Has the skin lightener industry learned from Black Lives Matter?
Black Lives Matter activism has jolted the skin lightener industry. In June, manufacturers of skin lighteners joined other corporations in voicing support for the racial justice movement. Critics quickly pointed out the hypocrisy of…
A journey to afrofuturism; Dare us ditch the lemons?
The central ethos of the concept of Afrofuturism is the reimaging of the future through the lenses of the African. In the words of Mark Dery, the American author, who…
New Book From Author Cori Williams Says “Code-Switching” is a Deal-Breaker For a More Supportive Corporate America
A new timely book on racial conflict asks, “Is the freedom to be authentic lost to African Americans in the professional world?” So, what is code-switching, and why is it…
World Bank conducts ‘Cut Free Diagnostic’ study of the Ghanaian economy
The World Bank is conducting a study-‘Cut Free Diagnostic’-of the Ghanaian economy. According to the Bretton Wood institution, the study will reveal whether the Ghanaian economy will be sustainable in…
Elizabeth Ohene writes: Dawn versus dusk
The human race, I understand, is made up of morning people and night people. There are those who are at their best and most productive in the early morning hours…
Indigenous African Spiritual Practices Inspired The Major Religions Around The World
“There can be no doubt that “Western Religions” is a misnomer of the “nth” degree. It is as racist as it sounds. “Western Religions,” like “Greek Philosophy,” cannot escape its…
KaiOS and Telkom Launch Feature Phones in Kenya
KaiOS Technologies and Telkom Kenya have unveiled the new Kaduda T-Smart, a KaiOS–enabled smart feature phone. The T-Smart is said to be a ‘significant upgrade’ of Telkom Kenya’s feature phone…
Elizabeth Ohene writes… Behind Ghana and Nigeria’s love-hate affair
We see them as too loud, and abrasive and chaotic and we believe they think they can outsmart everybody, especially Ghanaians. They think we are too submissive, not very smart,…
China Ransacks Africa’s Forests Pushing Rosewood Trees Close To Extinction
Beijing has imposed restrictions on logging at home but is using Africa to feed an insatiable demand for luxury goods by its growing middle class. Meanwhile, illegal logging is helping…
Black Lives Matter But Slavery Isn’t Our Only Narrative
Our historical understanding of Blackness is most commonly shaped by the story of the Atlantic slave trade – the forced movement of Africans to the West, in particular to the…
Report: The disrupting influence of coronavirus pandemic on WASSCE
Before 2020’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was finally allowed to commence on August 17, it was postponed twice. The annual exam, usually conducted between May and June,…
Elizabeth Ohene writes: All-knowing neutrals
Last year, I wrote a column about Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and think tanks. I am revisiting the subject and I crave your indulgence if there is…
Missouri athletes lead campus march for social justice
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — University of Missouri athletes who organized and led a march and rally for social justice through the Columbia campus urged the hundreds of people who participated…
Undressing for redress: the significance of Nigerian women’s naked protests
Social media went abuzz on July 23, 2020, when hundreds of women – mostly naked – staged a protest in the northwestern state of Kaduna, Nigeria. Wailing and rolling on the ground, they…
First Ghanaian woman wins £25,000 Africa prize for engineering innovation 2020
A Ghanaian technology entrepreneur, Charlette N’Guessan, has won the 2020 Royal Academy of Engineering Africa prize for engineering innovation. She is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BACE Group and…
What South Africa is doing to protect and share traditional medicine resources
African traditional medicine is gaining attention and innovation interest despite the advances in modern medicine. Most of the continent’s population use traditional medicine for at least some of their healthcare needs. Plants…
The Average Black Person Has Almost $40 Million Worth Of Melanin In Their Body
Melanin is worth more than gold. Melanated human beings are worth more than gold. The average melanated human contains millions of dollars worth of Melanin. VWR, a subsidiary of Avantor, is…
African farmers are younger than you think. Here is why
Over the past 20 years sub-Saharan Africa has registered the highest rate of agricultural production in the world. There have been knock-on effects with the region also seeing the fastest growth in off-farm employment…
What young people have to say about race and inequality in South Africa
Meritocracy is the belief that holding power or success should be judged on people’s individual ability, rather than on wealth or social connections. At first glance, this appears to be…
Yaa Asantewaa, the queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, Ghana
Yaa Asantewaa was born in 1840 and passed on in 1921. She was a good farmer and a successful mother. A policymaker, a human rights activist, the Queen and a…