Ep. 12: A conversation with Dr. Kavemuii Murangi on the Namibian genocide and reparations

In this week’s podcast, we speak with Dr. Kavemuii Murangi, a Namibian-born educator currently residing in the United States. He is a descendant of the victims of the Ovaherero genocide of 1904-1908 (his great-great grandfather died in 1904 during the genocide war) and co-founder of the U.S.-based OvaHerero, Mbanderu and Nama Genocides Institute. For background on the Read More…

Ep. 11: Insights from the African Women’s Leadership Conference

For this week’s episode, we feature excerpts from a fireside chat held during last month’s African Women’s Leadership Conference at Smith College. We are excited to share some of the insights from the conference speakers. Wambui Mwangi (@wambui_mwangi) is a Kenyan writer, scholar, and artist with a passion for post-colonial theory and Kenyan political history. Read More…

Ep. 10: Conversations with Zimbabwean scholars on citizen responses to economic decline

This week we chat with three scholars in the diaspora about recent episodes of civil unrest in Zimbabwe. Dr. Chipo Dendere (@drDendere) of Gettysburg College gives us an overview of the recent protests in Zimbabwe and shares insights from her research on remittances and politics. Melusi Nkomo (@MelusiNkomoZim), fellow at Harvard University’s Center for African Read More…

Ep. 7: A conversation with Dr. Michelle Moyd on colonial East African soldiers

In this week’s episode, we chat with Dr. Michelle Moyd, Associate Professor of History at Indiana University. Dr. Moyd studies the history of soldiering and warfare in East Africa. She talked with us about her first book, Violent Intermediaries, which explores the social and cultural history of Askari, African soldiers in the colonial army of German East 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…

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. 2: A conversation with Priscilla Takondwa Semphere on storytelling

  Takulandirani! (That’s “We welcome you,” in Chichewa.) This week we launch the #SecondSaturday series, where we chat with an author about their book. Our guest is Priscilla Takondwa Semphere, who talked about her book, Ekari Leaves Malawi. Priscilla is a student at Smith College who also writes for the Huffington Post.  In our chat with Priscilla, we talked Read More…

Ep. 1: A conversation with Dr. Kojo Asante on Ghana’s 2016 elections

In Ufahamu Africa‘s inaugural podcast, we commemorate today’s presidential inauguration in Ghana. Nana Akufo-Addo becomes Ghana’s president after unseating incumbent John Dramani Mahama in the December 7, 2016 election. We chat with Dr. Kojo Asante (a senior research fellow at the Center for Democratic Development) about Ghana’s 2016 elections, election observation, Afrobarometer survey data, and even fax machines. We invite you Read More…