Author: Ewang Johnson

Getty ImagesIn 11th-Century England, a dark-skinned saint with a promiscuous past became a boundary-breaking cultural and religious icon. A new study is hoping to reassert her place in history.She was old. She was dark-skinned. As a young woman, she had been promiscuous and enjoyed sex. But after rejecting the world and spending 47 years living naked in the desert, Saint Mary of Egypt became a wise and virtuous teacher of Christian scripture – or so 11th Century readers were led to believe.When the extraordinary legend of Saint Mary was first translated into Old English from Latin by an unknown author…

President Donald Trump’s administration is set to impose new travel restrictions targeting 43 countries, with 22 African nations on the list. The draft, published by the New York Times, categorizes countries into red, orange, and yellow lists based on the severity of restrictions. Libya, Somalia, and Sudan are placed on the red list. Consequently, they face a complete US travel ban alongside countries like Iran and North Korea. Eritrea, South Sudan, and Sierra Leone fall under the orange list, signifying heightened restrictions on travel to the US instead of a blanket ban. Meanwhile, 16 African nations—including Angola, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe—feature…

Our cultural moment simultaneously adored the ’80s with artifacts—like this year’s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice and Chappell Roan creating ’80s synth pop—and relived the decade with presidential elections, American conflicts with Russia, and the excitement of… inflation. As we compare events and pop culture from 1984 to 2024, I’m excited to say we’re halfway through this series, which started in 2020 (vs. 1980).This year we’re reviewing how 1984 screen staples like The Cosby Show, Miami Vice, and Beverly Hills Cop present the theme of freedom compared to this year’s highlights like American Fiction, the WWF’s Mr. McMahon, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel…

His recent documentary, “From Ground Zero”, is a cinematic mosaic of life in Gaza since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 sparked all-out war in the region. Rashid Masharawi joins us to talk about the work of documenting the struggles and tragedies of the Palestinian people, as well as the moments of joy and hope. Rashid’s new film, “Passing Dreams”, explores family ties and the quest for freedom, in a landscape where geopolitical tensions affect every aspect of day-to-day life. We also discuss cinema’s great potential and his hope that Palestinian filmmakers can one day make features without campaigning…

Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston(Credit: Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)At the toughest, most turbulent time of his life, the Impressionist painter was supported by an unlikely soulmate, Joseph Roulin, a postman in Arles. A new exhibition explores this close friendship, and how it benefited art history.On 23 December, 1888, the day that Vincent van Gogh mutilated his ear and presented the severed portion to a sex worker, he was tended to by an unlikely soulmate: the postman Joseph Roulin.A rare figure of stability during Van Gogh’s mentally turbulent two years in Arles, in the South of France, Roulin…

Speaker Anita Among has called for a fight against illicit financial flows that see Africa lose an estimated US$88 billion annually. The Speaker made this call while presiding at the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committee (AFROPAC) Conference and Fifth Annual General Meeting at Golden Tulip Hotel, Kampala on Monday, 17 March 2025.  “The impact of this loss has and continues to be felt by our citizenry through foregone health facilities and services, schools, roads, rural electrification and development of natural resources,” Among said. The meeting that will run until Friday, 21 March 2025 is being held under the theme,…

Impossible to Define Throughout his career, nailing Dylan down has been virtually impossible.In the summer of 1965, Bob Dylan stood in front of a large crowd in Newport, Rhode Island with an electric guitar in hand. While there is much confusion around the actual sequence of events that evening, it was a moment in time that has been embedded into 20th century history. The mysterious folk singer who had emerged in New York City in 1961 out of thin air had morphed into something entirely different that night in Newport. With his curls rising upwards out of his scalp into a…

On today’s music show on Arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with a pioneering superstar of classical soul. Alexis Ffrench has over 1 billion streams and multiple number 1 albums. The British pianist and composer even performed at King Charles III’s coronation celebrations in 2023. He’s known for redefining the boundaries of classical music, such as on his most recent album “Classical Soul Vol. 1”. On this record, he revisits his childhood influences like Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and the late Roberta Flack. He’s set to release “Classical Soul Vol. 1 – The Solo Piano Collection” and is continuing his tour…

Getty ImagesStylish and experimental, Breathless heralded a new era of film-making when it was released 75 years ago. In 1964, its director told the BBC why he broke every rule he could.Jean-Luc Godard was crystal clear about what he planned to do with his feature-length film debut, Breathless (À bout de souffle), which was released 75 years ago this month. He wanted to blow up the whole idea of what cinema was. In 1964, the director told the BBC’s Olivier Todd: “It was a film which took everything the cinema had done – girls, gangsters, cars – exploded all this…

On March 15, Amb. Wang bid farewell to H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda. Ambassador Wang conveyed warm greetings from President Xi Jinping and thanked President Kagame for his strong support during his tour of duty. Last year, the two Heads of State announcedthe bilateral relationship elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, ushering in a new chapter for China-Rwanda cooperation. China-Rwanda relations have maintained sound and rapid growth, which have witnessed fruitful cooperation on all fronts and unleashed great potential. Under the strategic leadership of the two presidents and with the joint efforts from the two peoples, China-Rwanda relations will surely continue to flourish. President Kagame sent his warm greetings to President Xi Jinping and spoke highly of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Rwanda stands ready to continue to…