Culture
Twitter campaign shines light on positives within African culture
Twitter campaign shines light on the positives in African Culture
There is a need for more positive images of African culture.
African culture positive images
The media has done a good job portraying Africa in a not so pleasant light. The images that you often see tend to show emaciated children, drought, blade-wielding combatants in civil war, AIDS patients and other imagery reinforcing the old ‘dark continent’ narrative. Many Africans who know the truth are fighting to change this image. A new campaign called #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou is aiming to do just that.
Seventeen-year-old Rachel Markham, from Ghana, felt the world needed to know that the Africa the media shows does not define the entire continent by starting the campaign “The Africa the Media Never Shows You” via Twitter.
“Because of what the media shows people on almost a daily basis, yes, we do have our own share of problems, but is that all you are going to showcase?” she said while speaking with the Amsterdam News. “Behind all of the poverty is success … and yet there is not enough coverage done on those aspects of Africa.”
Campaign on Twitter
Since last month the campaign has attracted over 60,000 tweets. The tweets are usually accompanied by breathtaking, beautiful images of the African landscape, people and wildlife. The images show the achievements of well-known Africans and also the innovative nature of ordinary African people.
The campaign is changing the way people see Africa and African culture.
Diana Salah, who helped spread the campaign’s popularity, told Fusion magazine last week that for her the campaign was to remove people’s shame towards the continent from the general stereotypes about Africa.
“I got involved because growing up I was made to feel ashamed of my homeland, with negative images that paint Africa as a desolate continent,” she said.
African culture positive images explained
There are 56 countries in Africa and over 1,500 spoken languages. By displaying modern art, fashion, nature, healthy children with big smiles, metropolitan areas and many more aspects of African culture and lifestyle in pictures posted by Twitter users, they all show the diversity of the continent.
It is my sincerest hope that @GES2015Kenya will open the world’s eyes to #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou! @CNN @USIP pic.twitter.com/C8wEaGXoUP
— Jabari Smith (@jabarinspires) July 25, 2015
Sights of Abuja, #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/mhcXId9weg
— Ifeanyi Nsofor (@ekemma) July 19, 2015
World Heritage Sites…like Vic Falls in Zambia! Or as we know it: Checkpoint Zambia! #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou pic.twitter.com/egHFKERXqq
— Put Foot Rally (@PutFootRally) July 20, 2015
Black Excellence
Inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood® Awards
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Get a look inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards.
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
About ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honors women who are making their undeniable mark in film and television and amplifies their strides in defining what it means to be a Black woman in Hollywood.
Honorees
This year’s honorees and entertainment industry trailblazers include Academy Award nominated actress & Grammy Award winner, Danielle Brooks, six-time Grammy nominated singer and leading-actress Halle Bailey, acclaimed screenwriter and showrunner of All American, All American: Homecoming and Found, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and industry powerhouse & President of Original Programming for STARZ, Kathryn Busby.
Check out some photo highlights inside the 17th ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
For more, please visit http://www.essence.com/bwih2024
Culture
U.S. Virgin Islands Announces the Performance Line-up for St. Thomas Carnival Village Featuring Shaggy, Sizzla, Patrice Roberts, and Machel Montano
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals has announced the performance line-up for the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village.
72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
“The anticipation around this year’s St. Thomas Carnival is at an all-time high, and the Village night performers reflect the continued influence and growth of our territory’s three carnivals,” exclaims USVI Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte.
Center Stage
Adam O, Rudy Live, Temisha, Karnage, Blind Earz, VIO International, and Spectrum Band are among the performers who will take center stage to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Every year, our goal is to pay homage to the vast Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture that is at the cornerstone of these annual celebrations for natives and visitors alike,” added USVI Division of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull.
Haitian kompa band VAYB and Dominican salsa orchestra Chiquito Team Band will provide a cross-cultural immersion of sound, highlighting the diverse musical interests of Virgin Islands residents.
First-time performers
Rounding out the village are a few first-time performers in the territory, including TeeJay, Jada Kingdom, and Kollision Band, and returning favorites Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, and Grandmasters.
Kids Night Out Village Night
This year, the Division of Festivals will host its first Kids Night Out Village Night, with activities including the Toddlers Derby, Best Dressed Doll, and performances by TMK and OTB.
More information on 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
For up-to-date information about the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival, visit https://www.instagram.com/usvifestivals/.
Culture
Online romances get a dose of reality in OWN’S all-new love & relationship series ‘The Never Ever Mets’
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person.
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has announced an all-new relationship series that takes online dating into the real world, The Never Ever Mets.
About The Never Ever Mets Series
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person! Now, they’re meeting face-to-face for the very first time and sharing a house together for three weeks to see if their internet love can survive off the screen and in real life.
Synopsis
As all seven couples convene under the same roof, dating in person rather than through their computers or phones quickly proves to be the biggest challenge yet.
While many couples have been years in the making, some quickly find the in-person relationship is not what they anticipated.
To test the strength of their love connections, the group participates in a series of fun and flirty relationship activities, couples therapy and for some, a trip to the “boom boom room.” But visits from discerning loved ones, meddling opinions and tension from others in the house challenge their bonds even further. At the end of their stay, some will go home together…and some will be signing off for good.
Premiere
The series premieres on Friday, April 19 at 8pm ET/PT, on the OWN Network.
Check out the trailer below:
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