90-95% of Africa’s cultural heritage is held overseas, with Benin Bronzes languishing in museum basements all over the world for around 125 years. the British Museum containing over 73,000 items from the continent alone. Asante Royal artefacts sit at the V&A, Met Museum and Royal Family. Germany possesses the skulls of Tanzanian chiefs, upsetting the local community and natural order. We discuss how these items were taken forcefully by colonial agency, and how African countries are calling for the return of their treasures.

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book  

This episode was originally broadcast on Jan 16th 2024.

Sources:

The story of Nigeria's stolen Benin Bronzes, and the London museum returning them

Stealing Africa: How Britain looted the continent’s art

Germany DNA study links colonial skulls to living relatives

Tanzanians demand return of ancestral skulls

The Tanzanians searching for their grandfathers' skulls in Germany

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To recognise Black History month in the UK, we're joined by the academic, activist and author Professor Kehinde Andrews. Kehinde is a professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University and has written several books, including ‘The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World.’ In this episode we discuss black British identity, immigration, and how colonisation has shifted into its current form: benevolent imperialism.

Kehinde's projects include the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity, and Make It Plain, the home of black radical thought.

Click here for tickets for It's a Continent's Io Capitano Film Night on 12th October at The Ritzy, Brixton, London.

This episode was first broadcast on October 5th 2021.

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We explore the story of Equatorial Guinea and its first post-independence leader, Francisco Macías Nguema. This small West African nation—the only Spanish-speaking country on the continent, is rich in oil but marred by a legacy of exploitation. From its colonial past as Spanish Guinea to Macías's rise to power, we uncover how he transformed from a court clerk into one of Africa's most brutal dictators.

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SOURCES

• https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/people-global-african-history/francisco-macias-nguema-1924-1979/
• Real Dictators – podcast
• Tyrants - The World's Worst Dictators by David Wallechinsky
• Dictatorland - The Men Who Stole Africa by Paul Kenyon

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This episode was first broadcast on 30th January 2024.

In this episode, we explore the term Black Tax, originating in South Africa, to describe the financial support provided by black individuals to their families. Examining its roots, we navigate its historical context, cultural and emotional burdens, and its ties to imperialism, colonialism, and apartheid. 

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book  

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Sources:

Annalena Oppel (2023) Black Tax and coloniality – re-interpretation, emancipation, and alienation, Social Identities, 29:1, 44-61, DOI: 10.1080/13504630.2023.2188183

Arinao Mangoma & Anthony Wilson-Prangley (2019) Black Tax: Understanding the financial transfers of the emerging black middle class, Development Southern Africa,36:4, 443-460, DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2018.1516545

Black Tax: Burden or Ubuntu? by Niq Mhlongo

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Miriam Makeba, known as the Empress of African Song, remains a symbol of the movement against colonialism, and Black Power movements in the US and the global Pan African movement. She unified the struggle for those of African descent across the world. We take a look at her story, and how Makeba used her talent to speak out against the apartheid movement in South Africa.

Sources:

Miriam Makeba

Sharpeville massacre

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*Trigger warning* Torture, human rights abuse and sexual abuse is spoken about frequently in this episode.

The Mau Mau Uprising was a pivotal event in Kenya's independence fight against Britain. British land theft in Kenya and the resulting displacement of various ethnic groups led to oppressive colonial rule. British injustices led to the Mau Mau movement being formed by radical activists, however the disproportionate reaction from Britain saw the horrors of the Hola Camp massacre and widespread use of concentration camps. The Mau Mau's persistent resistance weakened British colonial power, contributing to Kenya's eventual independence. We also touch on legal battles for restitution and the recognition of the Mau Mau's role in Kenya's history.

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Sources:

Papers:

Coray, Michael S. “The Kenya Land Commission and the Kikuyu of Kiambu.” Agricultural History, vol. 52, no. 1, 1978, pp. 179–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3742957. Accessed 24 June 2024.

Youtube Doc:

Secret History: Mau Mau (1999)

Reparations to Africa: Action not Words

Web Resources:

What Was The Mau Mau Uprising?

Kenya Emergency

Sins of colonialists lay concealed for decades in secret archive

The Mau Mau Rebellion: Anticolonial Upheaval in Kenya

Kenya & the Mau Mau Uprising

The Hola Massacre: The Last Straw that toppled colonial Kenya

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history as Africa's first elected female Head of State. Her story is filled with numerous challenges, including surviving domestic abuse, enduring persecution, and navigating two civil wars. Despite the significant progress made towards peace and development during her presidency, her legacy is a complex blend of achievements and failures.

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Additional Resources

• This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
• Searching for Meaning in the Life of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: A Call to Meaningful Responses to Tragedies by Tinashe Timothy Harry & Roelf Van Niekerk - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10722368/
• Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper

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The African Union (AU) emerged on the global stage in 2002, a pivotal moment in African history. With a vision to create an "integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena,” In this episode, we explore the historical context of the AU's formation, its links to the Pan-African movement, and what the future holds for the continent under the AU.

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: ⁠⁠itsacontinent.com/book⁠⁠

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Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Sources for further reading:

· Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, February 14). African Union. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-Union

· The African Union: Pan-Africanism, Peacebuilding and Development by Timothy Murithi

· OAU Charter - https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/7759-file-oau_charter_1963.pdf

· The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa edited by Tony Karbo and Tim Murithi

· African Union - https://au.int/en

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We're joined by Dr Annabel Sowemimo, author of Divided, Racism, Medicine and why we need to decolonise healthcare. Dr Sowemimo is passionate about addressing the colonial history of sexual and reproductive health. We discuss the whitewashing of science, the legacy of colonialism within both healthcare products and providers, and historic mistrust between the black community giving rise to vaccine hesitancy.

https://www.annabelsowemimo.com/

AUGURE (OMEN): FILM NIGHT HOSTED BY IT’S A CONTINENT

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The Year of the Return in 2019 marked a significant moment in Accra, Ghana, inviting people of African heritage to reconnect with their roots. In years since, the city has undergone a transformation in the wake of diasporan migration and tourism.

Yet as the diaspora are settling in Accra seeking refuge from racism and comparatively lower paid Western jobs, Accra's landscape is shifting. An influx of diasporan settlers has brought economic growth but is also raising questions about land ownership and exploitation. Rising disparities in Accra have not gone unnoticed, with property value pushing locals out of their neighbourhood. We explore the nuanced impact of diaspora migration and tourism within Accra's society, and the growing debate on globalisation and economic development. Who stands to benefit?

AUGURE (OMEN): FILM NIGHT HOSTED BY IT’S A CONTINENT

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Sources:

A new home for the African diaspora in Ghana stirs tensions

Gentrification of Ghana: Accra’s Hipster Sensibilities

We need to talk about Ghana’s Year of Return and its politics of exclusion

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Buy your tickets here: AUGURE (OMEN): FILM NIGHT HOSTED BY IT’S A CONTINENT

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