the Black Atlantic world from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Often considered visually benign by white Europeans, these amulet pouches, commonly known as “mandingas,” were used across Africa, Brazil, and Portugal and contained myriad objects, from herbs and Islamic prayers to shells and coins. Drawing on Arabic-language narratives from the West African Sahel, the archives of the Portuguese Inquisition, sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European travel and merchant accounts of the West African Coast, and early nineteenth-century Brazilian police records, Rarey shows how mandingas functioned as portable archives of their makers' experiences of enslavement, displacement, and diaspora. He presents them as examples of the visual culture of enslavement and critical to conceptualizing Black Atlantic art history. Ultimately, Rarey looks to the archives of transatlantic slavery, which were meant to erase Black life, for objects like the mandingas that were created to protect it." https://www.dukeupress.edu/insignificant-things    More about this episode's host, Nyaradzai Mahachi here.  

In this conversation, Michelle Gavin (CFR), Rachel Beatty Riedl (Cornell University) and Bamba Ndiaye (Emory University) discuss the ongoing political crisis in Senegal. "On Saturday, February 3, Senegalese president Macky Sall informed the nation that he was postponing the presidential election scheduled for February 25. The move was necessary, he claimed, to prevent “a new crisis” from erupting over an ongoing conflict between the judiciary and parliament. It was a stunning and unexpected decree, roundly denounced by trade unions, religious institutions, the press, and citizens alike. It is also the culmination of the acute democratic backsliding that has characterized Senegal since the beginning of Sall's second term in 2019. If unchecked, this constitutional putsch undeniably marks the demise of Senegalese democracy. Days before Sall's weekend announcement, lawmakers from the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and the ruling Benno Bok Yakkar (BBY) coalition accused two Constitutional Court judges of corruption. They allege that BBY's presidential candidate, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, bribed two judges to eliminate a political opponent, PDS candidate Karim Wade, from the race." Music:  Mackycratie by Keur Gui Crew Selected readings: "The Demise of Senegalese Democracy" by Bamba Ndiaye Restaurer la République (Texte collectif) "Making Sense of Senegal's Constitution" by Catherine Lena Kelly "Senegal's "Unraveling": President's Delay of Election Is Latest in String of Anti-Democratic Actions" www.democracynow.org    

Co-Host: Eman Ghanayem In this episode, we discuss Mohamed Abdou's (Columbia University) Islam and Anarchism. "Islam and Anarchism is a highly original and interdisciplinary work, which simultaneously disrupts two commonly held beliefs - that Islam is necessarily authoritarian and capitalist; and that anarchism is necessarily anti-religious and anti-spiritual. Deeply rooted in key Islamic concepts and textual sources, and drawing on radical Indigenous, Islamic anarchistic and social movement discourses, Abdou proposes 'Anarcha-Islam'. Constructing a decolonial, non-authoritarian and non-capitalist Islamic anarchism." Source: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745341927/islam-and-anarchism/

In this episode, Chelsy Monie and Dr. Susan Gagliardi (Emory University) discuss, the latter's recent monograph entitled Seeing the Unseen: Arts of Power Association on the Senufo-Mande Cultural "Frontier" (Indiana University Press, 2023) In this book, "art historian Susan Elizabeth Gagliardi examines tensions between the seen and unseen that makers, patrons, and audiences of arts in western West Africa negotiate through objects, assemblages, and performances. Gagliardi examines how ambiguity anchors design of the arts, and she shows that attempts to determine exact meanings miss the point. Specialists across western West Africa construct assemblages, installations, and buildings that hint at the possibility of revelation, but full disclosure remains unattainable. Specific activities and contexts integral to the design and use of the works often leave no visible trace" (IU Press). More about the host of this episode, Chelsy Monie here. 

In this episode, renowned Kenyan writer and thinker Ngūgī wa Thiong'o discusses crucial issues in African literature including the 1962 African Writers Conference in Kampala, language use and the specter of (neo)colonialism in literary productions and African development. He also talks about sociopolitical issues in contemporary Africa as well as personal challenges he's faced in the past few years. Co-Host: Dr. Baba Badji (Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of French and the Department of English, Rutgers University)  Music by Xuman and Keyti. We thank Xuman and Keyti of the Journal Rappé for allowing us to use the songs below in this episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9edJOJa_O4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5MZnUbygGo   

On June 1, 2023, a criminal court in Dakar found opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko guilty of corrupting the youth while dropping the rape and death threats charges in a historic case opposing him to Adji Sarr. The verdict plunged the country into another popular uprising resulting in more than two dozen fatalities, hundreds of injured protesters, and detentions. In this conversation, journalist, Borso Tall and the host discuss the outcome of the Sonko v. Sarr verdict and their experiences with the June 2023 uprising in Dakar, Senegal.   

On June 1, 2023, a criminal court in Dakar found opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko guilty of corrupting the youth while dropping the rape and death threats charges in a historic case opposing him to Adji Sarr. The verdict plunged the country into another popular uprising resulting in more than two dozen fatalities, hundreds of injured protesters, and detentions. In this conversation, journalist, Borso Tall and the host discuss the outcome of the Sonko v. Sarr verdict and their experiences with the June 2023 uprising in Dakar, Senegal.

PART-TWO: What happened in Ngor last week, a small fishing village on the coast of Dakar, Senegal? What do we know about the death of Adji Diallo, a 15-year-old inhabitant of the village? Is the Senegalese justice system being weaponized against Ousmane Sonko and the opposition to invalidate his presidential bid? How can the legal saga against Sonko impact the 2024 presidential election in Senegal? Will President Macky Sall, run for a third candidacy? In this conversation, Chevening Scholar and freelance journalist, Borso Tall takes us into weeks of covering protest movements in Senegal and talking with protesters and victims' families. We also discuss the imbalance of the Senegalese judiciary and how it may impact the upcoming presidential election in 2024. Music (Diougou fi and Badola XXXL) by Keur Gui Crew

PART-ONE: What happened in Ngor last week, a small fishing village on the coast of Dakar, Senegal? What do we know about the death of Adji Diallo, a 15-year-old inhabitant of the village? Is the Senegalese justice system being weaponized against Ousmane Sonko and the opposition to invalidate his presidential bid? How can the legal saga against Sonko impact the 2024 presidential election in Senegal? Will President Macky Sall, run for a third candidacy? In this conversation, Chevening Scholar and freelance journalist, Borso Tall takes us into weeks of covering protest movements in Senegal and talking with protesters and victims' families. We also discuss the imbalance of the Senegalese judiciary and how it may impact the upcoming presidential election in 2024. Stay tuned for part two of the conversation. Music by Keur Gui Crew

In this episode, historian, Mariana Candido (Emory University), discusses her recent book entitled Wealth, Land, and Property in Angola: A History of Dispossession, Slavery, and Inequality (Cambridge University Press, 2022). In this conversation, Prof. Candido elaborates on the issues of women's land ownership, theories of "unoccupied lands and land surplus" as well as the power of written documentation under colonial rule in West-Central Africa.

In this episode, historian, Joel Cabrita  (Standford University), discusses her recent monograph Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala (Ohio University Press 2023) She explains how a Black South African woman (Regina Twala) was systematically erased from history and from the scholarly works she helped produced. Dr. Cabrita also discusses the issues of positionality, historical erasure, and academic misappropriation as obstacles that continue to impede knowledge production and dissemination.

In this episode, Ugandan social activist and scholar, Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire (Institute of African Studies, Emory University), discusses the policing of social activism in contemporary Africa. He also shares his personal experience in an environment where violent attacks against activists are recurrent.  This conversation is part of a series on "Social Activism in Contemporary Africa" produced in the framework of the Ufahamu Africa Non-Resident Fellowship. It was first released on the Ufahamu Africa Podcast. You can listen to the first episode of the series here.  "What is the role of the radical intellectual in Uganda?" (by Bwesigye Mwesigire)

In this episode, Associate Professor of History, Tyler Fleming (University of Louisville) discusses his book Opposing Apartheid on Stage: King Kong the Musical  (University of Rochester Press 2020). "In 1959, King Kong, an interracial jazz opera, swept across South Africa and became a countrywide phenomenon. Its performances sold out, its LP record was widely heard, and its cast became recognized celebrities. Featuring an African composer, cast, and orchestra but predominantly white directors and producers, this interracial production seemed completely distinct from any other theatrical production in the country's history. Despite being staged over a decade after the enacting of apartheid, the interracial collaboration met widespread acclaim that bridged South Africa's racial, political, ethnic, and class fissures." https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781580469852/opposing-apartheid-on-stage/

In this episode, Dr. Noémie Ndiaye (University of Chicago) discusses her recent monograph, Scripts of Blackness: Early Modern Performance Culture and the Making of Race (University of Pennsylvania Press 2022). The book chronicles the representation of Blackness in early modern Europe (with a focus on England, France, and Spain) through theater and performance culture. In addition to unpacking the concepts of racial matrix and race paradigm, Dr. Ndiaye fleshes out how certain controversial techniques such as "black-up", "kinetic blackness", and "blackspeak (acoustic blackness)" permeated early modern European theater thus contributing to the rise a new racial paradigm.

The recent coup in Burkina Faso continues to raise many questions about the political future of the country as well as the relationships between Burkina Faso and its external partners in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region. In this episode, Dr. Lassane Ouédraogo (Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo de Ouagadougou) discusses the recent military coup in Burkina Faso and the removal of President Sandaogo Damiba who came to power in January 2022 after overthrowing the civilian regime led by President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. Dr. Ouédraogo talks about the general situation in the streets of the capital city, Ouagadougou, and the grievances of the junta. This episode was recorded on Sunday, October 2, 2022. Contacts: Dr. Ouédraogo: lassaneo@fulbrightmail.org The Africanist Podcast: theafricanist2020@gmail.com  

On July 31, 2022, Senegal held its legislative election which resulted in a historical "split" parliament between the presidential coalition Benno Bokk Yakkaar (BBY) and the political opposition led by the inter-coalition Yewwi Askan Wi (YAW) and Wàllu. Out of the 165 members of parliament (MPs) that will constitute the National Assembly, BBY won 82 MPs, YAW-Wàllu won 80 MPs while the political formations Bokk Gis Gis, Les serviteurs and Aar Sénégal got one MP each. In this episode, Prof. Ousmane Sène of the West African Research Centre (WARC) discusses the results of the election as well as the controversies noted during the pre-campaign period and casting of the ballots, including fraud allegations and the need to abide by the instituted rules.

In this episode, the Drs. Oumar Ba (Cornell University) and Marame Gueye (East Carolina University) discuss the recent developments following the 2021 popular uprising in Senegal including the preliminary hearings in the Sonko vs. Adji Sarr case. We also talk about the recent municipal and departmental elections in Senegal and their potential implications in the upcoming legislative (July 2021) and presidential elections (2024). Ba and Gueye were previously invited to The Africanists to discuss the popular uprising in Senegal. Listen to that episode with the link below for more context. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-67e6w-fd0871

In this episode, Dr. Noah Tamarkin (Anthropology, Cornell University) talks about his recent book, Genetics Afterlives: Black Jewish Indigeneity in South Africa (Duke University Press 2020). The book chronicles the politics of race, religion and recognition among the Lemba people of South Africa who were the subject of Jewish genetic ancestry studies in the 1980s and 1990s. He delves into the notion of indigeneity as well as the intersection of oral history, genetics and ethnography.   https://www.dukeupress.edu/genetic-afterlives

In this episode, Prof. Cheikh Anta Babou (University of Pennsylvania) discusses his latest book, Muridiyya on the Move: Islam, Migration and Place-Making (Ohio University Press 2021). He talks about how mobility and memorialization constitute integral parts of the Murid identity. He also delves into the feminization of Senegalese migration to the United States and the impact of gentrification on African communities in New York City.

In this episode, Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez (Associate Prof. at Michigan State University) discusses her recent book entitled Decolonizing Diasporas: Radical Mappings of Afro-Atlantic Literature (Northwestern University Press 2020). She breaks down the notions of intimacy, dispossession, and the "peripheralizing" of Hispanophone Afro-Atlantic aesthetics in the context of coloniality and dictatorship. She also discusses her experiences traveling to Equatorial Guinea, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to conduct research for her book.

In this episode, Professor Mohamed Saliou Camara, Chair of the African Studies Department at Howard University discusses the recent military coup in Guinea Conakry that ousted President Alpha Condé. He analyses the circumstances under which the event happened as well as provides an overview of the different military coups and takeover attempts in Guinea since its independence in 1958. 

"If you were to look closely at his time in power, it is punctuated by rebellions, it is punctuated by coup attempts, it is punctuated by civil unrest, human rights abuses; there is no way to look at the domestic political situation in Chad, under Déby and walk away thinking this is a stable, prosperous regime." Daniel Eizenga In this conversation, Dr. Daniel Eizenga, Research Fellow at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies examines the current political situation in Chad following the unexpected death of President Idriss Déby Itno who ruled the country for 30 years.

Senegal, one of the model democracies on the African continent has been experiencing an unprecedented popular uprising following the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on disorderly conduct and call for insurrection charges. Prior to that, Ousmane Sonko has been accused of rape followed by death threats by a young masseuse named Adji Sarr. While Sonko continues to claim that the accusations are part of a conspiracy to eliminate him from the upcoming presidential race, the presidential camp maintains that the allegations brought against him has nothing to do with politics. So far, a dozen of protesters lost their lives and the matter is pending in court. In this episode, Drs. Marame Guéye (East Carolina University) and Oumar Ba (Morehouse College) discuss the causes and potential ways out of the civil unrest.

"One thing I push back against a little in the book is the sort of emphasis on resistance in scholarship on hip hop. Not because resistance isn't, or hasn't often been an important facet of hip hop cultures in various places throughout the world but because sometimes a sort of understanding of resistance as so integral to hip hop can elide the other ways in which hip hop is important to people." Dr. Catherine Appert In this episode, Associate Professor at Cornell University, Dr. Catherine Appert, talks about her book In Hip Hop Time: Music, Memory and Social Change in Urban Senegal. She also talks about her fieldwork experience navigating culturally complex spaces where class, gender, and national origin intersect.  

  "The Pandemic started when I was finishing my dissertation. I have done a lot during this pandemic, it kind of forced me to finish." "I was supposed to start my fieldwork over the summer, I was supposed to be gone by the end of May, I had already made my travel arrangements and then the pandemic hit." COVID-19 has affected every aspect of life including the possibility to conduct dissertation fieldwork. In this episode, doctoral students (Astou Guèye - University of Wisconsin, Bright Gyamfi - Northwestern University, Margaret Rowley - Boston University) and recent graduate (Dr. Nicholas McLeod, Rider University) share their experiences about doing fieldwork and writing a dissertation amidst a global pandemic.  

In this episode, Ph.D candidate and #EndSARS protest facilitator, Shamsudeen Abubakar, talks about the origin and manifestations of the #ENDSARS protest that has been taking place in many Nigerian cities/States and abroad. He also delves into his personal involvement with the organization of a peaceful protest against Nigerian police brutality in Louisville, Kentucky back in October 2020. 

In this episode, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Dismas Masolo (University of Louisville) revisits historical attempts to deny the existence of African Philosophy as well as African scholars' response to these attempts. He also discusses Ubuntu philosophy and the concepts of personhood and community as understood by scholars such as Menkiti.

This episode is the outcome of a Zoom panel that The Africanist co-organized in the framework of the annual African Heritage Festival of Louisville, Kentucky. In this panel, Stacy Bailey-Ndiaye, Amos Azerimana, Dr. Babacar Mbaye, Dr. Nicholas McLeod, and Aukram Burton discuss the origin and the relevance of Pan-Africanism in the 21st century. They walk us through some of the cultural, political, and economic challenges that the Black Atlantic has been facing and how responses can/should be coordinated to solve these issues.   Music by Ismael Lo: I do not own the rights to the music.

In this episode, Dr. Tony Van Der Meer from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, talks about his activism and his involvement with the black liberation movement. He also invokes some of the obstacles that have historically impeded the struggle of Black folks in Africa, the United States and other parts of the Black Atlantic. 

Professor Fallou Ngom (Boston University) discusses his award-winning work on Ajami and the diffusion of Islam in West Africa. He also talks about racism in the Arab world and the use of Islamic texts to justify racist and discriminatory actions towards people of Africa descent. 

Aukram Burton, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, discusses Black activism in the 1960s and 1970s in relation to the recent protest movements following the death of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. He also talks about his own experience as a freedom fighter in the 60s and his encounter with prominent civil rights activists including Robert F. Williams his mentor.  Contact: theafricanist2020@gmail.com

Aukram Burton, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, discusses Black activism in the 1960s and 1970s in relation to the recent protest movements following the death of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. He also talks about his own experience as a freedom fighter in the 60s and his encounter with prominent civil rights activists including Robert F. Williams his mentor.  Contact: theafricanist2020@gmail.com

Dr. Mawuena Kossi Logan discusses Postcolonial Theory in relation to literary productions and the African experience. He also examines how a postcolonial thought process can help in the COVID-19 pandemic management on the African continent.

In this episode, we talk with Stacy Bailey Ndiaye, founder, and director of Bridge Kids International, a global non-profit organization that serves Africans and people of African descent. We also talk about the meaning and importance of reconnecting with African cultural heritage as well as the economic opportunities Africa can offer to people of African descent. www.bridge-kids.org