EP 89 - THE AFRICAN DREAM

 

In This Episode:

 
When you hear the phrase "The American Dream," at least 5 things come to mind, and I bet you 4 out of those 5 things would also come to the next persons' mind. But, when I say 'The African Dream' ... *silence*. We, especially Africans both at home and in the diaspora, are so overtaken by our need to survive the hardships in Africa that we sometimes forget to stop and DREAM. What is your dream for Africa and the children of Africa? 
What is THE AFRICAN DREAM?

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Nigeria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria

2. Montana State University (A Night in Africa 2.0): https://www.msuexponent.com/culture/a-night-in-africa-challenges-the-single-story-of-a-continent/article_53921eda-a0b5-11ec-8333-cbe1c48baf62.html

3. Wilmot Collins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmot_Collins

4. Umu Igbo Unite Dllas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbD3SaKrBXE/

5. Aba Women’s Riot: https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/aba-womens-riots-november-december-1929/ 

Connect:
Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com
Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/
Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com
Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excusemyafrican/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excusemyafrican 

EP 88 - Happy? International Women's Day

March is women's month, and every year we have a different theme, yet our problems are still the same. I will always celebrate the strength and resilience of women. Still, I also look forward to when I can genuinely, happily celebrate women's month. Knowing that Women are finally at a place in this world where we are no longer treated as the weaker gender, where we do not have to fight for our rights, where we are respected and acknowledged in society.

Still, Happy Women's Month!

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. International Women's Day: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
   
2. Women's month: https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month
   
3. BRT Bus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit
   
4. Cameroon Crisis: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon
   
5. Ukraine Crisis: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine 

EP 87 - NIGERIA AT 61

 

In This Episode: 

61 years in, and I still find it hard to celebrate Nigeria's Independence wholeheartedly. The events of October 20th, 2020, do not make it any easier, as the first anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre is only 19 days away.  May the souls of the departed continue to rest in peace. 

HOWEVER ...

Despite the failure, greediness, and general gross negligence of our nation's leaders, I have decided that no matter where I go or who I become, I will never forget home, Nigeria. I will never stop fighting and advocating for a better nation. 

(Not So) Happy Independence, Nigeria!

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Lekki Toll Gate Massacre (Oct 20th, 2020): https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/africa/lagos-nigeria-lekki-toll-gate-feature-intl/index.html (WARNING: Article Contains Graphic Images)

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excusemyafrican/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excusemyafrican 

EP 85 - Rescued From Church

 

In This Episode: 

AFRICA! WAKE UP! We've allowed false prophets preaching false religion to take advantage of us for too long. These false Pastors make some of you do demeaning things with false promises of riches and healing. 

Open your eyes, don't be deceived. 

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Uganda: https://www.netflix.com/ 
2. Geoffrey Ssemwogerere
3. Glory Sinai Ministries
4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ 
5. Bible: https://www.bible.com/ 

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excusemyafrican/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excusemyafrican 

EP 84 - Education In Africa

In This Episode: 

The education system in Africa has always been a bit flawed to me. Even when I was in school, I felt that the workload was too much. We were forced to do almost 20-25 subjects each school year. Yet, some fundamental subjects such as leadership skills, human rights, etc., are missing from the curriculum. 

I think it's time we restructure our curriculum in Africa, especially for high school kids. 

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excusemyafrican/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excusemyafrican 

EP 83 - Celebrating Our Own

 

In This Episode: 

I was born and raised in Africa, and over the years, I've realized that as Africans, we tend to prefer foreign products to our own products. We would rather spend thousands and millions on something made on another continent, and honestly, I think this is a habit we need to shake off. 

How do we expect our economy to grow when we keep pumping our money into other foreign countries?

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/ 
2. HBO: https://www.hbo.com/ 
3. Disney Plus: https://www.disneyplus.com/  
4. Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/ 
5. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ 
6. STARZ: https://www.starz.com/
7. DSTV: https://www.dstvafrica.com/ 
8. IrokoTV: https://irokotv.com/ 
9. Nevada Bridge TV: https://www.nevadabridgetv.com/ 
10. iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/ 
11. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ 
12. Spotify: https://www.spotify.com/ 
13. iTunes: https://www.apple.com/itunes/
14. AFKloud: https://www.afkloud.com/ 
15. ADIVA Magazine: https://adivanetworks.com/adiva-magazine/ 
16. Essence:  https://www.essence.com/ 
17. Cosmopolitan: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/ 
18. Vogue: https://www.vogue.com/

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excusemyafrican/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excusemyafrican 

EP 79 - Africa In Crisis

In This Episode: 

2020 has been one heck of a year, and Africa is one continent that felt the brunt of it. From the pandemic to genocides, massacres, poverty, hunger, and a lot more. 

The beautiful continent of Africa has been in crisis, and it's significantly due to bad governance. I feel that we Africans, especially us in the diaspora, should come together to find a solution. How can we join forces with our brothers and sisters in Africa to build our continent back to greatness? 

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Speak up for Zimbabwe: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/2020/08/ep-78-speak-up-for-zimbabwe.html
2. #EndSARS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_SARS
3. Lekki Toll Gate Massacre: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/africa/lagos-nigeria-lekki-toll-gate-feature-intl/index.html 
4. DJ Switch: https://www.instagram.com/djswitch_ 
5. CNN: https://www.cnn.com/ 
6. Cameroon Crisis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglophone_Crisis | https://www.instagram.com/p/CHtD_t1D8t5/ | https://www.instagram.com/p/CHtJn1BD1t2/ 
7. Tanzania: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanzania 
8. South Africa: https://www.gov.za/ 
9. Uganda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda 
10. Liberia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia 
11. African Diaspora Community: https://www.instagram.com/realafricandiasporacommunity 

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/ 

EP 77 - African History: Queen Nzinga

In This Episode: 

I will introduce you to one of the fiercest, strongest, most intelligent leaders and warriors in African History; Queen Nzinga. 

She is a woman who fought for her people, and she deserves to be celebrated and remembered throughout history.

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Queen Nzinga: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nzinga_of_Ndongo_and_Matamba
2. Black Lives Matter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter
3. Kingdom of Ndongo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Ndongo
4. Atlantic Slave Trade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade
5. Angola: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angola
6. Queen Nziga Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3463004/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/ 

EP 76 - The African Diaspora Mind Conditioning

In This Episode: 

Over time, I have come to realize that there has been some mind conditioning of Africans in the diaspora that needs to be resolved swiftly. 

For a long time, we have allowed ourselves to be used to push the agenda of oppressing our African American sisters and brother. 

It is time for us to HEAL THE DIVIDE. 

BLACK LIVES MATTER!

Mentioned In This Episode:

1 Ibidunni Ighodalo- https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/africa/ibidun-ighodalo-dead-nigeria/index.html

2 Dan Foster - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Foster_(DJ)

3 COVID-19 -  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

4 Oluwatoyin Salau- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oluwatoyin_Salau

5 Divided We Fall- http://www.excusemyafrican.com/2020/06/ep-75-divided-we-fall.html

6 Trevor Noah- https://www.trevornoah.com/

7 The Daily Show- http://www.cc.com/shows/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah

8 Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/ 

9 MLK - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.

10 Selma - https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/selma-montgomery-march

11 Emmanuel Acho- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Acho

12 Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man - https://uncomfortableconvos.com/episode/episode-1

13 African Diaspora Community - https://www.instagram.com/realafricandiasporacommunity/

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/ 

EP 74 - Menstrual Hygiene In Africa

In This Episode: 

Yesterday was Menstrual Hygiene Day, and people all over the world joined their voices through social media, to raise awareness and bring period education to all. 

However, there is still a group of women who do not have access to the internet and social media. To this day, these women cannot get staple menstrual hygiene products, and even when they are made available, they can't afford it. Some of their religions and cultures also set dreadful rules that stifle these women during their period. 

How can we join forces and end period poverty? I believe that someday soon, we can live in a world where no woman or girl is held back because of her period. 

Mentioned In This Episode:

1 Menstrual Hygiene Day- https://menstrualhygieneday.org/

2 World Bank - https://www.worldbank.org/

3 Stella Damasus Arts Foundation -  https://sdartsfoundation.wixsite.com/sdartsfoundation

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/ 

EP 73 - African Children In The Lockdown (Part 2)

In This Episode: 

In the last episode, I raised my concerns about the less privileged children in Africa, and how they can’t get an education due to the Coronavirus lockdown. These children do not have internet access, so how do we expect them to be able to participate in online learning?

Here in the USA, most families have internet access and laptops. Several states have also decided to dedicate certain hours during the day to teach children via television. Is this something we can do as well in Africa? 

Mentioned In This Episode:

1 Coronavirus- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

2 Zoom- https://zoom.us/

3 Tynker- https://www.tynker.com/

4 WFAA Academy - https://www.wfaa.com/

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/ 

EP 72 - African Children In The Lockdown

In This Episode:

When the Coronavirus lockdown began, my kid's schools in America reached out to us and asked if we needed laptops and help with internet access so our kids can continue to do their school work from home.

This got me wondering about the less privileged children in Africa. How are they getting their work done? What are we doing to help? What is the government doing to help?

Mentioned In This Episode:

1 Coronavirus- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 2 Zoom- https://zoom.us/ 3 Tynker- https://www.tynker.com/ 4 Khan Academy- https://www.khanacademy.org/ 5 United Nations - https://www.un.org/en/

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/ Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/

EP 71 - Things To Do In The Coronavirus Lockdown

In This Episode: 

The Coronavirus pandemic seems to have put the world on lockdown. People are working from home, and kids are not in school. The craziest thing is there is no definite end, and a lot of people don’t know how to handle this. 

I’ll be giving you all ideas of things you can get up to during this lockdown. Remember to stay safe, wash your hands, and practice social distancing. 

Mentioned In This Episode:

1 Coronavirus- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

2 Netflix- https://www.netflix.com/

3 Amazon Prime- https://www.amazon.com/

4 HBO- https://www.hbo.com/

5 Openculture- http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline

6 Documentary Tube- http://www.documentarytube.com/

7 Top Documentary Films- https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/

8 Documentary Heaven- https://documentaryheaven.com/

9 Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/

10 Tik Tok- https://www.tiktok.com/

11 Triller- https://www.triller.co/

12 Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/

13 Zoom- https://zoom.us/

14 Houseparty- https://houseparty.com/

15 Udemy- https://www.udemy.com/

16 edX- https://www.edx.org/

17 Coursera- https://www.coursera.org/

18 Duolingo- https://www.duolingo.com/

19 Home Going (Yaa Gyasi)- https://www.amazon.com/Homegoing-Yaa-Gyasi/dp/1101971061

20 Fresh Water (Akwaeke Emezi)- https://www.amazon.com/Freshwater-Akwaeke-Emezi/dp/0802127355

21 Ghana Must Go (Taiye Selasi)- https://www.amazon.com/Ghana-Must-Go-Taiye-Selasi/dp/0143124978

22 A Particular Kind of Black Man (Tope Folarin)- https://www.amazon.com/Particular-Kind-Black-Man/dp/150117181X

23 The Slave Girl (Buchi Emecheta)- https://www.amazon.com/Slave-Girl-Novel-Buchi-Emecheta/dp/0807609528

24 After Many Days(Jowhor Ile)- https://www.amazon.com/After-Many-Days-Novel/dp/1101903147

25 On Black Sister’s Street (Chika Unigwe)- https://www.amazon.com/Black-Sisters-Street-African-Writing/dp/0821419927

Connect:

Email: excusemyafrican@gmail.com

Website: http://www.excusemyafrican.com/

Stella Damasus Blog: http://www.stelladamasusblog.com

Stella Damasus Website : https://www.stelladamasus.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/excusemyafrican 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realexcusemyafrican/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Excuse-My-African-1360118967397852/