Chimamanda Adichie es una joven escritora nigeriana con una gran capacidad para transmitir historias. Como los tradicionales "story tellers" griots, a ella esta habilidad le brota con naturalidad y es su manera de dar vida y visibilidad a los diferentes puntos de vista, historias y experiencias de la gente, en especial del pueblo Igbo, el pueblo Nigeriano, y el pueblo Africano por extensión.

En esta conferencia Adichie habla de los peligros de la "single story" (historia única), cuando sólo se tiene en cuenta una visión única, simplificada, plana y superficial de la realidad, que inevitablemente conduce al prejuicio, al error, al malentendido y a la incomprensión.

En este video vemos como Adichie no sólo se maneja magnificamente al escribir, sino que también sobresale su dominio y agilidad con la palabra oral, haciéndonos llegar su mensaje de una manera emotiva, amena y fácil de comprender.

El audio está en inglés con subtítulos en castellano.

Para saber más sobre Chimamanda Adichie visitad su página web


http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/spa/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Lenéa Heru

I created this button for artist Lenéa. She's as sweet as honey, maybe that's why she goes by the nickname Honeybee.

Lenéa was born in the countryside of Mandeville, Jamaica and now lives in London, UK, though she's everyday more internationally known. She is a dynamic and powerful Creative Artist (vocalist/lyricist/dancer/poet/musician/actress) who's music is eclectic and mentally stimulating.

Please visit http://www.reverbnation.com/lenea to listen to her inspiring music! or look for her in Myspace.

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Creé esta chapa para la artista Lenéa. Ella es dulce como miel, quizás por eso se hace llamar Honeybee.
Lenéa nació en un zona rural de Mandeville, Jamaica y hoy vive en London, UK, aunuqe es cada día más conocida a nivel internacional. Ella es una artista creativa dinámica y de gran fortaleza (vocalista/letrista/bailarina/poeta/música/actriz) cuya música es ecléctica y mentalmente estimlante.

Por favort, visitad http://www.reverbnation.com/lenea para escuchar su inspiradora música or búscadla en Myspace.

Afroespañolización

He llamado Lola a la mujer pintada en esta chapa. Con ello quería hacer un guiño a los hermanos y hermanas afrodescendientes (Negros y Negras!!) nacidos y/o críados en España y a aquellos que luchan por reivindicar, extender y normalizar el término Afroespañol/a.

Muchos y muchas han hablado ya de este tema y sus aportaciones me parecen tan valiosas, que mejor que extenderme yo en el asunto me gustaría derivaros a otras páginas, blogs y artículos a todos aquellos interesados en el tema (y a los que no, con más motivo)

Os animo a leer:
- Este debate tan interesante que se produjo sobre el término en el foro de AfricaHuna:
- Un texto explicativo en el blog del grupo Pira y Sista Ablabi:
- La web de la Asociación Panteras Negras:
Por último os recomiendo el blog de Noemí Ondó Mesa Miyone, que he descubierto hace poco y está de lujo.

Buscad en Youtube Afroespañolización y encontrareis gran cantidad de videos.

NEHANDA

This painting wants to honor brave Nehanda of Zimbabwe.

Born into a religious family, Nehanda displayed remarkable leadership and organizational skills, and at a young age became one of Zimbabwe's two most influential religious leaders.
When English settlers invaded Zimbabwe in 1896 and began confiscating land and cattle, Nehanda and other leaders declared war. At first they achieved great success, but as supplies ran short, so did battlefield victories. Nehanda was eventually captured, found guilty and executed for ordering the killing of a notoriously cruel Native Commander. Though dead for nearly a hundred years, Nehanda remains what she was when alive - the single most important person in the modern history of Zimbabwe, and is still referred to as Mbuya (Grandmother) Nehanda by Zimbabwean patriots.

- References: http://socialjustice.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/index.php/Nehanda_Abiodun

See Also -->
Nehanda Abiodun: human rights and anti-racism activist, former member of the BLA (Black Liberation Army), currently exiled in Cuba for being pursued by the FBI from 1981.

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ESPAÑOL
Esta pintura quiere honrar a la valiente Nehanda de Zimbabwe.
Nacida dentro de una familia religiosa, Nehanda mostró grandes dotes de liderazgo y organización que, a una edad temprana, la ayudaron a convertirse en uno de los dos líderes religiosos más influyentes de Zimbabwe.
Cuando los ingleses invadieron Zimbabwe en 1896 y comenzaron a confiscar tierras y ganado, Nehanda, junto con otros líderes, les declararon la guerra. Al principio tuvieron grandes éxitos pero, cuando los recursos comenzaron a escasear, también lo hicieron las batallas victoriosas. Finalmente Nehanda fue capturada, encontrada culpable y ejecutada por ordenar la muerte de un Comandante Nativo de cruenta reputación. Aunque hace más de cien años que murió, Nehanda continúa siendo lo que fue en vida, la persona más importante de la historia de Zimbabwe, y los patriotas zimbabuenses se siguen refiriendo a ella como Mbuya (abuela) Nehanda.

Ver también -->
Nehanda Abiodun: activista por los derechos humanos y contra el racismo y antiguo miembro de Black Liberation Army, actualmente exiliada en Cuba pues está bajo búsqueda por el FBI desde 1981.

GYE NYAME

The symbol draw in this painting is known as Gye Nyame. It's an Adinkra symbol meaning "except for God" and it symbolizes the supremacy of God amongst the Akan culture.

This unique and beautiful symbol is ubiquitous in Ghana. It is by far the most popular for use in decoration, a reflection on the deeply religious character of the Ghanaian people.

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El símbolo dibujado en esta pintura es conocido como Gye Nyame. Es un símbolo adinkra que significa "excepto Dios" y simboliza la supremacía de Dios en la cultura Akan.

Este bonito y singular símbolo es omnipresente en Ghana. Es sin duda el más popular para usos decorativos, un reflejo del carácter profundamente religioso del pueblo ghanés.

Samora

Samora Machel was a politician and Freedom Fighter born in the 30's in a poor family and envioroment in Mozambique, at that time invaded by the Portuguese.
He started fighting against racism when he was a nurse working in a hospital, where he protested for the salary discrimination between whites and Blacks. He later described Black health care situation in Mozambique by saying: "the rich man's dog gets more in the way of vaccination, medicine and medical care than do the workers upon whom the rich man's wealth is built."
After battling in the fields against the Portuguese domination, Samora became the Revolutionary leader of the Mozambican liberation movement FRELIMO. In 1975, the social and political revolution he had dreamed became true and he becase the first president of independent Mozambique.
Machel put his revolutionary principles into practice. As a Marxist he called for the "nationalization" (government ownership) of the Portuguese plantations and property. He moved quickly to have the Frelimo government establish public schools and health clinics for the poor. But Mozambique's economy started being strangled by the white minority regimes in Rhodesia and South Africa and their anti-frilimo armies, which destroyed hospitals, schools, railroads and other new Mozambican facitlities, leaving many deads behind. The country then had to depend on external aid but "President Samora", as he was called, remained popular amongst Mozambique's People and internationally, as he also supported other revolutionary liberation movements.

On October 19, 1986, Samora Machel was on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia in the presidential Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft when the plane crashed in the Lebombo Mountains, near Mbuzini. There were nine survivors but President Machel and twenty-four others died, including ministers and officials of the Mozambique government.. Although, several years before the airplane went down Machel had signed a non-agression pact with the South Africa, there was widespread suspicion that the apartheid regime was implicated in the crash.

Throughout southern Africa angry people mourned the loss of Samora Machel. In South Africa protestors blamed their government for Machel's death. In Zimbabwe thousands of youths stormed through downtown Harare. The crash remains a mystery: with some blaming it simply on bad weather and others still believing in South Africa's guilt. No conclusive evidence to either effect has yet emerged.

References:

* Samora Machel remembered [Online]. Available at: news.bbc.co.uk [Accessed 23 June 2009]
* Mozambique's First President: Samora Machel [Online]. Available at: jlhs.nhusd.k12.ca.us. [Accessed 23 June 2009]
* Samora Machel Biography [Online]. Available at: biographybase.com [Accessed 23 June 2009]