John Nunley: “There are no straight lines in Africa.”
Africa is all about the undulating line. Linear functions don’t apply.
Africa is all about the undulating line. Linear functions don’t apply.
Alex Detrick pulled together another fine evening last night at the Missouri History Museum, featuring Independent Lens film “Iron Ladies of Liberia” which will later air on KETC/Channel 9 April 6th at 11 p.m. Click here for video clip and political background on Liberia and the film. Click here for 2005 Washington Post article written…
Tonight at the Missouri History Museum, as part of the Community Cinema Series, a packed auditorium viewed “Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Naathai.” “Taking Root” tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Naathai, whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human…
Damaria Senne We begin by enjoying the cover of Damaria Senne’s adult reader titled BOITSHOKO (meaning “perseverence” in Setswana). The book was published by Heinemann Publishers, and was translated into a number of local languages. The book is of interest (in the context of the essay about the story) because Damaria named the title character…
(Phillip Hampton’s work is honored at the St. Louis Art Museum’s African American Abstraction: St. Louis Connections.) David Bonnetti at St. Louis Today.com says: Philip Hampton, the fourth artist featured, is sort of odd-man out. Rather than developing here, he moved to the area an already established artist to teach at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The…
When I lived in Botswana during the 1970s, my name in Setwana was (and is) “Naledi”–which means “star.” Although it sounds exalted, it’s not an uncommon name. Here’s how I got my name. During the first weeks of Peace Corps language and cultural training, I asked my teachers if I could have a name in…
To understand the situation in Kenya as “ancient tribal hatreds” is to understand World War I and World War II as “ancient tribal hatreds” between the Germans on one side and the French, English, and Russians on the other.—David Zarembka David Zarembka and Gladys Kamonya of the African Great Lakes Initiative appeared in St. Louis…
Although it is obvious who built the 70 mile long straight stretch of railroad track around Dete, I wonder if Mr. Nunley would care to speculate on who is responsible for laying the chevron patterns in the walls of Great Zimbabwe. In the course of my short lifetime I have seen theories on the origins of Great ZImbabwe come and go, ranging from Arabs and Phonecians to Shahili people. Interestingly, the more recent timing of shifts in popular opinion have been coordinated directly with political changes.
“There are no straight lines in Africa,” refers more to a way of being and doing. Naturally there are geometric patterns abounding in African art and daily life.
Your comments on the walls of Great Zimbabwe are interesting. I’ll take some time to learn more.
Janet Riehl