Seydou Keita
Untitled, 1959–60, print 1997
Gelatin silver print 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm)
In the twentieth century, photography became a medium of expression that African artists began to draw upon to reflect on the world around them. One of the exceptional talents to emerge in this area has been the Malian photographer Seydou Keita (1921–2001), whose work has been admired on an international scale. Keita’s oeuvre consists of portraits that chronicle Malian life during the mid-twentieth century. His portraits are renowned for not only their masterful formal composition, but also their ability to capture the nuances of this important transitional period in Malian history.
This portrait of an unidentified woman displays the signature pictorial style that made Keita the premier Malian photographer of his generation. Employing different backdrops and successfully combining pattern on pattern, the woman’s skirt is dynamically juxtaposed with the regularity of the floral motif on the backdrop behind her. Keita positioned the woman so the arrow design of her dress directs the viewer to her bodice, where light vertical elements of her blouse lead toward her smiling, confident face. The overall pattern on the backdrop holds the viewer’s attention while it gently repeats itself and simultaneously guides our eyes back down to her skirt.
This portrait is one among hundreds Keita made in his legendary studio in Bamako, the capital city of Mali. Opened in 1948 near the railway station and post office his studio was the fashionable place to be seen and photographed. This location attracted local customers, including those en route to Senegal. Keita operated his studio until 1962, when, after Mali’s independence, he was asked to be a government photographer, he retired in the mid-1970s. He was meticulous about preserving and organizing his negatives, but he did not record the names of the people who waited patiently to be photographed. Therefore at present, the name of this woman is unknown to us.
Posts tagged africa.
Movies You Shouldn’t Sleep On: Skin
Skin is a biographical tale of a resilient woman. It is based on the true story of Sandra Laing, a Black woman born to two white parents in apartheid era South Africa. After years of rejecting herself and trying to understand why her skin color is such an issue, Sandra finally accepts herself when she falls in love with a Black man. Unfortunately the cost of coming to terms with her skin color is tearing apart her family. Her father, who spent years campaigning for her to be classified as white, disowns her and the rest of the family falls in line. The movie follows her as she struggles to make it on her own, raise a family and reconnect with her family.
First of all, Sophie Okenado does an amazing job as the lead in this film. She’s absolutely beautiful, mousy and awkward all at once. Honestly, I cringed and turned my head through the majority of Hotel Rwanda so I don’t really remember her in that and she freaked me out in Secret Life of Bees (which I did not like at all) so this was really the first time I’ve seen her act. She’s definitely underrated and underused. The rest of the cast was solid too including Ella Ramangwane, the actress that played young Sandra. There was not a bad actor in the movie.
It’s pretty hard to find a good drama but this is actually a really well made movie. No complaints here. You can’t help but wonder though, why didn’t it get more attention? Well a quick search on the web gives you two reason the first being that the majority of the cast is Black and writer and director Anthony Fabian (who happens to be white) described major US distributors as “unforthcoming” because of the perception that a black cast wouldn’t generate much money. The second reason is pretty obvious. The movie is about race identity and blatant racism which are always touchy subjects. I even came across a discussion topic entitled “Not Another Movie On Racism Again!”. You can kind of draw your own conclusions with that one…
Overall Grade: A+
Where You Can Watch it: Streaming on Netflix or here
Да, я могу гарантировать, что вы увидите этот танк в действии Dirk Bikkembergs.
Anonymous asked: why is africa so poor? i’m sorry if this comes off as rude, but i’m genuinely curious.
“This is a very complex and misunderstood topic. Before answering, it is important to note that “Africa” is not a political or economic entity, and therefore addressing this issue must be done on a nation-by-nation basis. In fact, some African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, and to some extent Morocco and Egypt have relatively high standards of living. The question is also posed poorly, as Africa as a whole does not contain an even spread of gold and diamond resources, and often nations have additional resources or less (such as oil in Nigeria but desert in Chad).
Effects on most African nations’ wealth include, among other things, (1) residual effects of colonialism, (2) current exploitation of poor nations by wealthy nations, (3) a pervading lack of strong political institutions to manage the economy, and (4) Western ignorance in their interventionist strategies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
Colonialism forced African peoples into regimented and incredibly foreign manners of government. Warring tribes were often “placed” in the same nation while other tribes were split by these artificial boundaries. Also, colonizers placed certain tribes in positions of power which has caused uprisings in areas such as Rwanda.
Pertaining to the question about natural resources, these are often extracted by wealthy nations, who take the wealth from those resources back to their already wealthy countries. This has been the case in oil-rich Nigeria and diamond-rich South Africa. Wealthy nations also often trade extraction rights for vast amounts of extorted “dirty money”.
Historically, the world has not seen a well-developed economy without a corresponding strong government. In contrast to a Western-style political institution of checks and balances, traditionally African tribes were not organized in such a way. Many argue that in addition to easy access to education, healthcare, and natural resources, a strong government that can balance its own power by virtue of the bureaucratic structure of itself is essential.
Lastly, the IMF, World Bank, and other international aid organizations have created massive problems by failing to understand the social and political contexts of the African countries within which they work. They lend money to nations, henceforth focusing on repayment of the loan, rather than the efficacious use of that loan. They require structural changes in the government that detrimentally weaken the local and federal governments. Furthermore, aid organizations normally focus on distributing birth control and food, which benevolently helps the people, but it ameliorates the symptoms without tackling the sickness, such as establishing and funding schools or citizen advocate groups.”
This is a great response. But people, if you want to learn, please further your reading. There are no easy or quick responses.
SAARTJIE (SARAH) BAARTMAN — “Hottentot Venus”
(article by The GraeGram: A Lifestyle Magazine)
Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman was born in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 1789 to a South African Khoisan family. Khoisans are one of the two major ethnic groups in that region. She was orphaned at a young age and enslaved by dutch farmers in the region of her birth. Like other Khoikhoi women, Saartjie had a well-endowed buttocks and an elongated labia. Because of those characteristics a brother of her slave owner became interested in the young female slave. By convincing her that she would become a wealthy woman, Hendrick Cezar persuaded the twenty-one (21) year old Saartjie to travel with him to England for exhibition. Unfortunately, Saartjie had no idea that she would be his exhibition.In 1810 Saartjie Baartman sailed for London, England with her new owner Hendrick Cezar. He exhibited her as the sideshow attraction, Hottentot Venus. “Hottentot” because it was the European name for the Khoi people. “Venus” because Hendrick wanted to refer to the Roman Goddess of love. In Britain, Saartjie was forced to entertain people by exhibiting and shaking her bare buttocks and displaying her other un-European body features. A recent 2002 news story in the United Kingdom’s “The Guardian” described the British exhibitions this way…
“The first time Saartjie Baartman was dragged out to squat before the mob at 225 Picadilly, the show’s promoter billed her genitals as resembling the skin that hangs from a turkey’s throat [the turkey waddle]. For several years, working class Londoners crowded in to shout vulgarities at the protruding buttocks and large vulva of the unfortunate woman made famous across Europe as the “Hottentot Venus”. The aristocracy was no less fascinated at what they saw as a sexual freak, but they had private showings.”
Her London exhibition after the passing of London’s 1807 Slave Trade Act created a scandal in Britain. An English Abolitionist Society petitioned for her release. But when Saartjie was questioned in court she contended that she freely participated in the exhibits and was guaranteed half the profits. Since eyewitness accounts of her exhibitions contradict her court testimony, the veracity of her statements has been brought into question.
Saartjie was then sold to a Frenchman who took her from London to France. It was here that she was exhibited for fifteen (15) months by an animal trainer named Regu. Her French exhibitions were more pressurized than anything she experienced in England. She was visited by French naturalists and objectified as the subject of several scientific paintings at the Jardin du Joi. Eventually the French tired of her and she was forced to support herself through prostitution. She didn’t last the ravages of a foreign culture and climate or the further abuse of her body. On December 29, 1815 Saartjie Baartman passed away at the age of twenty six (26) years old. Cause of death was given as ‘inflammatory and eruptive sickness, possibly syphilis’.
Her skeleton, preserved genitals and brain were placed on display in Paris, France as recent as 1914 when they were removed from public view. When Stephen Jay Gould’s “The Hottentot Venus” was released in 1985, Saartjie Baartman’s life was brought to the world’s attention. A public outcry began for her remains to be returned to her homeland. In 1994 following the victory of the African National Congress in the South African elections, President Nelson Mandela formally requested the return of her remains. In 2002 France finally agreed and Saartjie Baartman’s remains were repatriated to her homeland. She is buried on a hill in the Gamtoos River Valley in the Eastern Cape, the place of her birth. She was laid to rest on Women’s Day, August 9, 2002. More than two-hundred (200) years after her birth. Today she is classified in history as the very first vixen.
Saartjie Baartman became an icon in South Africa as a representative of many aspects of the nation’s history. The Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children opened in Capetown in 1999. This centre is a refuge for survivors of domestic violence. http://www.saartjiebaartmancentre.org.za is the centre’s website address for all who wish to view. South Africa’s very first offshore environmental protection vessel ‘the Sarah Baartman’ is also named after her. It was ordered in 2002 and launched on June 17, 2004 and commissioned on January 10, 2005.
sajdflkasf
:D
I’ll give you all a hint. It’s near Rwanda. Is that helping any? ;)
Gloria Mika is an Human Right Activist, Democracy Activist and a fashion model from Gabon and Greece. She is mostly advocating for Democracy, Freedom of Press, Freedom of thought, Right to Education in Africa. She is an opposant of the current Gabonese government: “I have fought for our right as Gabonese Citizens to have a decent, credible, transparent and Democratic electoral process for our Presidential Election in Gabon on Aug 30th 09. It appears that CORRUPTION was once again stronger than citizen’s will. Nevertheless, our movement the Guardian Angels of Gabon shall continue through a Non-Violent Resistance to Boycott the International Legitimacy of such an Oppressive Regime that sent military forces to kill innocent unarmed kids and that threaten anyone that would jeopardize the legitimacy of the Regime.”
Gloria is also an active member of “Made for Africa” which aims to bring together people dedicated to improve the quality of life in Africa and work on joint projects contributing to social and economic development of the African continent. She’s also a member of the Ogooue Foundation which aims to make a difference in the African continent.
As a Fashion Model, Gloria was the face of L’Oreal Paris and Pierre Cardin. She was also the model in the Sweetest Girl’s video by Wyclef Jean and Akon.
— Oyeronke Oyewumi - “The White Woman’s Burden: African Women in Western Feminist Discourse” (2004) (via esprit-follet) (via knowledgeisthewing)
— Oyeronke Oyewumi (via esprit-follet) (via knowledgeisthewing)
Rosa Alicia Clemente: WHO IS BLACK?
Rosa Alicia Clemente is a Bronx born, Puerto Rican journalist and activist . In her articleWho is Black? she addresses blackness in an Afro-Latin context. I have always considered Afro-Latinos to be a part of the African Diaspora family and have never really understood the conflict between nationality and race that rears its ugly head when discussing blackness in Latin America. That is why I was confused when Lala Vasquez insisted that she was not black, but Latina - as if her nationality and racial identity were synonymous. This is why I was interested in Rosa’s commentary on miseducation and placing the historical context of Africanos in Latin America and Puerto Rico specifically.
I was also interested in the article because I find that in ‘conscious’ circles there is a resistance against identifying as black and I often get reprimanded for referring to myself as black. I understand Dr. John Henrik Clarke’s focus on an African identity and understanding our history which is why my African identity is at the epicentre of my understanding of self. However, I don’t see the conflict in my African heritage, British nationality and my black racial identity. All aspects of me co-exist quite happily. Some say the word black is negative. Not to me. I don’t care about the meaning of black according to the Oxford English dictionary because I define myself. Black is beautiful to me. As a sister who also finds liberation in affirming my blackness I found refuge in Rosa’s article.
Rosa Alicia Clemente:
Yesterday, an interesting thing happened to me. I was told I am not Black.
The kicker for me was when my friend stated that the island of Puerto Rico was not a part of the African Diaspora. I wanted to go back to the old school playground days and yell: “You said what about my momma?!” But after speaking to several friends, I found out that many Black Americans and Latinos agree with him. The miseducation of the Negro is still in effect!
I am so tired of having to prove to others that I am Black, that my peoples are from the Motherland, that Puerto Rico, along with Cuba, Panama and the Dominican Republic, are part of the African Diaspora. Did we forget that the slave ships dropped off our people all over the world, hence the word Diaspora?
The Atlantic slave trade brought Africans to Puerto Rico in the early 1500s. Some of the first slave rebellions took place on the island of Puerto Rico. Until 1846, Africanos on the island had to carry a libreta to move around the island, like the passbook system in apartheid South Africa. In Puerto Rico, you will find large communities of descendants of the Yoruba, Bambara, Wolof and Mandingo people. Puerto Rican culture is inherently African culture.
There are hundreds of books that will inform you, but I do not need to read book after book to legitimize this thesis. All I need to do is go to Puerto Rico and look all around me. Damn, all I really have to do is look in the mirror every day.
I am often asked what I am—usually by Blacks who are lighter than me and by Latinos/as who are darker than me. To answer the $64,000 question, I am a Black Boricua, Black Rican, Puertorique’a! Almost always I am questioned about why I choose to call myself Black over Latina, Spanish, Hispanic. Let me break it down.
I am not Spanish. Spanish is just another language I speak. I am not a Hispanic. My ancestors are not descendants of Spain, but descendants of Africa. I define my existence by race and land. (Borinken is the indigenous name of the island of Puerto Rico.)
Being Latino is not a cultural identity but rather a political one. Being Puerto Rican is not a racial identity, but rather a cultural and national one. Being Black is my racial identity. Why do I have to consistently explain this to those who are so-called conscious? Is it because they have a problem with their identity? Why is it so bad to assert who I am, for me to big-up my Africanness?
My Blackness is one of the greatest powers I have. We live in a society that devalues Blackness all the time. I will not be devalued as a human being, as a child of the Supreme Creator.
Although many of us in activist circles are enlightened, many of us have baggage that we must deal with. So many times I am asked why many Boricuas refuse to affirm their Blackness. I attribute this denial to the ever-rampant anti-Black sentiment in America and throughout the world, but I will not use this as an excuse. Often Puerto Ricans who assert our Blackness are not only outcast by Latinos who identify more with their Spanish Conqueror than their African ancestors, but we are also shunned by Black Americans who do not see us as Black.
Nelly Fuller, a great Black sociologist, stated: “Until one understands the system of White supremacy, anything and everything else will confuse you.” Divide and conquer still applies.
Listen people: Being Black is not just skin color, nor is it synonymous with Black Americans. To assert who I am is the most liberating and revolutionary thing I can ever do. Being a Black Puerto Rican encompasses me racially, ethically and most importantly, gives me a homeland to refer to.
So I have come to this conclusion: I am whatever I say I am! (Thank you, Rakim.)
(Rosa Clemente is the youth organizer for the F.R.E.E. Youth Empowerment Program of Central Brooklyn Partnership. She is also an organizer with Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and the co-host of WBAI’s “Where We Live” public affairs program.)
(via finalcall)
This is also true.
State lines are not often determined by language or even ethnic majority but on the whim of the colonial powers.
West Bengal for example and East Bengal were divided on religious lines. East Bengal being the former East Pakistan and current Bangladesh.
The Bhill community for example, in central and western India, is actually the majority ethnic community in many of the states, yet, they are split up over four states, Maharashtra, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan. They are infact a linguistic majority, and yet due to oppressive power structures that privileges certain people, are not looked upon with favour by the Indian Government
In many cases the state boundaries have remained the same as the ones definted by the British.
Myanmmar for example borders India to the East, many villages have houses that literally sit atop the political line that divides the two countries.
Yes- as I briefly mentioned before- we must not forget the impact of Orientalist thinking on colonial powers (and through colonial powers). We can see traces of its legacies everywhere, even in our language today. Thank you for providing some context.
I’ll add that Pakistan would have easily been able to take over the area that was the Bengal because post-colonialism, “Bangladesh” would have been left with a fairly weak infrastructure. This can be said about many corrupt governments worldwide; they continued to reinforce preexisting colonial structures of power after the British had already left. So we have a system (weak state) that already does not benefit the people, or the state in itself, but those already in power. Fast forword to military coups or hostile takeover from other countries. And then we have Pakistan and it’s history with colonialism, and things really can’t get much messier.
Bangladesh was not divided directly from colonial powers, although as you can see, but in analysis you can see the that colonialism, well, left no area behind. However when it was included as India, that is an example of Orientalism. In contrast, in Africa, colonial powers divided groups into different states, as to avoid revolting. We can’t be certain how many colonial authorities were aware of the different ethnic groups and main languages, but it is safe to say that the colonial authorities were afraid that dividing ethnic groups by state would allow them to united against imperialism. Divide them by different languages and cultures within one state, let’s called it [insert random, irrelevant French, British, etc name] and hope that these people won’t get along or understand each other!
On naming, well don’t even get me started on the several “Indies.” (And no, I am not really digressing. It’s all relevant, and all related.)
Readers: If any of you are interested in learning about Orientalism, the previous link is the Orientalism tag from my tumblr. There are a few explanatory posts that might be helpful for introducing yourself to the concept. Other links also lead to relevant tags on my tumblr.
You can also learn about how colonial powers arbitrarily named states in Africa through the “Scramble for Africa.” I may edit this and see if I can come back with more links.
Also, for those contesting my use of “North America” and the “UK” please read this.
