Recommended Reading
“An African History of Africa - From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence” by Zeinab Badawi
For too long, Africa's history has been dominated by Western narratives of slavery and colonialism, or simply ignored. Now, Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight. In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa's spectacular history from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilizations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than 30 African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, she unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa it's rightful place in our global story. The result is a gripping new account of Africa: an epic, sweeping history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves.
“Africa Is Not A Country - Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa” by Dipo Faloyin
You already know these stereotypes. So often Africa is depicted simplistically as an arid red landscape of famines and safaris, uniquely plagued by poverty and strife. In this funny and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective. He examines each country's colonial heritage, and explores a wide range of subjects, from chronicling urban life in Lagos and the lively west African rivalry over who makes the best jollof rice, to the story of democracy in seven dictatorships and the dangers of stereotypes and popular culture. By turns intimate and political, Africa Is Not A Country brings the story of the continent towards reality, celebrating the energy and fabric of its different cultures and communities in a way that has never been done before.
“When Helping Hurts – How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in the use of strategies that do considerable harm to poor people and themselves. Don't let this happen to you, your ministry or ministries you help fund! A must read for anyone who works with the poor or in missions, When Helping Hurts provides foundational concepts, clearly articulated general principles and relevant applications. The result is an effective and holistic ministry to the poor, not a truncated gospel.
“Foreign to Familiar” by Sarah A Lanier
Foreign to Familiar is a splendidly written, well-researched work on cultures. Anyone travelling abroad should not leave home without this valuable resource! Sarah Lanier is not only a perceptive author, but she has also lived and worked cross culturally worldwide. She has character, insight and experience that qualify her to share intercultural wisdom that will be life changing for her readers.
“28 Stories of AIDS in Africa” by Stephanie Nolen
In 28, Stephanie Nolen, the Globe and Mail’s Africa Bureau Chief, puts a human face to the crisis created by HIV/AIDS in Africa. She has achieved, in this amazing book, something extraordinary: she writes with a power, understanding and simplicity that makes us listen, makes us understand and care. Through riveting anecdotal stories – one for each of the million people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa – Nolen explores the effects of an epidemic that well exceeds the Black Plague in magnitude.
“Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela
The autobiography of former South Africa president, Nelson Mandela: Since his release in February 1990, after spending 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela emerged as the world’s most significant moral leader since Mahatma Gandhi. As President of the African National Congress and spiritual figurehead of the anti- apartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving South Africa towards black-majority rule. And throughout the world he is revered as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.
“Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Palton
Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people riven by racial injustice. Remarkable for its unforgettable characters, Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance.
“The Fate [or State] of Africa” by Martin Meredith
An epic biography of postcolonial Africa illuminates its current devastating problems. What happened to this vast continent, so rich in resources and history, to bring it so close to destitution and despair in the span of two generations?
Recommended Viewing
“Yesterday”
“Yesterday,” written and directed by Darrell Roodt, became the first South African film nominated for an Oscar (and an Independent Spirit Award and an Emmy). Yesterday is much more than a movie: it’s a transcendent experience that catapults the audience from the confines of their lives into the heart and daily routine of a rural mother with HIV, after whom the film is named. Beautifully shot in the foothills of the Drakensberg, this story of courage in the face of hardship and hostility has universal appeal.
“The Power of One” (based on the book written by Bryce Courtenay)
Based on the novel by Bryce Courtenay and set against the racial strife of 1930s South Africa, THE POWER OF ONE is a spirited tale of a young boy’s fight against oppression starring Stephen Dorff as P.K., a lonely English orphan who is forced to endure racial hatred at an exclusive Afrikaaner boarding school. Perpetually the outsider, he is constantly tormented by his British-bashing classmates. With the onset of WWII, P.K. is taken in by Doc (Armin Mueller-Stahl), a liberal German scientist, and becomes his ward while incarcerated in a political prison. In prison, he meets Geel Piet (Morgan Freeman), a strong African boxer who teaches him the power of African myth, dialect, and the fine art of boxing.