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Kenya is the world’s top TikTok user. With such a powerful social media platform, it’s not surprising that the government - like others around the world - is considering restricting access to the site, citing its role in the spread of propaganda, fraud and sexual content. Like millions of around the world, Kenyans use the platform for entertainment, from sharing dance routines to comedy skits and much more. But it also has a more serious role. In his recent research Stephen Mutie found that it’s also become an important and useful space for challenging stereotypes and archiving old knowledge.
In Angola, it’s only in recent years that queer visibility has become more normal and activists and scholars have been piecing together the stories of the LGBTIQ+ community. Working with community organisations, academic Caio Simões de Araújo recounts the history gathered from one archiving project.
Museums play a pivotal role in keeping us informed about our history and the world around us. Ahead of World Museum Day tomorrow, we wanted to share some articles from our archives on these incredible spaces and the complex challenges they also present.
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George Omondi
Commissioning Editor, East Africa
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Stephen Mutie, Kenyatta University
TikTok has become an integral part of social media culture in Kenya, offering a space for creativity, entertainment and community interaction.
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Caio Simões de Araújo, University of the Western Cape
LGBTIQ+ life in Angola can be traced to before colonialism, though it has not been well documented. A recent project brings these stories to life.
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Kolawole Oluseyi Akande, University of Ibadan
Hepatitis E is a global health problem with about 20 million cases occurring annually, three million symptomatic cases, and 60,000 deaths.
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Marcel Nagar, University of Johannesburg
South Africa’s civil service has failed to implement policies to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment.
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World Museum Day
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Nompumelelo Maringa, University of the Witwatersrand
Museums allow us to delve deep into the past with eye-catching displays of artefacts, ancient textiles, high-quality images and short films that narrate how our ancestors lived.
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Julien Bobineau, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
The restitution of looted objects from former colonies in Africa is an essential component of post-colonial reparation.
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Neo Lekgotla laga Ramoupi, University of the Witwatersrand; Andre Odendaal, University of the Western Cape
Robben Island Museum aspired to be part of the reconstruction and development of the national soul.
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Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes, Curtin University
The power to select, name and decide the meaning of these items makes Europeans the authors of African history.
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Faye Sayer, Manchester Metropolitan University
Nigerian museums continue to present colonised versions of history. This harms local communities.
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Jon Olav Hove, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Ghana’s national museum has been reopened after being closed for seven years.
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From our international editions
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Sanjay Sisodiya, UCL; Mark Maslin, UCL
Even small increases in temperature can stop our brains from functioning optimally.
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Tony Ingesson, Lund University
Russian soldiers in the Ukraine war are sending out signals in morse code on a daily basis, even though there are more high tech solutions.
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Peter Steggals, Newcastle University
This is what I’ve learned from interviewing hundreds of people who harm themselves
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Would you like to republish any of these articles?
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It’s free to republish, here are the guidelines.
Contact us on africa-republish@theconversation.com in case you need assistance.
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