News — Black Culture

Vanessa Nakate is a Ugandan climate activist who led Uganda’s First Fridays for Future climate strikes and founded Youth for Future Africa and Rise Up Climate Movement to address climate concerns in the African continent and world at large.

Nakate was born on November 15, 1996 and grew up in the Kitintale neighborhood of the Ugandan capital city, Kampala. She graduated from Makerere University Business School with a degree in Business Administration in 2018. After finishing her schooling, she began researching the different issues impacting her country and found climate change to be the most gripping problem. Given that Africa produces 2-3% of global carbon emissions but is the continent most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, Nakate believes this is more reason to act. From long drought spells in Northern Uganda to a high prevalence of landslides and floods in Eastern Uganda, Nakate realized how localized and devastating the issue of climate change is and decided to become a voice in the movement towards climate justice.

In 2018, she protested outside the parliament of Uganda for several months alone. She used social media to spread word on the urgency of climate problems facing her region, and other youth eventually joined her to raise awareness about Congo’s rainforest, which is facing vast deforestation. In rural schools, Nakate spearheaded a project that provides solar installation and eco-friendly stoves because those communities would otherwise be unable to afford those energy sustainability tools.

In 2019, she was chosen to speak at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Spain. Later in 2020, she joined forces with other climate activists from around the world to camp outside in the freezing cold of Switzerland at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos. The group also published a letter calling on participants of the World Economic Forum to stop subsidizing fossil fuels. The Associated Press snapped a photo of the activists and wrote an article about the matter, but Nakate was cropped out of the image and not included in the article. She took to her frustration to her Twitter platform where she lambasted racism in the media, saying that the AP’s actions did not just erase her but that they erased an entire continent. The incident went viral on the internet and she received international outpouring support and solidarity from other activists. This put new eyes on the African climate movement and its activists so Nakate looks back on it favorably.

Nakate has continued to use her platform online for advocacy and has amassed over 200 thousand followers on Twitter and more than 100 thousand followers on Instagram. Nakate was chosen to be on the lists for BBC’s 100 Women in 2020 and Time100 Next published by Time Magazine in 2021.

In April 1966, The First World Festival of Negro Arts, which is now known as FESMAN, launched its debut as the first modern cultural event celebrating global Black culture.

The Festival took place in Dakar, Senegal and was initiated by Senegalese president Léopold Sédar Senghor who saw it as a way to emphasize the importance of cultural development of newly independent African nations. The Festival’s theme centered around the significance of Black artistry and its role in promoting economic, political, and infrastructural development in Africa. Though literature, dance, and visual and auditory performances, Senghor hoped to facilitate the identification with African culture and creativity which challenged the prior limitations imposed during the age of colonization.

The event brought together more than 2,000 writers, artists, and musicians from throughout the African diaspora including 30 independent African nations, to celebrate the vast diversity within Black cultures. Renowned African American artists including as Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, and Josephine Baker, performed in celebration of Africa’s cultural renaissance which mirrored their own contributions to the Harlem Renaissance, the jazz age, and Negritude.

Festival organizers sought to showcase Black excellence internationally by placing Black art in the company of Picasso, Modigliani, and other famous European figures. This artistic illustration of pan-Africanism contributed to the emerging global dialogue on the cultural importance of Africa and to show that the continent, and indeed all African peoples, were no longer bound by their history of oppression and slavery.

The Festival celebrated a newfound understanding of pan-Africanism, as different cultural performances from artists around the world showcased the collective identity of “blackness.” It promoted the unity of different ethnic groups within Black communities all over the world and reinforced the global demand for racial equality.

Following the events at the festival in Dakar in 1966, the Second Wold Festival of Negro Arts continued in Lagos, Nigeria some years later in 1977. This event was the largest pan-African event held in Africa. The most recent festival returned to its origin in Dakar nearly 30 years later in December 2010, to celebrate the significance of pan-Africanism and Black culture.

If you can’t recall a single African warrior you learned about in school, it doesn’t mean you were a terrible student of history. It means your school, like most schools in the U.S., probably failed to teach you about any African warriors. 

We are here to introduce you to 5 African warriors you’ve probably never heard of. 

1. Yaa Asantewaa

Yaa Asantewaa was a Ghanaian brave warrior queen born circa 1840 into the Ashanti Kingdom. She managed to form and lead an army that fought against the British invasion. The area where she ruled was under attack from the British and Kind Prempeh was exiled to Seychelles.

For the Ashanti people, the Golden Stool is at the very heart of their existence. However, not knowing this fact, British Governor Frederick Hodgson made a huge mistake: he demanded to sit on the Golden Stool as well as to own it.

This really enraged the Ashanti people. Under the control of Yaa Asantewaa, they took on the British.  She was also exiled in Seychelles, where she lived until her death.

2. Almamy Suluku 

Born in 1820, Almamy Suluku was a smart, powerful Limba ruler who managed to maintain his independence for a long, long time. When he became war captain, he made his Kingdom, Biriwa, one of Sierra Leone’s largest. The kingdom became prosperous and rich, as Almamy Suluku fostered trade in gold, foodstuffs, ivory, and hides. He is still renowned as one of Africa’s most powerful warriors.  

3. The Dahomey Amazons 

This was a Fon women-only military regiment in the Kingdom of Dahomey, which is nowadays’ Republic of Benin.

The Dahomey Amazons, also known as Mino, translates as ‘our mothers’. These women were very well trained to become ferocious fighters and they had the reputation of decapitating soldiers right in the middle of battles. Moreover, they were serving as torturers to those who didn’t become their captives.

In 1851, Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh, one of this regiment’s most famous leaders, led an army of approximately 6,000 women against the Abeokuta’s Egba fortress. Despite the fact that the Dahomey Amazons fought with swords, spears, and bows, only about 1,200 of them survived this battle, because of Egba’s deadly European cannons.

In 1890, they battled the French forces along with the King’s male soldiers in the First Franco-Dahomean War. During this war, the French army lost multiple battles to these skilled women warriors, as they weren’t prepared for the females’ agility and ruthlessness. 

4. Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana’s very first Prime Minister and later became the country’s president. He was a revolutionary that led Ghana to independence from Britain in 1957.

Nkrumah was a Pan-Africanist and anti-colonialist who trained and prepared to be a teacher. He also founded the Convention People’s Party (CPP). He was sentenced and jailed but freed when his party (CPP) won the elections in 1951. Kwame was a firm believer in the Africans’ liberation.

In 1964, he formed a one-party state and became Ghana’s president. 

5. Amanirenas

Amanirenas was one of the most courageous Kingdom of Kush’s Queen-Mothers. Between 40 BC and 10 BC, Amanirenas ruled over the Meroitic Kingdom of Kush.

During her reign, more specifically in 24 BC, Augustus, the renowned Roman Emperor, attached Amanirena’s people. Along with her son, Akinidad, she conducted an army of approximately 30,000 soldiers and defeated the Romans in Aswan, Egypt. Additionally, they knocked down Caesar’s statues in Elephantine.

Although the Romans tried to fight back, they were held back by Amanirenas’s and her troops’ powerful resistance. After about 3 years of violent fights, the parties decided to negotiate a peace treaty. Besides other agreements, the Romans finally agreed to return their soldiers and give back the land that they’ve taken. Amanirenas remains famous for her devoted combat and for fighting together with her soldiers.

These are just few of the most influential African warriors in the history of Afria. Let us know your personal favorites below!

Comedian Dave Chappelle says he used to buy weed from Idris Elba back in the day. Appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Chappelle delved into topics like the coronavirus pandemic, Elon Musk hosting SNL, cancel culture and gay rights.

During the podcast, Chapelle started talking about the importance of treating people in the service industry with kindness, since no one knows where such people might end up. Using Hollywood star Elba as an example, Chapelle said: “Idris Elba, the famous actor, used to be a security guard at Caroline’s [comedy club] … I used to buy weed from him.”

British actor, musician and DJ Elba, who was born to immigrant working-class parents, was brought up in east London before finding fame in America. He is best known for playing Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), drug trafficker Stringer Bell on the HBO series The Wire, and DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther. 

The TV and film star has never shied away from talking about his drug-dealing past. 

In his Saturday Night Live monologue in 2019, Elba talked about his years working as a bouncer at Caroline’s comedy club. 

“Now, this was my night job when I started in this country. This time of year, I would be standing outside freezing my bollocks off. I mean, it was a decent job, though. I made some great contacts. By which I mean, I sold weed,” the Luther star said. 

“I’m not proud of it, it’s just a fact.” 

In a 2013 interview with GQ Magazine, the actor said,”…I was DJ’ing, but I was also pushing bags of weed; I was doing my work. I had to. I know that sounds corny, but this is the truth.”

He said while selling drugs at Carolines, a lot of Black comedians came through, including Chapelle. “All those black comedians, they knew me as a doorman.”

Elba has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, winning one and was nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Bahia’s treasured costume, Baiana de Acarajé, is an extravagant piece of clothing worn by the beautiful women of Bahia. This group of people is in Salvador, a town on the northeastern coast of Brazil. It is impossible to stroll through the streets without seeing a woman or a group of women in this special attire.

The Transatlantic slave trade has had so much influence on Brazilian pop culture. The clothing of the women of Bahia carries a piece of this history.

Their traditional dress is made up of the Camino (a type of white cotton trousers), worn underneath a long maxi skirt, made extra flowy, and which is usually white. The dress also comes with a bodice that sinches at the waist and drapes slightly over the top of the skirt.

Although most of the styles are similar, every woman is at liberty to make their style more unique and personalized. The style inspiration for the traditional dress is that of ancient European Baroque — white lace and tons of layers. The headwraps, which are made with white lace, can be traced to the dress’s Afro-Islamic roots. The accessories include colorful bead necklaces and rings stacked upon each other.

In other parts of Brazil, the traditional dresses come in different colors and patterns but when it comes to the Baiana de Acarajé traditional dress in Bahia, it is an all-white affair. This is because it pays tribute to the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé.

Candomblé was formed in the late 19th century in Bahia where most of the enslaved can be traced. People from Yorubaland, Dahomey kingdoms (present-day southwestern Nigeria and Benin), and Bantu Africa were the larger groups in the settlement at the time.

Yoruba and Ewe-Fon rituals have heavily influenced Candomblé from the language of incantations to their religious organization and their mythology. The Candomblé faithful believe in several deities referred to as orishas (orixás) that are sometimes even likened to Catholic saints.

The Baiana de Acarajé traditional dress is also worn by women in Bahia who sell Acarajé, a dish made from peeled beans formed into a ball and then deep-fried in palm oil or vegetable oil. The meal serves as both a religious offering to the gods in the Candomblé religion and as street food.

Aside from the Acarajé, which is variously made with fried beef, mutton, dried shrimp, pigweed, fufu Osun sauce, and coconut, the women wear the traditional attire to sell other tasty street foods as well. They stress that donning the Baianas de Acarajé traditional dress is an intricate part of their culture that warms the hearts of the locals and tourists alike.

Kanye West is arguably one of the best musicians in the world. The rapper became a certified billion last April following the impressive success of his businesses. The 22 Grammy winner has a booming sneaker and apparel business, making him one of the most successful celebrities in the world.

The rapper turned entrepreneur is not just a billionaire but a multibillionaire following the latest estimate of his business deals. West is officially worth $6.6 billion, according to Bloomberg, making him the richest Black man in U.S. history.

This latest information about the worth of West comes following valuations prepared by investment bank UBS Group AG. Yeezy, West’s sneaker/apparel partnership with Adidas is worth between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg.

The African-American rapper owns a 100% stake in Yeezy and also has a partnership with The Gap which is valued at $1 billion. West also has additional income coming from his $110 million music catalog, $122 million in cash and stocks and business investments with his estranged wife Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS underwear brand.

Bloomberg reports that Gap expects its Yeezy line to break $150 million in sales in its first full year in 2022 and envisions it becoming a billion-dollar revenue brand in 2023.

The documents also showed that sales for Yeezy’s Adidas sneakers survived the effect of the pandemic by posting a growth of 31% and making nearly $1.7 billion in revenue while netting $191 million in royalties.

West had previously claimed he was worth $3 billion although Forbes published that his net worth was lower than he claimed. Displeased with Forbes’s valuation of his worth, Kanye, according to the People, texted Forbes, “It’s not a billion. It’s $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.”

With his current net worth of $6.6 billion, West has surpassed Oprah Winfrey’s $3.5 billion net worth, David Steward’s $3.9 billion net worth, and Robert F. Smith’s $6.5 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Also, West’s current net worth makes him the third richest celebrity in the world, behind only Steven Spielberg ($7 billion) and George Lucas ($10 billion), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Recently, West revealed his plan to build a ‘city of the future’ on an island in Haiti.

Touching on the subject during an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in October, the 43-year-old explained how the project would benefit locals on the island.

“We go to Haiti and the president gives us this island to develop; to make it a city of the future,” West said. “We’re gonna have the farmers and the people that live there take ownership of the land they have right now so when it raises in value, they all eat.”

West’s announcement of the partnership with Haitian president Jovenel Moïse and his government, however, did not sit down well with some people on social media, prompting him to clarify the details of the agreement on his Twitter page on October 27, GQ reported.

“Just to be CLEAR: WE ARE IN ENGAGED WITH HAITI’s GOVERNMENT to make a transformational INVESTMENT to bring JOBS, DEVELOPMENT, HELP SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS and FISHERMEN and Build a new « CITY OF THE FUTURE » in a very beautiful country,” he tweeted.

Seasoned comedian Cedric The Entertainer is adamant Bill Cosby deserves to be honored for his contributions to the Black community both on and off the set despite being convicted for aggravated sexual assault.

The 56-year-old initially paid homage to Cosby in an Instagram post on February 26 where he said the disgraced comedian “did a lot for the culture and the community.”

“The controversy of his current situation is not what these [sic] post are about!,” he clarified before adding: “He was one of the first Black Men we saw on TV that was truly his own boss. He taught us to know our worth in this business, He showed us how to give back to our communities and institutions.”

Cedric continued: “He was/ is Prolific, Funny and Audacious! He ruled on damn near every platform. Thursday nights became must see TV because of him, Film, Stage, Books, Animation, Recordings, all were places he reigned supreme. So he had to be shouted out, for his contribution to the Black History of Comedy. Show the Legend some Recognition!!”

In a follow-up interview with TMZ on Wednesday, Cedric re-echoed his initial sentiments, saying Cosby’s transgressions shouldn’t overshadow his influence and the good he has done for the Black community.

“We all live a full life with a lot of good things and some bad things. You pay the cost for all of it. If you get convicted, people wanna wipe out the [good] things that you did,” he said.

He added: “What I wanted to say was that for so many years of our lives Bill Cosby was the litmus…. Everything he did, the way he contributed and showed love to black people, the way he taught us how to do that for ourselves, the way we all learned to take pride in our culture and our history.”

Cedric also lauded Cosby’s media acumen, saying he laid the groundwork and foundation for the likes of Jay-Z and Tyler Perry to thrive.

Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison in 2018 on three counts of aggravated assault for drugging and sexually assaulting former basketball player Andrea Constand in his home in 2004. The comedian and actor’s case was the first high-profile celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era which was initiated to raise awareness of sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the workplace. Cosby also had several other women coming out to accuse him of sexual misconduct going back to almost 30 years.

The allegations against the actor and his eventual conviction were also followed by him losing several honors and business partnerships as well as people shelving his sitcom and anything that has to do with him.

Asked if Cosby could be forgiven for the crimes he committed, Cedric replied: “Redemption for certain crimes are going to be hard to come by. Abuse of the ladies, taking advantage of people that are unaware of their circumstance, I don’t know how much redemption you deserve for that.”

That notwithstanding, it appeared Cedric’s sentiments caught the ears of Cosby as he responded to his Instagram post in a tweet on Wednesday. “I plan to do more, too. Thank you very much for feeling, knowing & keeping the legacy alive through your great work,” Cosby’s Twitter account posted. “Thank You, Thank You & Thank You.”

There are tea cultures in many parts of the world and the English are known to have a staunch one. With the premiere of the Regency era drama Bridgerton, many people revived their love for sipping teas in fancy cups at the comfort of their homes. LaRue 1680, a Black-owned tea brand afforded many Americans that luxury with the company seeing a spike in sales since the show hit the screens.

Stephanie Synclair, the founder of LaRue 1680 and a business coach, did not always set out to curate exotic tea blends. She was a young woman who always wanted to see the world and experience different cultures. Getting pregnant did not even stop her from jet-setting around the world, contrary to what everyone around her thought.

In 2012, Synclair, whose son Caden is now 14 years old, began exploring Asia and Europe when he was just 7. “I knew when I had him, we were gonna experience it together. I decided I was never gonna look at my child like a hindrance, but the fuel for me to do this,” Synclair told.

This was when the Alabama native first connected with the tea drinking culture in Indonesia. She and her son were swooned by the intricate tea drinking ceremonies in Bali as well as the art of making them.

Caden loved the experience so much so that for his 8th birthday, he requested a Balinese sipping class that encompassed the whole tea-making ritual where they would grind and mix their herbs, fruits, and spices to create unique mixtures.

After a year of enjoying the great outdoors in Bali and learning to curate lovely and sensual tea mixtures, Synclair and her son returned to the states, but Bali and their tea-loving culture never left them.

She continued to make the teas at home and for her family and friends. As she saw herself evolve making these teas for people around her, Synclair decided to take it up as a business and the e-commerce brand, LaRue 1680, was born. It, however, did not go public till several years later.

The single mother, determined to put out the best product for consumers, spent 2019 mostly in France conducting extensive research on teas and planned to launch in January 2020, but 2020 had a mind of its own.

The world was hit with a pandemic that to date, many lives have been lost and many businesses have collapsed. She decided to see the silver lining in having to delay the launch of her loose-leaf teas and used that time to properly structure her business module and her wares.

Finally, in October 2020, Synclair put her handcrafted teas online available for nationwide delivery and the feedback was amazing, especially because many were still at home quarantining and a little to get them by was now within reach.

“Generally, the way you see tea marketed is flat, not sexy. When it’s done right: it’s so sexy. This is not your grandmother’s tea,” said Synclair. “Listen: Grab a beautiful cup and let’s put our pinkies up.”

With Bridgerton’s premiere on Christmas Day, Synclair, as a business coach, saw the opportunity to market her teas seeing as the characters oozed the English tea culture scene after scene.

The public’s response to Bridgerton and everything in it worked in Synclair’s favor. As fashion houses were making Regency era pieces in the collections, people fell in love with LaRue 1680’s timely loose-leaf tea brand and the whole relaxed ‘stay at home and let us enjoy the series with the tea vibe.’

She posted her teas on Instagram while playing around with the principal characters alluding to which of the blends the characters could be sipping on or which ones match the personality of the characters, and it worked.

LaRue 1680 saw a growth rate of around 500% comparing their revenue in October after the launch through to December when the series premiered.

The teas go for $10 to $19 per 3-ounce bag (about 40 to 50 cups) and many want her to get a tea shop they can come and relive all their own romantic era story but Synclair wants to give it time.

The tea-entrepreneur intends on celebrating the anniversary of her launch with lavish pop-ups and tailored garden experiences for her consumers to enjoy their teas.

UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis paid homage to Black culture with her stellar floor routine that has since gone viral amid rave reviews and admiration from Missy Elliot and fellow gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles.

It is a great time to be Black in America and an even amazing time to bask in Black excellence with the recent inauguration of Kamala Harris as vice president of the USA.

The video, posted by UCLA’s official Twitter handle, has garnered more than 5 million views with over eleven thousand retweets. She is seen graciously moving to the tunes of Beyonce, Tupac Shakur, Missy Elliott, Soulja Boy and Megan Thee Stallion.

Missy Elliot was probably short of words as she tweeted; “snappin” on the social platform. Whiles the four-time Olympic champion could not get enough of the enough.”

Biles tweeted; “okay @DennisNia do the damn thing girl this was so fun to watch! keep killing it!” wrote the four-time Olympic champion.

Dennis chose to have a “dance party” on the floor because it speaks to her personality and she certainly sprinkled a lot of culture on it, celebrating who she is as a Black woman with her signature crown pose and raising her fist for ‘the Black Power salute’ which she explains is in solidarity to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“This routine definitely reflects everything that I am today as a woman,” Dennis told the Los Angeles Daily News, “and of course I had to incorporate a lot of parts of my culture. I wanted to have a dance party because that’s my personality and of course I had to shout out LA because we out here, UCLA.”

Dennis is seen stepping in the corner of the floor and she noted that it was an ode to her father, Casey, a former fraternity boy in college. “He was in fraternities, and stepping is really big,” she said.

The UCLA senior, who is majoring in sociology, aspires to be a physical therapist and her killer moves hit home for the judges on Saturday who almost gave her a perfect score. She walked away with a score of 9.95 out of 10 and a win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in this season opener for both teams.

This is not the first time the Los Angeles native has become an internet sensation. Last year, she paid homage to Beyoncé dancing to “Crazy In Love,” “Lose My Breath,” and “Ego” for the floor routine, earning her a 9.975 out of 10 because the judges were ‘crazy in love’ with her performance.