Ep. 5: A conversation with Dr. T.J. Tallie to kick off Black History Month

This week on Ufahamu Africa we commemorate the start of Black History Month with a conversation with historian Dr. T.J. Tallie of Washington and Lee University. He shares insights from his research on settler colonialism in South Africa in the 1800s, connecting ideas and themes to the contemporary period.  We’re very grateful to Zaza Kabayadondo for Read More…

Ep. 86: A conversation with Moïses Williams Pokam Kamdem about Africa’s energy sector, Cameroon’s political history, and more (French)

[FRENCH VERSION] In our second episode this Black History Month, Rachel speaks with Moïses WIlliams Pokam Kamdem, a lecturer and research at the University of Dschang and a fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study in Nantes, France. They talk about Africa’s energy sector, Cameroon’s political history, and more. Their conversation begins at 14:01.

Our news wrap covers the recent court ruling in Malawi nullifying the presidential election, the US travel restrictions imposed on Nigerians, the NYT photographic retrospective and collection of essays on 60 years of African independence, and more.

Ep. 86: A conversation with Moïses Williams Pokam Kamdem about Africa’s energy sector, Cameroon’s political history, and more

In our second episode this Black History Month, Rachel speaks with Moïses WIlliams Pokam Kamdem, a lecturer and research at the University of Dschang and a fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study in Nantes, France. They talk about Africa’s energy sector, Cameroon’s political history, and more. Their conversation begins at 14:01.

Our news wrap covers the recent court ruling in Malawi nullifying the presidential election, the US travel restrictions imposed on Nigerians, the NYT photographic retrospective and collection of essays on 60 years of African independence, and more.

Ep. 41: A conversation with Jennifer Tappan about health and medicine in African history

In our second episode during Black History Month, I chat another historian of Africa: Jennifer Tappan, Associate Professor of African History at Portland State University. Her research focuses on the history of medicine and health. This week we talk about her book, The Riddle of Malnutrition: The Long Arc of Biomedical and Public Health Interventions in Uganda. We also talk about a new project she’s started on the history of yellow fever in Africa.

Ep. 108: A conversation with Adom Getachew on postcolonialism, worldmaking, and more

In our last episode of Black History Month, Rachel interviews political theorist Adom Getachew on her new book, “Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination.” Her book reconstructs an account of self-determination offered in the political thought of Black Atlantic anticolonial nationalists during the height of decolonization in the twentieth century.

We have lots of great recommendations for listeners this week, including books on race and feminism, a virtual event on African folktales, a virtual resource for those of us missing travel and fieldwork, podcast episodes you should listen to, and more!

Ep. 107: A conversation with Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué on gender, identity, and nationalism in Cameroon

Jacqueline-Bethel Mougoué is an assistant professor of gender and sexuality in African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her conversation with us, she highlights her work in Cameroon on gender, identity, and nationalism, which has culminated in the publication of a new book, “Gender, Separatist Politics, and Embodied Nationalism in Cameroon.”

As we continue our celebration of Black History Month, we share what we’re paying attention to right now. In addition to a film recommendation in this week’s news wrap, Kim explains what is going on with COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, Rachel explains a case of environmental activism in South Africa, and more.

Ep. 40: A conversation with Abou Bamba on Françafrique, the Ivorian miracle, and more

To kick off Black History Month, this week’s episode features a conversation with historian Abou Bamba (@bambaab1), a professor at Gettysburg College, where he teaches courses in Africana Studies and History. We chat about his book, African Miracle African Mirage, which was published by Ohio University Press.

Ep. 106: Repatriation of Museum Objects, Part 2

This week’s episode features Cécile Fromont, an associate professor of art history at Yale University, who was a panelist for “Repatriation of Museum Objects,” an event held by Cornell University’s Institute for European Studies. She shares her perspective through four stories, drawing on her work as a historian of African and visual material culture in the early modern period. Listen to part 1 of this episode for more context about the event.

Ep. 94: A conversation with our co-hosts, Rachel Beatty Riedl and Kim Yi Dionne

We’re back with season 5 of the Ufahamu Africa podcast! In this teaser episode, Kim and Rachel share what they’ve been reading, the conversations and guests they are looking forward to, and announce that the podcast has received funding from the Carnegie Corporation.

Tune in every Saturday for new episodes that will continue to prioritize African perspectives as we learn about life and politics on the continent.

Ep. 55: A conversation with Ashley Currier on LGBTQ organizing in Africa

In this week’s episode, we speak with Ashley Currier, Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati. We asked her about her new book, Politicizing Sex in Contemporary Africa: Homophobia in Malawi. Her first book, Out in Africa: LGBT Organizing in Namibia and South Africa, was a finalist for a 2013 Lambda Literary Book Award. Our conversation begins at 9:44.

Ep. 8: A conversation with Dr. Daniel Magaziner on an Apartheid-era art school

  In the final week of Black History month, we chat with Dr. Daniel Magaziner, Associate Professor of History at Yale University. We talk about his published book, The Art of Life in South Africa. Dr. Magaziner is a historian of 20th century South Africa, and his work focuses on intellectual history. He is also Read More…

Ep. 6: A conversation with Dr. Melissa Graboyes on colonial medical experiments in East Africa

In the second week of Black History Month, we chat with historian Dr. Melissa Graboyes of the University of Oregon. She talks with us about her recently published book, The Experiment Must Continue: Medical Research and Ethics in East Africa, 1940–2014. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we play singer songwriter Nicole Musoni’s beautiful song “Runaway Love” at the end of this week’s episode. You Read More…