Miriam Makeba: Empress of African Song

We explore the story of Equatorial Guinea and its first post-independence leader, Francisco Macías Nguema. This small West African nation—the only Spanish-speaking country on the continent, is rich in oil but marred by a legacy of exploitation. From its colonial past as Spanish Guinea to Macías's rise to power, we uncover how he transformed from a court clerk into one of Africa's most brutal dictators. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... SOURCES https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/people-global-african-history/francisco-macias-nguema-1924-1979/ Real Dictators – podcast Tyrants - The World's Worst Dictators by David Wallechinsky Dictatorland - The Men Who Stole Africa by Paul Kenyon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was first broadcast on 30th January 2024. In this episode, we explore the term Black Tax, originating in South Africa, to describe the financial support provided by black individuals to their families. Examining its roots, we navigate its historical context, cultural and emotional burdens, and its ties to imperialism, colonialism, and apartheid.  Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Sources: Annalena Oppel (2023) Black Tax and coloniality – re-interpretation, emancipation, and alienation, Social Identities, 29:1, 44-61, DOI: 10.1080/13504630.2023.2188183 Arinao Mangoma & Anthony Wilson-Prangley (2019) Black Tax: Understanding the financial transfers of the emerging black middle class, Development Southern Africa,36:4, 443-460, DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2018.1516545 Black Tax: Burden or Ubuntu? by Niq Mhlongo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miriam Makeba, known as the Empress of African Song, remains a symbol of the movement against colonialism, and Black Power movements in the US and the global Pan African movement. She unified the struggle for those of African descent across the world. We take a look at her story, and how Makeba used her talent to speak out against the apartheid movement in South Africa. Sources: Miriam Makeba Sharpeville massacre Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*Trigger warning* Torture, human rights abuse and sexual abuse is spoken about frequently in this episode. The Mau Mau Uprising was a pivotal event in Kenya's independence fight against Britain. British land theft in Kenya and the resulting displacement of various ethnic groups led to oppressive colonial rule. British injustices led to the Mau Mau movement being formed by radical activists, however the disproportionate reaction from Britain saw the horrors of the Hola Camp massacre and widespread use of concentration camps. The Mau Mau's persistent resistance weakened British colonial power, contributing to Kenya's eventual independence. We also touch on legal battles for restitution and the recognition of the Mau Mau's role in Kenya's history. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Sources: Papers: Coray, Michael S. “The Kenya Land Commission and the Kikuyu of Kiambu.” Agricultural History, vol. 52, no. 1, 1978, pp. 179–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3742957. Accessed 24 June 2024. Youtube Doc: Secret History: Mau Mau (1999) Reparations to Africa: Action not Words Web Resources: What Was The Mau Mau Uprising? Kenya Emergency Sins of colonialists lay concealed for decades in secret archive The Mau Mau Rebellion: Anticolonial Upheaval in Kenya Kenya & the Mau Mau Uprising The Hola Massacre: The Last Straw that toppled colonial Kenya Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history as Africa's first elected female Head of State. Her story is filled with numerous challenges, including surviving domestic abuse, enduring persecution, and navigating two civil wars. Despite the significant progress made towards peace and development during her presidency, her legacy is a complex blend of achievements and failures. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy Me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Additional Resources This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Searching for Meaning in the Life of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: A Call to Meaningful Responses to Tragedies by Tinashe Timothy Harry & Roelf Van Niekerk - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10722368/ Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The African Union (AU) emerged on the global stage in 2002, a pivotal moment in African history. With a vision to create an "integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena,” In this episode, we explore the historical context of the AU's formation, its links to the Pan-African movement, and what the future holds for the continent under the AU. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: ⁠⁠itsacontinent.com/book⁠⁠ We're on Buy me a Coffee too:⁠⁠ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ itsacontinent.com⁠⁠ Artwork by Margo Designs:⁠⁠ https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com⁠⁠ Music provided by Free Vibes:⁠⁠ https://goo.gl/NkGhTg⁠⁠ Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Sources for further reading: · Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, February 14). African Union. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-Union · The African Union: Pan-Africanism, Peacebuilding and Development by Timothy Murithi · OAU Charter - https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/7759-file-oau_charter_1963.pdf · The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa edited by Tony Karbo and Tim Murithi · African Union - https://au.int/en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're joined by Dr Annabel Sowemimo, author of Divided, Racism, Medicine and why we need to decolonise healthcare. Dr Sowemimo is passionate about addressing the colonial history of sexual and reproductive health. We discuss the whitewashing of science, the legacy of colonialism within both healthcare products and providers, and historic mistrust between the black community giving rise to vaccine hesitancy. https://www.annabelsowemimo.com/ AUGURE (OMEN): FILM NIGHT HOSTED BY IT’S A CONTINENT Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Year of the Return in 2019 marked a significant moment in Accra, Ghana, inviting people of African heritage to reconnect with their roots. In years since, the city has undergone a transformation in the wake of diasporan migration and tourism. Yet as the diaspora are settling in Accra seeking refuge from racism and comparatively lower paid Western jobs, Accra's landscape is shifting. An influx of diasporan settlers has brought economic growth but is also raising questions about land ownership and exploitation. Rising disparities in Accra have not gone unnoticed, with property value pushing locals out of their neighbourhood. We explore the nuanced impact of diaspora migration and tourism within Accra's society, and the growing debate on globalisation and economic development. Who stands to benefit? AUGURE (OMEN): FILM NIGHT HOSTED BY IT’S A CONTINENT Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Sources: A new home for the African diaspora in Ghana stirs tensions Gentrification of Ghana: Accra’s Hipster Sensibilities We need to talk about Ghana’s Year of Return and its politics of exclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buy your tickets here: AUGURE (OMEN): FILM NIGHT HOSTED BY IT’S A CONTINENT Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy 4th birthday It's a Continent! We're throwing it back to our second ever episode. Thomas Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso from 1983-1987. He remains an inspiration to young Africans and those committed to a pan-Africanist future. His progressive policies, when it came to women’s rights, sustainability, education, and healthcare, were innovative and ahead of his time. We’ll discuss Sankara’s legacy and what could’ve been if he was able to fully galvanise Burkina Faso and perhaps the African continent. This episode was first broadcast on March 24th 2020. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices