It's a Continent – Details, episodes & analysis

Gabon should be a model of prosperity—yet its oil riches were siphoned into offshore mansions and luxury fleets by the Bongo kleptocracy. From Omar Bongo’s 42-year dynasty to Ali Bongo’s rigged re-elections and the 2023 palace coup, we trace how pipedreams of development gave way to pipelines—and ask whether Brice Oligui Nguema can finally reclaim Gabon’s stolen promise. Spend Abacha's Loot Sources: Gabon’s Bongo family enriched itself over 56 years of kleptocratic rule, spreading its wealth across the world Has Gabon’s ‘all-powerful’ Bongo dynasty really lost its 55-year grip? Gabon (1960-present) Gabon’s first election after collapse of Bongo dynasty: What’s at stake? Gabon votes in first presidential election since coup ended 55-year Bongo dynasty Gabon: how the Bongo family’s 56-year rule has hurt the country and divided the opposition Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

90-95% of Africa’s cultural heritage is held overseas, with Benin Bronzes languishing in museum basements all over the world for around 125 years. the British Museum containing over 73,000 items from the continent alone. Asante Royal artefacts sit at the V&A, Met Museum and Royal Family. Germany possesses the skulls of Tanzanian chiefs, upsetting the local community and natural order. We discuss how these items were taken forcefully by colonial agency, and how African countries are calling for the return of their treasures. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   This episode was originally broadcast on Jan 16th 2024. Sources: The story of Nigeria's stolen Benin Bronzes, and the London museum returning them Stealing Africa: How Britain looted the continent’s art Germany DNA study links colonial skulls to living relatives Tanzanians demand return of ancestral skulls The Tanzanians searching for their grandfathers' skulls in Germany We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to It's a Continent! In this new podcast, we aim to decolonise African history by recounting key moments which have shaped the continent. We will bring previously unhighlighted stories to light whilst recognising the contributions that African countries have made to our wider society.  Follow us on instagram: @itsacontinentpod Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To recognise Black History month in the UK, we're joined by the academic, activist and author Professor Kehinde Andrews. Kehinde is a professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University and has written several books, including ‘The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World.’ In this episode we discuss black British identity, immigration, and how colonisation has shifted into its current form: benevolent imperialism. Kehinde's projects include the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity, and Make It Plain, the home of black radical thought. Click here for tickets for It's a Continent's Io Capitano Film Night on 12th October at The Ritzy, Brixton, London. This episode was first broadcast on October 5th 2021. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the story of Equatorial Guinea and its first post-independence leader, Francisco Macías Nguema. This small West African nation—the only Spanish-speaking country on the continent, is rich in oil but marred by a legacy of exploitation. From its colonial past as Spanish Guinea to Macías's rise to power, we uncover how he transformed from a court clerk into one of Africa's most brutal dictators. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... SOURCES https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/people-global-african-history/francisco-macias-nguema-1924-1979/ Real Dictators – podcast Tyrants - The World's Worst Dictators by David Wallechinsky Dictatorland - The Men Who Stole Africa by Paul Kenyon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was first broadcast on 30th January 2024. In this episode, we explore the term Black Tax, originating in South Africa, to describe the financial support provided by black individuals to their families. Examining its roots, we navigate its historical context, cultural and emotional burdens, and its ties to imperialism, colonialism, and apartheid.  Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Sources: Annalena Oppel (2023) Black Tax and coloniality – re-interpretation, emancipation, and alienation, Social Identities, 29:1, 44-61, DOI: 10.1080/13504630.2023.2188183 Arinao Mangoma & Anthony Wilson-Prangley (2019) Black Tax: Understanding the financial transfers of the emerging black middle class, Development Southern Africa,36:4, 443-460, DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2018.1516545 Black Tax: Burden or Ubuntu? by Niq Mhlongo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miriam Makeba, known as the Empress of African Song, remains a symbol of the movement against colonialism, and Black Power movements in the US and the global Pan African movement. She unified the struggle for those of African descent across the world. We take a look at her story, and how Makeba used her talent to speak out against the apartheid movement in South Africa. Sources: Miriam Makeba Sharpeville massacre Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*Trigger warning* Torture, human rights abuse and sexual abuse is spoken about frequently in this episode. The Mau Mau Uprising was a pivotal event in Kenya's independence fight against Britain. British land theft in Kenya and the resulting displacement of various ethnic groups led to oppressive colonial rule. British injustices led to the Mau Mau movement being formed by radical activists, however the disproportionate reaction from Britain saw the horrors of the Hola Camp massacre and widespread use of concentration camps. The Mau Mau's persistent resistance weakened British colonial power, contributing to Kenya's eventual independence. We also touch on legal battles for restitution and the recognition of the Mau Mau's role in Kenya's history. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Sources: Papers: Coray, Michael S. “The Kenya Land Commission and the Kikuyu of Kiambu.” Agricultural History, vol. 52, no. 1, 1978, pp. 179–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3742957. Accessed 24 June 2024. Youtube Doc: Secret History: Mau Mau (1999) Reparations to Africa: Action not Words Web Resources: What Was The Mau Mau Uprising? Kenya Emergency Sins of colonialists lay concealed for decades in secret archive The Mau Mau Rebellion: Anticolonial Upheaval in Kenya Kenya & the Mau Mau Uprising The Hola Massacre: The Last Straw that toppled colonial Kenya Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history as Africa's first elected female Head of State. Her story is filled with numerous challenges, including surviving domestic abuse, enduring persecution, and navigating two civil wars. Despite the significant progress made towards peace and development during her presidency, her legacy is a complex blend of achievements and failures. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy Me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Additional Resources This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Searching for Meaning in the Life of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: A Call to Meaningful Responses to Tragedies by Tinashe Timothy Harry & Roelf Van Niekerk - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10722368/ Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The African Union (AU) emerged on the global stage in 2002, a pivotal moment in African history. With a vision to create an "integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena,” In this episode, we explore the historical context of the AU's formation, its links to the Pan-African movement, and what the future holds for the continent under the AU. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: ⁠⁠itsacontinent.com/book⁠⁠ We're on Buy me a Coffee too:⁠⁠ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ itsacontinent.com⁠⁠ Artwork by Margo Designs:⁠⁠ https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com⁠⁠ Music provided by Free Vibes:⁠⁠ https://goo.gl/NkGhTg⁠⁠ Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Sources for further reading: · Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, February 14). African Union. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-Union · The African Union: Pan-Africanism, Peacebuilding and Development by Timothy Murithi · OAU Charter - https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/7759-file-oau_charter_1963.pdf · The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa edited by Tony Karbo and Tim Murithi · African Union - https://au.int/en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices