UHURU: The McGill Journal of African Studies

Europe is Not My Center

Zahra Hassan Doualeh — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Art has long been a central element of African tradition and culture, serving as a tool of expression and transmission. It can be used to reflect on popular sentiments and relive historical events. Many African societies and cultures prioritize visual or oral art forms such as poetry, film, and music. This can be attributed to longstanding oral traditions that precede modern times and to artists like Ousmane Sembène, who vowed to democratize art and present it in a way all Africans could consume, regardless of literacy. Sembène was not the only one, as Schumann highlights a similar trend in South Africa: “Oral communication also has been much more accessible to a large part of the South African population than the printed press due to lack of literacy and economic means (for which the apartheid
system was of course partly responsible).” (2008, p.18). [...]

The Dancer

Jade Laurent- Le Bras — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

watercolour

France’s Dirty Secret

Sylvio-Jonathan Richard — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

On the morning of 13 January 1963, the president of Togo, Sylvanus Olympio, was assassinated in the first post-independence military coup staged in Africa. The coup began on the night of 12 January, when mutinous soldiers broke into Olympio’s house and crowded the first floor (Togo Death at Gate, 1963). With no means of escape, the president was forced to jump out of a window and seek refuge in the US embassy next door (Togo Death at Gate, 1963). Olympio hid inside a vehicle belonging to the embassy, as he could not enter the locked building (Boisbouvier, 2021). Testimony from Gilchrist Olympio, the son of Sylvanus Olympio, revealed that Ambassador Leon Poullada had gone to the embassy in search of the president after being informed by Henri Mayozer that a coup was underway (Boisbouvier, 2021). When Poullada arrived at the embassy, Olympio immediately requested his assistance, and the American advised him to stay hidden inside the vehicle until he returned with the key to open the building (Boisbouvier, 2021). However, frightened about the ongoing situation, Poullada never returned (Boisbouvier, 2021). The rebel soldiers later entered the embassy, found the president, and shot him dead. [...]

Disney, Orientalism, and African Pride

Shime Lea — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Years ago, my sisters and I were watching the Disney Channel’s Jessie, a supposedly family-friendly comedy about a small-town Southern girl–the titular Jessie– who moves to New York City to work as a nanny for a wealthy family. In this episode, “There Goes the Bride,” Jessie is about to get married to her long-term boyfriend–until he receives a job offer and decides to move to Africa (no specific country– simply “Africa.”) Jessie, whose dream is to be a big-time Hollywood star, is forced to break up with him, because according to Disney, the only things in Africa are “ostrich burgers,” “heat strokes,” and “huge mosquitoes” (Eells et al., 2014). At this specific line my mother made us pause the show. “Africa’s not like that,” she said. “We have cities and highways. And there are over 50 countries in Africa. It’s not just a big safari with lions and cheetahs.” Until that moment, it had never previously occurred to me that my mother
was African. [...]

A Walk in the Mountains in Lushoto, Tanzania

Evelyn Rogan — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

watercolour and ink

Reconceptualizing African Epistemological Relationship with More-than-Human Natures

Alexia Santoro — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

D’Avignon argues that the history of mining capitalism has often studied African miners solely as laborers, ignoring their role as intellectual actors (D’Avignon 3). This reflects a broader colonial tendency to commodify and dehumanize both African bodies and the resources they engaged with, severing plants and minerals from the knowledge systems of their cultivators and miners. This alienation
obscures the rich epistemological relationships Africans maintained with more-than-human entities grounded in intellectual traditions distinct from colonial exploitation. This understanding becomes particularly evident when viewed through the trans-Atlantic slave trade, in which Africans adapted their embodied epistemologies to reassemble and innovate their relationships with plants and minerals in lowland South America. [...]

Safari truck/Some fishermen

Jade Laurent-Le bras — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

watercolour and ink

Reclaiming Africa

Margot Jean-Gilles — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In recent years, scholars have increasingly looked at the damages done to African art in a colonial context. The historian Victor Onibere contextualized that the Scramble for Africa “distorted the perception of African cultures and identities, impacting both traditional and broader African artistic expressions”, and
“challenged traditional African artists’ artistic autonomy” (Onibere 88). African artists have experienced incredible limitations to work within their own cultural frame, which led to a movement that started to use art as a tool for decolonization. The place of visual representations in the continued effort to decolonize spaces in Africa is of essence for it addresses decolonization frameworks that can be overlooked but are nonetheless effective. The term Decolonization is used to refer to “the process of addressing and dismantling that history and its effect in the present and future” (Becker 4). It is also a response to the dilemma of what can be done by artists in Africa or the diaspora to contribute to the effort through innovative approaches. By arguing that art can be an effective means to continue the long process of decolonizing Africa, this paper examines three ways in which art can be an effective tool against colonization; its ability to change narratives, art as a method of advocacy and using Afrofuturism in the artistic sphere. [...]

Current Colonization in Africa

Charlotte Jean-Gilles — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In January 2023, the African Nations Championship, commonly known as “CHAN” took place. This event is exclusively open to soccer players who play within Africa’s borders, with the main goal of spotlighting African players who may not receive much global recognition (McAllister). That year, the championship was held in Algeria at the newly built Mandela Stadium. For the occasion, Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile Mandela, was invited to open the championship with a speech (CAF). He spoke of the importance of freedom in Africa’s history and highlighted the continent’s common fight against foreign dominance, which he marks as a value that African nations should aim to protect at home and overseas. He continued by stating that the struggle was not over and pointed to Western Sahara as “the last colony of Africa” (Berban Sport). This sparked controversy, as Morocco, the accused colonizer, took offense. The Moroccan Football Federation lodged a complaint against the speaker for “political speech” (McDonald). This interaction begged the question: Is Western Sahara truly a Moroccan colonial project? This text will address this interrogation, arguing that Morocco engages in colonialism in Western Sahara through control of the political system by using settlers, the economy by exploiting Sahrawi natural resources, and social control through oppression. First, this article will discuss the aggregation of historical events that culminated in the current situation in Western Sahara by providing each party’s perspective on the matter. The second part will analyze how the actions taken in Western Sahara can indeed be defined as colonization. [...]

Alternatives to the CFA franc

Hugo Semery-Devlin — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This case study is part of a broader reflection on the economic and monetary future of Africa. It is based on the work and ideas developed by Manssah, a think-tank dedicated to the development of Africa by Africans, of which I hold membership. This analysis is also enriched by personal reflections on the subject. [...]

Clan Relations, Political Fragmentation, and Elections Outcomes

Harerta Abraha — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Somalia, frequently categorized as a failed state, has faced numerous challenges with power dynamics and clan-based tensions during its difficult transition from authoritarianism to democracy (Stremlau). Since 2016, Somalia’s indirect electoral system has been a critical component of its federal democratic framework, designed to navigate the country’s complex socio-political landscape (Menkhaus). Unlike direct elections, this system relies on clan elders and regional representatives to select members of parliament, who then elect the president (Wabwireh). Clientelism- clan-based loyalties, are significant features of the political system where clan elders, external
actors, and intermediaries can contribute and sway election outcomes. This raises the question of the extent of the impact of these contributing factors upon election outcomes. This paper examines the impact that political fragmentation has had on elecelections,
particularly because of the clan relations that are constantly changing and dynamic. Through evaluating the pre-existing landscape, current clan relations, and election outcomes, this paper intends to examine the extent of these factors’ roles in election outcomes. [...]

Silence, Can You See Me?

Mikaëla Tankeu — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This drawing shows a fisherman at dusk in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. Techniques for fishing at night involve using lamps to attract fish species that are more active at night. Lake Nabugabo is considered a RAMSAR Site for its ecological and community importance.

Where the Earth Breathes

Jasmine Chen — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This is a creative personal essay inspired by the lectures and readings from ARCH 355: Architectural History 4, taught by Professor Alan
Avorgbedor, and the discussions led by TA Mehwish Abid, exploring vernacular African architecture. These are more than structures;
these are memories moulded into clay, resilience etched in stone, and the cosmology of culture marked in space. While this story may not be based on a real experience, this essay envisions the cultural, spiritual, and communal significance of mud dwellings. I draw on the themes of resilience, creativity and harmony with nature which are central to Prof. Avorgbedor’s class. This piece contributes to African studies by reimagining vernacular architecture as a reflection of cultural memory and resilience, emphasizing the deep relationship between built forms and community values. It highlights how African architectural tradition shapes spatial identities
and preserves heritage. [...]

Our Plight

Hiba Babiker — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Poem

Artwork by Evelyn Rogan

Evelyn Rogan — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Mixed media artwork (watercolour and ink)

Editorial Board

Jennifer Innes — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400