It will be interesting to see over the next few days how Western (and South African) media (including South Africa’s racially skewed blogosphere) will report on the racist incident on a university campus in South Africa’s Free State (sic) province. If you have not seen or heard about it yet,... [view entry]

Not to speak ill of the death, but before the whitewash on William F Buckley (now that he passed) begins (like it did with Ronald Reagan), it would be good to remind ourselves of the former National Review editor’s admirable politics on racial dictatorships, in this case Apartheid South Africa... [view entry]

A more polished version of my earlier post on the wider context of the racist incident at Free State University (captured on video) is now on the UK Guardian newspaper’s ‘Comment is Free‘ site. See here. [view entry]

Simphiwe Dana, the South African singer, up for a BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music, talking to the Financial Times: I am tired of people thinking that there is no sophistication in African music… It’s very advanced, not just ‘shaking my booty’. I am not a booty person. I... [view entry]

So recently on a Saturday, we (me, wife and 2-year old daughter) were passing through Union Square where everyone’s favorite brass band plays near the 4-6 train tracks (when they’re not touring). We’re in a hurry but my daughter wants to stop and hear them play. And I want to... [view entry]

The Village Voice eats up bored billionaire supermarket chain guy John Catsimatidis‘ tales  about kidnappings and weird business deals in the West African nation of Mali. All to bolster his mystique to be mayor of New York City. I suppose that’s a qualification for leading this city. The full tale... [view entry]

The Clinton camp is getting desperate as their latest smear proves. Now the Kenyan economist’s son is apparently also way cooler than Hillary Clinton because he must have an iPod and gets on stage to Ben Harper, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and U2. Hillary? For a while she entered the... [view entry]

So I did an interview with the gents over at Afripod a few weeks ago at Michigan State University in East Lansing (historians Peter Alegi and Peter Limb — the “2 Peters”). The whole thing is over here. Photo Credit. [view entry]

Most of the [white] boys at Reitz are from farm areas. They have grown up with a black woman in the kitchen who is like a second mum. These ladies sort of take over that role when the guys come to university. – Christo Dippenaar, the 37-year old residence head... [view entry]