African Beauty Standards: A Lesson on Form vs. Functionality

Welcome back! We continue our exploration of slavery, this time in East Africa, where we zoom in on the practices of the Swahili, Ethiopian and Unyamwezi folk. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/ Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: Rodney, W. (1969). GOLD AND SLAVES ON THE GOLD COAST. Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, 10, 13–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41406348 Röschenthaler, U. (2013). The Blood Men of Old Calabar – a Slave Revolt of the Nineteenth Century? In A. Bellagamba, S. E. Greene, & M. A. Klein (Eds.), African Voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade (pp. 445–465). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Obichere, B. I. (1983). The Social Character of Slavery in Asante and Dahomey. Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies, 12(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.5070/F7123017144 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/72k2n7m2 Manning, P. (2006). Slavery & Slave Trade in West Africa 1450-1930. In E. K. Akyeampong (Ed.), Themes in West Africa’s History (pp. 99–117). chapter, Boydell & Brewer. A. E. M. GIBSON, SLAVERY IN WESTERN AFRICA BY A WEST AFRICAN, African Affairs, Volume 3, Issue IX, October 1903, Pages 17–52, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a093262 Rodriguez J. P. (1997). The historical encyclopedia of world slavery. ABC-CLIO Lovejoy, P. E. (2011). Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. General History of Africa, Volume 5. Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century-UNESCO (1992) Lane, Paul, and Kevin C. MacDonald (eds), Slavery in Africa: Archaeology and Memory, Proceedings of the British Academy (London, 2011; online edn, British Academy Scholarship Online, 31 Jan. 2013) Medard, H., & Doyle, S. (Eds.). (2007). Slavery in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. Boydell & Brewer. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Hi guys ! Today's episode is a short one where we go back to North Africa to discuss the story of a god of rain, his love for a woman and a ritual. Link to picture of festival: https://folkculturebh.org/en/index.php?issue=14&page=article&id=20 Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: Siham Ait hmmadi. (2020, November 19). Amazigh Myths and their Symbolism | Amazigh World News. Amazigh World News. https://amazighworldnews.com/amazigh-myths-and-their-symbolism/ Folk Culture. (n.d.). The Call for Rain in Imazighen (Berber) Rituals and Legends in North Africa. Folk Culture. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://folkculturebh.org/en/index.php?issue=14&page=article&id=20 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Today we take a lighthearted route through the painful history of slavery but with a focus on slavery among Africans in West Africa. This is the beginning of a mini-series to explore slavery throughout the continent up until the present day. Hope you stick with us all the way! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/ Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: Rodney, W. (1969). GOLD AND SLAVES ON THE GOLD COAST. Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, 10, 13–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41406348 Röschenthaler, U. (2013). The Blood Men of Old Calabar – a Slave Revolt of the Nineteenth Century? In A. Bellagamba, S. E. Greene, & M. A. Klein (Eds.), African Voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade (pp. 445–465). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Obichere, B. I. (1983). The Social Character of Slavery in Asante and Dahomey. Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies, 12(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.5070/F7123017144 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/72k2n7m2 Manning, P. (2006). Slavery & Slave Trade in West Africa 1450-1930. In E. K. Akyeampong (Ed.), Themes in West Africa’s History (pp. 99–117). chapter, Boydell & Brewer. A. E. M. GIBSON, SLAVERY IN WESTERN AFRICA BY A WEST AFRICAN, African Affairs, Volume 3, Issue IX, October 1903, Pages 17–52, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a093262 Rodriguez J. P. (1997). The historical encyclopedia of world slavery. ABC-CLIO Lovejoy, P. E. (2011). Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. General History of Africa, Volume 5. Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century-UNESCO (1992) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Ever wondered what the African perception of beauty was (and still is in some instances) ? In today's episode we discuss just that as well as the reasoning behind some of the beauty standards. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTY2TqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeld=97074&trackld=2559403 References: 1. Balogun, O. (2024). Women in Beauty Culture and Aesthetic Rituals. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.491 2. Koster, M., & Price, L. L. (2008). Rwandan Female Genital Modification: Elongation of the Labia minora and the Use of Local Botanical Species. Health & Sexuality, 10(2), 191–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691050701775076 3. Kaggwa, M. M., Chaimowitz, G. A., & Toyin Olagunju, A. (2023). Labia minora elongation: a neglected form of genital mutilation with mental and sexual health concerns. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101879 4. African Women in Media. (2023). Reject unrealistic beauty ideals that harm African women – African Women in Media. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://africanwomeninmedia.com/reject-unrealistic-beauty-ideals-that-harm-african-women/ 5. JuJu. (2019, June 4). African Beauty. The most beautiful people we have known… | by JuJu. | Medium. Medium Blog. https://medium.com/@emailthisjuju/african-beauty-d269300873ac6. 6. Hadithi Africa. (2020, October 26). Africa And The Culture Of Body Modification | Hadithi Africa. Hadithi.Africa. https://hadithi.africa/africa-and-the-culture-of-body-modification/ 7. Hadithi Africa. (2020, February 27). The Teeth Sharpening Culture in Africa | Hadithi Africa. Hadithi.Africa. https://hadithi.africa/the-teeth-sharpening-culture-in-africa/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

In this episode we are joined by author Ehis Mokwenye to discuss his debut novel, Tales of Jideofor and how it is inspired by a Nigerian understanding of dreams. Novel on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dCmewNu Email: [email protected] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/YouTube: Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Did you know some kings in Africa were seen as divine in some form? In this episode we discuss the upsides and downsides of kings being regarded as divine in some cultures in Africa and add some very interesting examples. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/YouTube: Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: 1. General History of Africa, Volume 4. Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century-UNESCO (1984) 2. General History of Africa, Volume 5. Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century-UNESCO (1992) 3. Shank, M. K. (2010). The meaning of the reliefs at the temple of Abu Simbel. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Hi guys! We're back! We're kicking things off with a folklore episode from the Dinka of East Africa, the demigod Aiwel Longar. It's an unusual legend that gives us a view into the psyche of the Dinka and a key difference between some African and Western folklore. PS. We're also resurrecting our YouTube channel so please subscribe for updates: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/YouTube: Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

What happens when you have a series of stories and accounts about an empire that left behind little evidence of its existence? Listen as we recount the work historians have done to create a picture of the rise and fall one of the few empires of East Africa - The Bachwezi Empire. Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: 1. General History of Africa, Volume 4. Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century-UNESCO (1984) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

We have guests once more! Haleemah and Sesi from Oriire join us to discuss the many angles and changes in the way we tell stories on the continent, what it means to us as young Africans. Check out Oriire's podcast, articles, etc. on their website: https://www.oriire.com Follow us:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Women getting "married" but not in a relationship, family members "testing" the ability of their child's future spouse and kidnapping a woman to marry her. Sounds like movies but no, these are some of the strange marriage customs we discuss in this episode. Buckle up and enjoy the wild ride! Follow us:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: 1. Banyankole: The African tribe where the groom must have sex with the bride’s aunt to test his potency (2022) GhanaWeb. Available at: https://www.ghanaweb.com/lifestyle/trenderhq/Banyankole-The-African-tribe-where-the-groom-must-have-sex-with-the-bride-s-aunt-to-test-his-potency-19142#:~:text=Banyankole%3A%20The%20African%20tribe%20where,aunt%20to%20test%20his%20potency (Accessed: 15 May 2023). 2. Codingest (no date) Kalanga: A Tribe/culture where the bride sleeps with her father in-law on wedding night, African Writers Desk. Available at: https://awdesk.com/kalanga-a-tribeculture-where-the-bride-sleeps-with-her-father-in-law-on-wedding-night (Accessed: 15 May 2023). 3. Herskovits, M.J. (1937) ‘A note on “woman marriage” in dahomey’, Africa, 10(3), pp. 335–341. doi:10.2307/1155299. 4. Today, S.A. (2022) 7 unique African marriage traditions, FurtherAfrica. Available at: https://furtherafrica.com/2022/04/23/7-unique-african-marriage-traditions/ (Accessed: 15 May 2023). 5. ‘nu’uhegme’a’: The mystic frafra marriage custom that compels women to remain faithful to their husbands (2022) GhanaWeb. Available at: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Nu-uhe-gme-a-The-mystic-Frafra-marriage-custom-that-compels-women-to-remain-faithful-to-their-husbands-1543736 (Accessed: 15 May 2023). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message