Chic African Culture Blog

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. African tech startups raise billions of dollars annually, seven African start-ups were included in the World Economic Forum 2021 cohort of 100 Technology Pioneers.

Ireland, Nelson Mandela and Irish Anti-Apartheid: The tangled path history weaves

The highest and most prestigious award the City of Dublin can bestow in 1988 was awarded to Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela

Turning point in Irish perceptions of Apartheid South Africa was the Sharpeville massacre of 1960.

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

The Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement became, over the years, one of the most successful movement’s social movements against Apartheid.

In 1948 when the South African National Party instated Apartheid, the South African population was now officially categorized as white, black and colored. 

Racially mixed housing areas were declared illegal and black and colored populations were banished to live in black settlements and needed passes to travel into white-only areas.

The Irish took up offers by the South African government for living in white settlements and by the 1960’s, roughly 60,000 Irish in South Africa. 

Apartheid South Africa
sign in English and Afrikaans 

According to The Irish Story, “the turning point in Irish perceptions of Apartheid South Africa was the Sharpeville massacre of 1960.” The African National Congress, protesting about the laws of racial segregation during a demonstration innocent protesters was fired on by the police in Sharpeville, near Johannesburg, killing 69 peaceful demonstrators.

The Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (IAAM) was founded Kader Asmal in 1963 to support the Anti-Apartheid crusade of South Africa for freedom from the South African National Party established Apartheid laws. 

The IAAM helped organize the Dunne’s Stores Workers march against apartheid in Dublin 1984. Also, protests at the visit of the South African Rugby team to Ireland in 1970. The IAAM became, over the years, one of the most successful movement’s social movements against Apartheid.

Nelson Mandela July 18, 1918-December 5, 2013
Kader Asmal  October 8, 1934-June 22, 2011

In 1983, there was discussion of awarding Nelson Mandela the esteemed Freedom of the City of Dublin which is the highest and most prestigious award the City of Dublin Ireland could bestow on an individual. 

 Some Dublin leaders thought the city might be criticized view it as inappropriate to honor an individual who advocated use of physical force. 

However, in 1988 the City of Dublin saw this risk outweighed by “Mandela’s stature as a leader of black South Africa, as a focus in the struggle against apartheid, and as an international figure.”

Mandela was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin in September 1988, which, due to his incarceration, was accepted on behalf of his then wife Adelaide Tambo. 

On July 1, 1990, almost two years after the Freedom of the City of Dublin had been awarded to him, Nelson Mandela accepted the honor in person from the then Lord Mayor, Sean Haughey. 

Lord Mayor Sean Haughey, before the assembled dignitaries, told Mr. Mandela: "The people of Dublin walk taller because you are amongst us".

According to Dublin City, The Freedom of the City of Dublin is the highest and most prestigious award the City can bestow. The founder of the Home Rule Party, Isaac Butt, was the first person to receive the Honorary Freedom of Dublin in 1876.

Freedom of the City of Dublin 

The ancient Freedom of the City was instituted at the time of the Norman Invasion in the late twelfth century. Holders of the Freedom were known as “Free Citizens” and were entitled to significant trading privileges and certain duties.

Holders of the ancient Freedom of Dublin received the following rights: · The right to vote in municipal and parliamentary elections. · The right to bring goods into Dublin through the city gates without paying customs duties. · The right to pasture sheep on common ground in the city known as Hoggen Green (now College Green) or St. Stephen’s Green. · The right to marry without obtaining the King’s license. · The right to sell land or to bequeath it to their descendants. · The right to have guilds. · The right to trial by jury. · Exemption from having soldiers billeted in their homes. · Exemption from serving as city coroner or city bailiff

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Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

This Week’s Best Posts and Pages

Journal of Gifted Land Gifted South Africans

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African journalism heavyweight Dr. Walter Rubusana was a Lovedale Missionary School superstar who paved the way for Nelson Mandela's political career. Steven Biko, one of South Africa's most significant political activists was a student at the Lovedale Missionary School along with Nelson Mandela. Tiyo Soga was South Africa’s first indigenous Black African to be ordained and work for the Presbyterian Church in 1857, he also attended Lovedale Missionary School. In 1824 Scottish Presbyterian missionaries John Bennie and John Ross of the Glasgow Missionary Society founded the city of Lovedale South Africa and later in 1841 the Lovedale Missionary School. Lovedale Missionary School later changed names to Lovedale College, then Lovedale Public FET College in 2002.  In 1835 British Kaffraria governed by Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin D'Urban restricted the Xhosa tribe to specifically designated areas. The new territory was named from British Kaffraria to the Province of Queen Ade
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Percentage of White people living in Africa

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Largest white populace in Africa. The African country with the largest white population of European descent is South Africa with 7.8% of the total population of 56.5 million people, the second is Botswana with 7% of the total population of 2.3 million, third is Namibia with 6% of the total population of 2.6 million. Smallest white populace in Africa. There are seven African countries tied for the smallest number of whites living in Africa and they all begin with the letter S and Z, they are South Sudan, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia and Zimbabwe with .01% of the total population in each African country. Minorities in Africa. Race and ethnicity in Africa is complex because of the colonization of all 54 African countries except Ethiopia by white Europeans of the United Kingdom, Germany, Romans, Danish, the French, the Dutch, China and many others. The listing of white inhabitants on Africa’s mainland and Islands uses data from 2020 World Fact Boo
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Using Amen and Ashe or Ase

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Usage of Amen and Ashe or Ase Ashe to Amen learn about the custom of using the words Ashe and Amen historically. Where did the word Amen and Ashe come from why is it said and what does it mean? In Judaism, 3,500 years old and Christian religions 2,000 years old, Amen, means may it be so. In the African Yoruba language among the Yoruba people whose culture is as old as time, Ashe or Ase means may it be so. Ase or Ashe means power, commandment, and authority, the ability to make whatever one says happen from the spiritual to the physical realm. In the Yoruba language, Ashe is omnipresent spiritual energy. Followers of Judaism and Christian religions use the word Amen. It is the word utilized to end prayers as an affirmation for the requests to be provided by God. Yoruba is as old as time, Ashe refers to the life force within all living things, the spark that animates life. It is used as a term used in the same manner as Amen at the end of appeals and prayers as an affirmati
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Russia Military Training in Africa

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Russia's military presence in Africa is a long historic one. The Russian Congo military deal was signed in May 2019 to fix old war machines and guns. In the African country the Republic of the Congo Brazzaville,  a military cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in May 2019 providing military specialists to service Russian-made military hardware and equipment.  The government state organization the Congolese Armed Forces  is out armed using aging Russian Soviet-era weapons .  The Russian Congo military deal was signed in May 2019 after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and  former Marxist  Congolese president Denis Sassou Nguesso.  Sassou Nguesso employs  Private militias, which are are armed military groups that are composed of private citizens and not recognized by federal or state governments.  Many of the Russian military trainers are labeled as  unarmed advisers but are speculated to be soldiers and private contractors working for the Russian government.  Ru
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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

Chic African Culture

Be better than average and support African history and culture. Since 2008 Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet highlight Africa through her food and culture. Contact us culture1africangourmet@gmail.com