Africa has disparagingly been referred to as the “Dark Continent,” concealing the fullness and diversity of its history, culture, and humanity. In this episode, we explore stereotypes about Africa and begin the process of dispelling them by listening to underappreciated narratives, showcasing Africa’s vibrancy and global interconnectedness. We are joined by Barbara Brown, Boston University’s Africa Studies Center, Amy Lake, Lee H. Kellogg School, and ten individuals with intimate connections to life and community throughout Africa.
Guest Bios
Barbara Brown
Barbara Brown is the retired Director of Outreach of the Teaching Africa Outreach Program at Boston University’s Africa Studies Center.
Amy Lake
Amy Lake is a social studies teacher at the Lee H. Kellogg School in Falls Village, CT.
Claude Kaitare
Claude Kaitare is an educator working with students to raise awareness about the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and genocide prevention. To learn more about Claude’s life in Rwanda and work with students visit his bio and view a video of him visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
Chris Ekawu
Chris Ekawu is a graduate student studying Sports Administration and Coaching at Montclair State University.
Driss Sene
Driss Sene is the owner and CEO of Maryama Beauty, a health and beauty brand.
Lina Ahmed
Lina Ahmed is an undergraduate student studying in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Chibuzor Eduzor
Chibuzor Eduzor is an undergraduate student studying in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Faduma Khalif
Faduma Khalif is an undergraduate student studying Computation and Cognition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Diane Mwizerwa
Diane Mwizerwa is an undergraduate student studying in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Habeeb Salau
Habeeb Salau is an undergraduate student studying in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Hilary Tamirepi
Hilary Tamirepi is an undergraduate student studying in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Awele Uwagwu
Awele Uwagwu is an undergraduate student studying in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Free Resources and Featured Books
Whether you’re new to teaching Africa, or just looking for new material to spice up your existing curricula, check out these free online resources for educators!
Resources for Teachers provided by the Teaching Africa Outreach Program at the Boston University Africa Studies Center offers resources curated by grade level and topic. The Curriculum Guide, How Big is Africa?, features the “How Big is Africa?” poster produced by the Teaching Africa Outreach Program as well as six lessons and additional resources appropriate for students of different age levels.
Exploring Africa produced by the African Studies Center at Michigan State University is a curriculum organized by themes, regions, and disciplines and designed for K-12 classrooms.
Africa Guide provided by the University of Pennsylvania curates multimedia resources for K-12 teachers featuring lesson plans, webquests, and interactive tools.
Everyday Africa Curriculum is a Pulitzer Center guide that uses photographs to complicate representations of Africa, challenge stereotypes, and develop visual literacy skills.
“How to Write About Africa” by Binyavanga Wainaina. This satirical essay is a reminder of the inaccuracies of common tropes and misconceptions about Africa.
The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules & Making Change in Modern Africa by Dayo Olopade. This book examines ingenuity and problem-solving across Africa, focusing on the power of communities to innovate outside of state-sponsored programs and institutions.
Episode Acknowledgements
Thanks to Barbara Brown, Amy Lake, Claude Kaitare, Chris Ekawu, Dris Sene, Lina Ahmed, Chibuzor Eduzor, Faduma Khalif, Diane Mwizerwa, Habeeb Salau, Hilary Tamirepi, and Awele Uwagwu.
Thanks to Nico Rivers for audio editing, mixing and mastering.
Image Credits
Photo of Barbara Brown provided by Teaching Africa Outreach Program website.
Photo of Claude Kaitare provided by Claude Kaitare.
Featured Music
“Lunette” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Architect, under Creative Commons Licence Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Track 04” by Tchakare Kanyembe from the album Live at Sacred Fire Stage Boom 2008, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Sacred Sound” by Youssoupha Sidibe from the album Sacred Sound, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Track 05” by Tchakare Kanyembe from the album Live at Sacred Fire Stage Boom 2008, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Celebrity Dub” by Nadoo from the album Celebrity Fever/Reworks and Dubs, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Tse Tse Kule/Los Dandies” by Akoko Nate Ensemble from the album Life on WFMU’s Transpacific Sound Paradise: February 6, 2016, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Haiti Mali” by Sidy Maiga from the album AS220 FOO FEST 2016 Sampler, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Love” by Youssoupha Sidibe from the album Sacred Sound, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Penny the Snitch” by Ikebe Shakedown from the Album Live at WFMU for Surface Noise with Joe McGasko, 11/6/2017, under Creative Commons License Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Maru Kiray” by Abdoulaye Alhassane Toure from the Album Live with Banning Eyre at WFMU on Transpacific Sound Paradise 5/19/09, under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivs 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Sands of Windhoek” by Mid-Air Machine from the Album Everywhere Outside, under Creative Commons License Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Wook” by Podington Bear from the Album Equatorial, under Creative Commons Licence Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.