Speech to the Science Graduation Ceremony of the University of Witwatersrand, 2008
Good Evening. I will use my own life history tonight to argue that it is your duty as scientists never to allow good science to be used for bad purposes. You have a moral duty. You know the difference between good and evil. You must do your best to ensure that your science has good outcomes for […]
Name Death & Text
Achille Mbembe unpicks the assassination, disfigurement, and attempted degrading of Ruben Um Nyobè. Ruben Um Nyobè, Secretary General of the CPU (Cameroonian Peoples Union), was shot dead on September 13, 1958, in the early afternoon, by French troops dispatched to put an end to a rebellion sweeping the Sanaga-Maritime region since 1955 – a rebellion fomented by the CPU. His death came seconds only […]
Damballah
Audio/visuals from AfroSonics-sis, Harmony Holiday, originally produced for Fence Books‘ podcast series. “Loose Tracklist” Weldon Irvine Nancy Dupree Fred Moten Wu-tang John Coltrane Gil Scott Heron J Dilla Dexter Gordon Moodyman Amiri Baraka Ras Baraka L Boogie Michael Harper Theo Parrish Sarah Webster Fabio Actress Bill Gunn David Henderson Percy Johnson Frank O’Hara Nico Brother Ah With thanks […]
Dead Cow Spreads Fear and Rumour in Lagos Suburb
Jide Adebayo Begun reports from Lagos. On 9 May the residents of Alafia Street in Mushin, one of the most notorious ghettos of this sprawling metropolis, woke up to the sight of a dead cow in the middle of a popular T-junction that symbolises the meeting of three roads. The cow, its red gut paling in the merciless sun, blocked […]
Everyday is for the Thief
An excerpt from Teju Cole‘s novella exploring the spectrum of crimes, wrongdoings, misdemeanours, International Thief Thieves, and daily operations amidst Lagosian landscapes. I One goes to the market to participate in the world. As with all things that concern the world, being in the market requires caution. Always, the market – as the essence of the city […]