Jardin Zoologique d’Acclimatation: The Human Zoo
Imagine waking up to the sight of piercing blue, green, and hazel eyes of foreign faces you have never seen before. Faces that do not resemble those you have grown up with. Each gaze is filled with...
View ArticleThe truth about Somali Pirates
(AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) I remember I was sitting in my friend’s dorm room watching mid-day TV. I had no classes that day, so my day revolved around whatever FOX or NBC had scheduled. While my...
View ArticleBeing African Abroad: Are we a lost generation?
A few weeks ago at my part-time job, I was approached by an elderly Somali man who asked about my ethnicity. I responded by saying that I was Somali. He then began to ask for help in Somali and as he...
View ArticleThe dynamics of an African family
“The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people” English: African American Family 20th or 21st century. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) African society has undergone profound changes surrounding...
View Article‘You can’t sit with us’: Black women and feminism
Over the years during my undergraduate degree, I have taken my fair share of women based courses, whether it pertained to the politics realm or within the African studies context. As much as I did not...
View ArticleChina: The New Imperialist
It was late one night in Nairobi; I remember I had just landed a few hours prior. And, all I wanted to do was to watch some TV and relax. After saying my ‘goodnights’ to the family that evening, I...
View ArticleBeing African Abroad
The stories of first generation immigrants are simply told as deeply woven, romantic narratives that ranges from the glorified concept of the rise from “rags to riches” to the apparent success of...
View ArticleWhat is White Privilege?
Today, I was in my tutorial class listening to my teachers assistant discuss the topic of embedded knowledge and white privilege. As a class, we began to deconstruct the topic of white privilege and...
View ArticleLets not play into the hands of al shabaab
The Westgate Shopping mall was a mall like no other. It was probably the only place in town where I felt like I was like I was shopping in my native country, Canada. The mall was never empty or quiet....
View ArticleEthiopian Migrants in Saudi Arabia #SomeoneTellSaudiArabia
The story of the immigrant is one that resonates with majority of the world, as each and every one of us can connect to the struggle, and tenacity of an immigrants story. A father or a mother travel...
View ArticleTrying to be ‘White’: The Bleaching Epidemic
During my childhood, I played with white Barbie dolls. All my television characters were beautiful white women with blonde hair and blue eyes. I was exposed to the Eurocentric standards of beauty from...
View ArticleA friendly reminder
An unfriendly chill passed over her as she boarded off the plane into a land of the unknown. A white snowy substance covered the ground as she wandered; a sight so abnormal for a young African. She...
View ArticleThe privilege of beauty
Photo Credit: Dailymail.co.uk I was walking into a local pharmacy to buy some dietary aids in my personal quest to lose weight. And, I could help but find myself wandering through the cream care...
View Article#Bringbackourgirls and Nigeria’s Agency
On May 9, 2014, Amnesty International released a report stating that the Nigerian authorities were informed about the potential attack of Boko Haram’s planned raid on the school and failed to act on...
View ArticleWhen is it Enough?: Racism in Israel
In an article released by The Nation, a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute states that ‘one-third of Israelis say that unlawful, vigilante violence against non-Jewish African immigrants...
View ArticleThe Implicit Racism in Ebola Media Coverage
image from: tumblr_ndc9quAdO51r6m2leo1_1280 In recent weeks, I have been religiously following the Ebola epidemic through news outlets and general discussions via social medias. It became interesting...
View ArticleIntegration TV fails to provide a voice to Somali Canadians
Host of ‘Integration TV’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z92hmjTSm9E A few weeks ago, I walked into my house and my sister and mother were watching this youtube channel titled ‘Integration TV’. My...
View ArticleWhat does it means to be an African woman in 2015?
What does it means to be an African woman? Is it spiritual connection? Is based on a journey, of self-identifying, or is it as simple as birthright? Is it determined by how well you can speak your...
View ArticleTake a look into White Privilege
Today, I was in my tutorial class listening to my teachers assistant discuss the topic of embedded knowledge and white privilege. As a class, we began to deconstruct the topic of white privilege and to...
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