Conversations with Stephen Kamugasa

How To Decolonise Africa’s Toxic Image

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Episode notes

Podcast Summary:

 

In this episode 011 of Conversations with Stephen Kamugasa, Stephen welcomes Milton Alimadi, a Ugandan-American author, journalist, professor, and publisher of Black Star News. Milton discusses his background, including being the son of a former Prime Minister of Uganda and his education at Syracuse University and Columbia University. He shares his experiences working as a journalist for publications, among them the New York Times, where he exposed the trend of white reporters fabricating stories about Africa. Milton also talks about co-founding Black Star News, an investigative newspaper, and highlights his notable investigative pieces. He is the author of several books critiquing racial stereotypes in Western media's portrayal of Africa. The conversation delves into Milton's most significant work, "Manufacturing Hate: How Africa Was Demonised in Western Media." Throughout the episode, Milton's passion for challenging stereotypes and promoting accurate narratives shines through. 

Please read the blog that supports this podcast, which includes book recommendations, at The Kamugasa Challenge.

 

Timestamps:

 

[00:02:21] Racial stereotypes in Western media.

 

[00:06:09] Stereotype propaganda about Africa.

 

[00:12:18] Kindness and standing up for injustice.

 

[00:18:45] History of demonisation and conquest.

 

[00:25:31] The dangers of tribal stereotypes.

 

[00:30:55] The abuse of the T word.

 

[00:35:26] Institutionalized racism in South Africa.

 

[00:41:09] Institutional racism and collective indifference.

 

[00:47:09] Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia.

 

[00:53:59] Borderless Africa and Unity.

 

[01:01:31] The importance of the common human family.

 

[01:06:23] Historical demonisation of African people.

 

[01:14:09] The New York Times' historical archive.

 

[01:19:22] Stereotypes and demonisation in journalism.

 

[01:26:06] Fear of New York Times.

 

[01:30:05] Demonisation of Africa in media.

 

[01:36:09] Manufacturing hate in human relations.

 

[01:44:13] Major publications and African perception.

 

[01:47:13] Goodbye.