Interviews

Nov. 29, 2013
African Journalists Discuss the Challenges and Future of Journalism in their Countries

African Journalists Discuss the Challenges and Future of Journalism in their Countries

Earlier this month, I was able to meet African journalists from twelve countries who came to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies through the Edward R. Murrow Program for journalists. The program is funded by the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The journalists were from Botswana, Kenya,... Read more »

Nov. 25, 2013
At Tampa Bay Gardens, Refugees Gain Dignity Through Work

At Tampa Bay Gardens, Refugees Gain Dignity Through Work

Over the past couple of months, I have been following refugee resettlement efforts in the Tampa Bay area. I’ve been able to meet different resettlement agents from churches, governmental organizations and other groups working together to help those who have fled their home countries for one reason or another. The report below is about a garden for refugees in the Tampa Bay... Read more »

June 20, 2013
The United Nation’s Role in Africa

The United Nation’s Role in Africa

Shortly after Kieran Dwyer, the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, gave a presentation about U.N. peacekeeping missions (watch video below), he said that the mission also receives “bad press” for some of its work in Africa. The phrase jumped out at me. Bad press is what happens when a Hollywood movie flops. In Africa,... Read more »

March 21, 2013
Sudan: Africa Talks Interviews Ahmed H. Adam: Ten Years After the World Woke Up to Darfur, What has Changed?

Sudan: Africa Talks Interviews Ahmed H. Adam: Ten Years After the World Woke Up to Darfur, What has Changed?

Africa Talks: A conversation with Ahmed Hussein Adam  In a phone interview, Africa Talks caught up with Ahmed H. Adam, a visiting scholar at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. To learn more about Ahmed H. Adam, you can click here. Here’s a brief biography adapted from information on the school’s website: Born... Read more »

Jan. 21, 2013
Race and Identity in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Crush-Hopper: Story of a Girl’s Journey Through Post-Apartheid South Africa

Race and Identity in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Crush-Hopper: Story of a Girl’s Journey Through Post-Apartheid South Africa

Crush-Hopper: Story of a Girl’s Journey Through Post-Apartheid South Africa Crush-Hopper is South African Mandisa Haarhoff’s autobiographical story about a young girl. This is a girl who first learned about beauty by playing with dolls who had long blond hair and blue eyes. She is a giddy and joyful girl who has a soft spot for... Read more »

Jan. 4, 2013
Africa trade with Tampa businesses matures, potential widens

Africa trade with Tampa businesses matures, potential widens

Terence McCulley, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, and Rebecca Armand, Senior Commercial Officer for the U.S. Mission to Nigeria, spoke to the Tampa Bay area business community on December 12. The event was hosted by the Tampa Port Authority and presented by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The story below is a follow-up and was originally... Read more »

Nov. 14, 2012
Building Bridges: An Ambassador Reflects on U.S.-Africa Relations

Building Bridges: An Ambassador Reflects on U.S.-Africa Relations

In the last blog entry, I wrote that Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger was visiting the University of South Florida as part of an event sponsored by the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies. Amb. Ranneberger gave a lecture titled “U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa: Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities” through the center’s “Lecture Series on National Security.”... Read more »