Message from AfricaFocus Editor
Taking Stock and Asking for Your Feedback
It has now been over six months since I moved AfricaFocus from its earlier format of AfricaFocus Bulletin to AfricaFocus Notes on the Substack platform. One advantage is that Substack is much easier to manage than my previous combination of Mailchimp and web publication. Another is that it has given me the freedom to experiment with more varied content.
AfricaFocus Bulletin and its predecessors, over the 28 years since I started it in 1995, provided the opportunity to share news, analysis, and advocacy by reposting selected content with short introductory editorial notes. With AfricaFocus Notes, I am only sharing my notes, with links to other sources. And I am choosing a much smaller range of topics that I find of particular interest.
As you can see by visiting the home page at http://africafocus.substack.com, I am giving particular attention to the critical issue of #climate as well as taking advantage of new technology to share videos of #music. Both illustrate the strong interconnections of African and global realities in the past as well as in the present and future. I have also included posts related to a few specific African countries and to U.S. relations to Africa. A few samples of each kind of post are included below.
Sometimes, it is possible to combine the different kinds of posts. I am not at all knowledgeable about the Francophone countries of West Africa and the Sahel in particular. But the recent events in Niger offered an opportunity to make connections that most news coverage was not making. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and the coup reflected local discontent as well as the Sahel´s role in geopolitical and military competition among France, the United States, and Russia. But the global impact of its citizens also features the musical genius of its electric guitarists who began their careers by exchanging musical tracks on cellphones from the edge of the Saharan desert.
In the News, Niger is a Land of Coups
For Electric Guitar Fans, it is the Land of Sahara Blues
Whether you are a recent subscriber or have been a subscriber for many years, I would be very interested in hearing your feedback on the current format. Let me know which kinds of post you find of most or least interest and what suggestions you have for future content to prioritize. Just reply to this email to send me your thoughts and/or click on the public comment button below.
In addition to the posts sent out by email, I also post shorter links online at https://openrss.org/substack.com/@africafocus To see these shorter comments, click on the arrow to the left of the headlines. It will change to a down arrow and show the comment.
All content in this publication will continue to be available to both free and paid subscribers. However, paid subscriptions are very welcome. If you wish to support this publication with a paid subscription, click on the button below and choose the appropriate payment option.
#climate
Small Island States Lead the Way on Climate: Facing shared vulnerability, they can also rely on a long history of building solidarity across oceans (June 1, 2023)
Real Climate Victories are Possible: Journalists Kate Aronoff and Somini Sengupta Tell the Stories (May 23, 2023)
Growing Crops under Solar Panels: Agrivoltaics Do Double Duty (May 5, 2023)
Window for Climate Action Still Open: Latest Report Highlights Both Urgency and Opportunity (March 22, 2023)
#music
Harry Belafonte and SNCC: From Greenwood to Gazankulu (May 14, 2023)
Remembering Kenneth Kaunda: Tiyende Pamodzi (Let Us Go Together) (April 24, 2023)
More Songs Around the World: Sarah Bareilles, Manu Chao, Mermans Mosengo, and more (April 3, 2023)
World Music is African Music: Just Listen to the Songs (March 6, 2023)
#african-countries
Sudan’s outsider: how a paramilitary leader fell out with the army and plunged the country into war: In-Depth Background from Nesrine Malik (April 13, 2023)
Background Resources on Election in Nigeria: Selected Recent Commentaries by Nigerians and Other Informed Observers (February 25, 2023)
#usa-africa
Revisiting the Arrest of Nelson Mandela: Unanswered Questions (April 13, 2023)
Kamala Harris Goes to Africa: Summits & Trips Leave Destructive Policies Intact (April 3, 2023)
Censoring Black Studies: College Board Advanced Placement (February 12, 2023)
AfricaFocus Notes is a reader-supported publication. To receive all new posts, consider becoming a free subscriber and sharing this with friends as colleagues. Paid subscriptions are also welcome as support for this publication. However, no post will be hidden behind a paywall.
Great format! Love the articles AND the music 🎵