What does something so "tender" and "soft" as mothering have to do with African revolutionary struggle? In this latest AfricansArise live, I'm honoured to welcome back Dr Iyelli Ichile to answer this question! According to Dr Ichile, while "mothernity" might be a new term to most of us, it describes something that is embedded deep in Africana (continental and diasporic African) history, culture and spirituality. Building on foundations laid by other Africana scholars, Dr Ichile identifies mothernity as "an organizing principle and a praxis" that has guided the "intertwined spiritual, militaristic, and political strategies of African people under slavery and colonization" leading to the most effective African liberation movements in our history. (Blacklash Paper 6, p.4). In this conversation I'll seek to get a deeper insight into Dr Ichile's research in this fascinating and hugely important subject. We'll be unpacking topics such as: - The differences between Africana and Euro centric concepts of motherhood. - The ways in which African women have been at the forefront of African liberation on the continent and in the diaspora, including during the Haitian revolution. - How non-biological mothers play a hugely important role in Africana cultures. - The significance of the symbolic "Mama Africa" to African diasporic populations in light of the breaking of the Maafa's breaking of natal ties. - The ways in which the intentional infusion of the ethics and practices of mothering/mothernity might strengthen African liberation movements. - The concept of "socio-ontological" motherhood and how anyone can be (and should be) a socio-ontological mother. About Dr Ichile: Dr. Iyelli Ichile teaches History, in the Department of Social Sciences at Prince George’s Community College, where she also serves as the Director of the African American Studies Institute. She has a PhD in the History of the African Diaspora from Howard University, and a Master’s in African American Studies from Columbia University. Her most important education, however, took place in her mother’s home. While in graduate school, she developed a research agenda that has been supported by the Smithsonian Folklife Center, the National Endowment for the Humanities, The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and several university grants. Dr. Ichile has taught at a number of colleges and universities, including Temple University, Montgomery College, Virginia Commonwealth University, Florida A&M University, and Goddard College. She considers it a privilege to also be the teacher and mother of an amazing daughter. Her work is an exploration of the roles of women of African descent in Black freedom movements. She specifically examines the connections betwe ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMjvk1WOzgk

How the European Union impoverishes Africa and other parts of the Developing world. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/28/the-european-union-is-an-ongoing-disaster-for-africa http://libertarianhome.co.uk/2015/03/the-common-agricultural-policy-a-costly-protectionist-racket/ http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story084/en/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JEoKeaytfA