Articles
Photo by Startup Stock Photos on Pexels

Home

Crowdfunding Education (SSIR)

Twelve-year-old Chidi Makama, who lives in the slums of Makoko, Lagos, has spent most of his childhood being chased out of school, bullied, and punished by teachers because his family could not pay his tuition. He even attempted to homeschool himself but couldn’t afford the learning materials like books and a computer.
Makama’s situation is not uncommon for Nigerian children. According to the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 20 million child...
The Hollywood Reporter •

How The Shade Room’s Angelica Nwandu Went From Gossip Girl to Media Mogul

Angelica Nwandu had always had a weakness for celebrity gossip. So when she found herself unemployed in 2014 after quitting her job as an accountant to follow her dreams of becoming a screenwriter, she spent her free time in her cramped apartment in downtown Los Angeles consuming it and dishing about it with her friends, one of whom urged her to launch her own gossip site. The suggestion became an Instagram account she called The Shade Room (TSR). Nwandu’s first post explained the name. “I said,...
Popsugar •

The Unfair Reality of Having to Code-Switch as a Black Student

Stacey says she feels "the pressure of representing my entire race in a positive light, specifically in the classroom." This extends to how she presents herself, including how she dresses. "It is so exhausting constantly switching between different characters, because I feel like I'm hiding my authenticity," she says. "If I could get away with it, I'd say exactly what I want to say the way I want to say it. But nobody seems to want that."Many students like Stacey alter their behaviors to fit in,...

How Africa’s Internet Culture is Amplifying Afrobeats to a Global Audience – Rolling Stone Africa – Music, Culture, Style and More

/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 25-07-2024 */
.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{wid...
Vogue Philippines •

Nico Santos on Championing Queer Representation in Hollywood

Though he is now an established name, Nico Santos’ rise to the top was the result of years of hard work. From performing at open mic comedy shows before landing his roles playing Mateo in the NBC sitcom Superstore and as the snarkily fashionable Oliver Tsien in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, his career defining moments where things that he had to make happen himself.“I grew up in Manila before moving to the US with my brother at 16,” the comedian shares with Vogue Philippines in the middle o...
Popsugar •

The Sacred Power of Getting Birthing Braids as a Black Mom

"I was falling into a state of deep sadness and fear, so I decided to distract myself with a hair appointment. But getting those box braids provided something I was afraid to say I needed at the time: confidence to weather all the unknowns of the postpartum period and the reassurance that, much like my hair, I could hold it together for my babies," says Weatherall, 28. The proud mom of twins now realizes that styling her hair was a coping mechanism for all of the unknowns associated with giving...
primetimer.com •

Hulu’s Queenie Is a Treat for Fans of Chaotic Coming-of-Age Stories

Book readers who are pessimistic about TV adaptations have nothing to fear from Hulu’s adaptation of Queenie. The British series, based on the novel of the same name by Candice Carty-Williams, tells the tale of South London Gen Z-er and budding journalist Queenie Jenkins (Dionne Brown) as she deals with her love life and trauma, and a tendency to self-sabotage.

Queenie is a smart, funny series that offers a brilliant commentary on love and friendship. Carty-Williams, who also serves as showrunn
Peace Insight •

Changing the Lives of the Underprivileged: How the Headfort Foundation is Ushering in a New Era of Restorative Justice and Peace in the Nigerian Society.

In the noisy hallway of Alausa high court in Lagos on a December Monday morning, over a hundred people sit on the floor waiting for their cases to be called. As lawyers and officials dash between them, dressed in a faded two piece and sandals sits 25-year-old Falana Arigbo.

In August 2015, hair dresser Falana, came across a disturbance on her way home from work. Before she knew what was happening she ran, and was immediately arrested and charged with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed