Video: Black Portraiture[s]: The Black Body in the West (France)

A French video report of the conference Black Portraiture[s]: The Black Body in the West which was held January 17-20, 2013 in Paris France.

How the black body has been imagined in the West has always been a rich site for global examination and contestation. The representation and depiction of black peoples often has been governed by prevailing attitudes about race and sexuality.

Video: TV Interview Jennifer Tosch of Black Heritage Amsterdam tour

@Het Parool - Jennifer Tosh

Jennifer Tosch is a Surinamese-American who founded the successful Black Heritage Amsterdam Tour in The Netherlands, a tour trough the city which the contributions of the African Diaspora to Dutch society from the 16th century to the present.   In an interview with Dutch Amsterdam City Channel AT5 she tells about her search for her own identity. Reporter Clarice Gargard visits her at home. 

Is jumping the broom a black American tradition?

African-Americans jump over a broom if they get married, at least that is my Afro-European perception. But is jumping the broom a black appropriation of a white custom?  Blogger Azizi Powell of the blog Pancocojams explains the tradition.

Video: Emergence of the underground UK Black radio scene

A Wolverhampton Disco, England, 1978. Photo by Chris Steele- Perkins

The book  "Masters of the Airwaves: The Rise & Rise of Underground Radio" and the video tells the story of the birth of black music radio in Britain in the seventies. It starts out with a few black music shows on legal radio, leading on to the black music pirate radio boom, and culminating with legal, black music radio stations.

Black Irish singer Laura Izibor shows Dublin

Irish singer–songwriter Laura Isibor shows us Dublin. She tells how difficult it was growing up in Ireland feelings as the only Black person,  but Ireland has changed.

Video: Conversation with Black British architect David Adjaye

David Adjaye - courtesy Adjaye Associates

In conversation with David Adjaye. The renowned architect who is in the business of building history. In the  interview he talks about the African American Smithsonian museum, role models and stereotypes. 

Germans in the Caribbean? The history of Germans, slaves and Suriname

Franziska Christine von Pfalz-Sulzbach  and her Surinamese slave Ignatius Fortuna

Badenstein, Berlijn and Halle in Saxen sound like the names of German Cities. And names as Duttenhofer, Krieger and Kuhn sound like German family names.  But these name were also the names of slave plantations and are also family names of black people in Suriname.

Video: Chéri Samba illustrates Paris for the Louis Vuitton Travel Books 2013

The Fashion House of Louis Vuitton has launched the Louis Vuitton Travel Books on the 2nd of May covering London, New York, Paris and Easter Island. Each book has been illustrated by a well know international artist.

Video: The documentary 'Hope in my heart' of Afro-German poet May Ayim

Hoffnung im Herz (1997) is a documentary of Maria Binder about the life of Poet, activst an educator May Ayim (1960 - 1996). In the documentary which is in English and in German she talk about her life and her experience with racism in Germany. For those who don't speak German, I've translated a few parts.

Video: Dutch singer Ntjam Rosie - "Love is Calling"

Ntjam Rosie's song "Love is Calling", which was released in February, is the first single from her album "At The Back Of Beyond'.

Video: Spanish rapper El Chojin - Ven, Ven

Spanish rapper Chojin is known for the social commentary of his lyrics, his solo disc Mi turno being perhaps his most "radical" work. He avoids coarse language in his music, and his raps also frequently espouse non-violence, anti-racism, and warn of the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Black German Photo book "Daima" to be published October 2013

“Daima” is a collection of selected black and white photographic portraits of inspiring Black women who live and work in Germany. From intimate representations of two ladies confiding in each other, through lively group pictures of sistahs together, to beautiful individual portraits: this book captures their interactions in a variety of settings. Afro-German photographer Nzitu Mawakha presents a unique collection of striking images and combines these with texts, where the women portrayed focus their gaze on the reader-viewer and where the women portrayed are the one to ask the questions.

Wanewake is the third publication in the English language book series "Witnessed".

Are There Black People In Italy? + (In)visible Cities

When a 20-year-old PR from London asked Afro-Italian journalist and photograper Balobeshayi whether there are Black people in Italy, she wrote on her blog,  "I killed the first shocked and almost offended reaction I was going to serve her and answered with a rather surprised “Yes.” The girl, who was trying to get me and my friends a deal for a club in Piccadilly Circus, was as stunned as I was. And she explained she was afraid to go to Italy because she thought she would have been the only Black person there.