Queen mothers (also Queenmothers) are leaders and women of power in Africa. They play an important role in local government and wield social power and... Read More
African-American history
Someone like us on the silver screen I was 11 years old when Sidney Poitier filmed Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”. When I saw... Read More
When the 2022 Afrofuturism series was announced by Carnegie Hall, I scrolled eagerly through the rather eclectic line-up of the festival. I was hoping it... Read More
Reclaiming the Past While Being Future Forward The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a selection of what are called “period rooms.” As in many other... Read More
The Inherited Strength in Mind, Body and Soul of Our African Ancestors A rich new culture blending old and new rituals, style and music has... Read More
On Halloween 2020, amidst the height and dread of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received a telephone call from Munich, Germany. The caller was Hartmut Geerken.... Read More
Futurism or more specifically AfroFuturism? 2 min read
Finding a way forward As I’ve worked with the Routes‘ team to put the February edition together. I’ve found myself encountering a recurring theme “futurism”... Read More
Unofficially, I became a collector of black memorabilia in December 1965 when I began working as a mailroom clerk for Johnson Publishing Company (JPC), the... Read More