🔅 From A Literary Paradise Lost to Sudan's Forgotten War: Africa's Untold Stories
Relaxer Reckoning, Tokyo's African Art Hub, and the Legacy of Makerere University
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If There’s One Thing You Read This Week
A look back at Kampala in the 1960s, and what Makerere University meant to the many who attended. You can read the write-up here, but here are three great extracts:
"Makerere was the true North of Kampala. Makerere was so attractive that Micere Mugo, later to become one of East Africa’s foremost poets, turned down admission to Oxford University in England because she wanted to be in Makerere, where everything was happening. The historian, Ali Mazrui, once declared that no university in East Africa produced more writers than Kampala."
"‘We did not know we lived in paradise,’ the historian Sam Lunyiigo once said about Makerere. This statement could have been said about Kampala too, which was one of the intellectual centres of Africa. The writing scene was vibrant and alive... Then 1966 happened."
"The writer, John Jeremiah Sullivan, observed, ‘I mean, why would you want to belong to your own generation? It’ll never be half as interesting as one that came before, or as horrifying as the one that’s coming up.’ This is how it goes. The light of those who came before us shines brighter, the dark recesses washed away by the joy of nostalgia. In this case, looking back at this Kampala, I am looking back two generations, four times as interesting as the present. "
Sudan's Forgotten War: Donors Pledge Over €2 Billion in Aid, but Will It Be Enough?
On the first anniversary of Sudan's devastating conflict, donors gathered in Paris to pledge their support for the war-torn nation. $2.13 billion in total was pledged, but while the figure may sound impressive, the situation on the ground remains dire.
The United Nations is seeking a staggering $2.7 billion this year for aid inside Sudan:
25 million people need assistance and the UN has asked for another $1.4 billion for assistance in neighbouring countries hosting refugees. Before the Paris meeting, the appeal was only 6% funded.
So, while the Paris pledges are a step in the right direction, much more needs to be done to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
The ongoing fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has driven millions to the brink of famine, and aid workers are struggling to reach those in need due to restrictions imposed by the warring sides and competing demands from other global crises.
The conflict is also threatening to expand, with fighting intensifying in al-Fashir, a besieged aid hub in the western Darfur region.
The Relaxer Reckoning: US Lawsuits Raise Concerns as African Sales Soar
In a tale of two continents, the hair relaxer industry is facing a reckoning in the US while sales continue to climb in Africa. The catalyst? A 2022 NIH study linking frequent relaxer use to a higher risk of uterine cancer has sparked thousands of lawsuits against manufacturers.
But in countries like Tunisia, Kenya, and Cameroon, relaxers remain as popular as ever.Â
The global market is expected to grow to $854 million annually by 2028, with Africa being a lucrative target due to its young, growing population and expanding middle class.
For many black women, chemically straightening their hair is a complex issue rooted in Eurocentric beauty standards, manageability, and social acceptance. However, the lack of transparency about potentially harmful ingredients like endocrine disruptors has raised concerns about corporate accountability.
You can read more on this expose here.
African Art Meets Tokyo
A low-key collector with ties to the Hermès luxury brand dynasty has joined forces with a Japanese actor and a Berlin-based cultural entrepreneur to launch a new art space in Tokyo.Â
Their mission?Â
To champion contemporary African art and foster cultural exchange between Japan and African countries.
Edna Dumas is the driving force behind Space Un, a hybrid art platform that's part commercial gallery, part public engagement hub, and part artist residency. Dumas, who has a passion for contemporary African art and a penchant for the unconventional, saw an opportunity to create a unique platform in Japan and the wider Asian region to give visibility to African artists and build bridges between cultures.
The timing couldn't be better, as Tokyo's art market is experiencing a growth spurt. Space Un is poised to ride this wave of excitement, with plans to stage a mix of selling exhibitions, non-commercial shows, and a smorgasbord of interdisciplinary public programs that would make any art aficionado swoon.
Space Un opens on April 20, for those of you in Tokyo...
Food for Thought
“The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open."
— Zambian Proverb