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From The Editor

From The Editor: Happy New Year And Best Read Roundup

Happy New Year Fam!

Happy New year Girlfriends! We’re a few weeks well into 2022 and I hope the year has started off well for you. Most importantly, I wish that 2022 will be good to you and to your loved ones.

Before properly kicking off things for 2022, How about we have a look at our best read content of 2021?

Hopefully, 2022 is the year we finally overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and find our New Normal. Because, the virus has been with us for over 2 years now , so health experts now know more about it then during the first months of the outbreak. And, by health experts, I am not talking about the resident self-proclaimed ” natural health guru ” from your family WhatsApp group but, immunologists, virologists, doctors and nurses… REAL health professionals.

From pandemic to endemic?

Health professionals predict that the pandemic is likely moving toward being endemic.

Endemic means that the disease will still be prevalent and recurrent like the flu for instance but more manageable. But endemic doesn’t automatically mean that it will be less severe. Malaria for instance is endemic and still kills hundreds of thousands of people every year (Source : World Health Organization). Also, don’t just throw yet your masks and sanitizers, they’re still your best protection against the virus.

Anyway, 2022 certainly feels like a pivotal year, where the light at the end of the tunnel is closer, brighter and holds promises of a new chapter.

While we anxiously wait to see what this year has in stock for us ( after 2 crazy years! ), have a look at our 6 most popular articles of 2021.

The year that was 2021:  Best- read roundup

  1. Welcome to the QueenDom

If you’re new to this website and you’re wondering where to start? Start here!

This is your navigation map to the website. In this ‘Explore’ feature, you will find all the necessary links to know more about the website, Myself (The Editor), and everything that is relevant to find your way around the Queendom.

2. Letter From the Editor: How To Deal With Disruption?

In one of my most vulnerable and intimate Monthly Editorial letters yet, I reflect on the process of Disruption and finding a New Normal. This feature is inspired by the state of the world amid the pandemic and personal events.

3. Five African Pre-Colonial Queens You Should Be Aware of

They are many women in African History who have ruled kingdoms and empires; furthermore, they led armies and fought wars against invaders and colonizers. Queen Nzinga (Angola), Amina of Zazzau (Nigeria), Candace Amanineras of Kush or Yaa Ansetwa (Ghana) can be counted about these women. Read this feature to know more about them and other inspiring African women leaders of our past.

Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.

4. Three Wealthy and Powerful Kings of Ancient Africa

What’s a queen without a king? (“Well historically speaking more powerful says this book title, and I agree 😊! In this feature, you will learn more about Mansa Musa, the man often referred as “the Wealthiest person in history” and how Mali became of the richest empires in the world, in his time

5. Five Powerful Women Who Made An Impact in South Africa

This feature introduces you to five South African women who have made history by their fearless and resilient resolve in the face of adversity.

Read more about how Winnie Madikizela Mandela (The Mother of the nation), Charlotte Maxeke (for her woman in her times, her story is simply amazing) and Miriam Makeba have each made an impact through their activism, during different period of South Africa ‘s darkest history.

6. [ WATCH] : Travelling the world as an African Woman-A conversation with Tania from Kongo Travels

 This one of my favorite piece ! I sat down with my friend, entrepreneur and travel content creator, Tania Mukwamu from Kongo Travels. We discussed her passion for traveling, her earliest travel memories and her dream destinations. Read/Watch this interview if you want to learn a few tips for discovering the world  on a budget.

Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview. Or better, Watch it below:

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I hope you’ve enjoyed our best read roundup? Once you’ve read these features, let me know which one is your favorite and why, by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you!

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Thanks for stopping by and come back again very soon for new and fresh content.

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Website:    http://houseofnzinga.com/

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Hello 2021: best wishes and 2020 content in review

First things first…Happy new year !

I swear it was the 1st of January like 30 seconds ago, and here it is almost mid-February!

Is it late to express my well wishes for the new year ? Well considering it’s the Chinese New Year, I guess it’s still appropriate. So I wish each one of you a soft, happy and prosperous 2021.

2020 has been a very difficult year for a lot of us. We’ve all experienced many losses brought by the terrible Coronavirus pandemic.

It’s been only a few weeks into 2021, and most of us are still experiencing grief and losses; losses of loved ones, of good health; jobs, incomes, opportunities and lifestyle. Most of us are now living through anxiety and uncertainties of getting back to normal. Or trying rather to imagine new ways of living in a Post Covid-19 world.

But let’s remain hopefully that better days are coming and we can soon put everything behind us and , go outside play with other kids  again 🙂 !

Chinese people around the world celebrated the New year on 12 Feb. 2021 is the year of the Ox.

Before diving into this year content, take a look at the year that was 2020:

2020 content in review:

My monthly musings:

A letter from the Editor with love. This monthly features reflects on the past month and set the tone for the coming one. Read :

H.O.N Weekly:

Last year seemed like each minutes of every single day was packed with breaking news ranging from the pandemic crazy evolution, social unrest and protests worldwide, shocking celebrity deaths (Kobe Bryant etc.).

Sitting at home under lockdown, I decided to launch a weekly commentary blog to discuss and keep a tab on pop culture news, current affairs, social media conversation and trends, dance challenges that were exploding my TL.

Re-discover 2020 through House Of Nzinga lenses.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brilliant speech against misogyny in the work place

Let’s get social, let’s connect!

Website:    http://houseofnzinga.com/

Facebook page : https://web.facebook.com/houseofnzinga/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabulous_trysh/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/house_of_Nzinga/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/houseofnzinga

Portfolio : linktr.ee/PatriciaYumbaM

How “Black Lives Matter” re-ignited my blog’s purpose

Last time I checked with you for my monthly musing, was in May when I did a round-up of the 2020 first quarter. I mainly discussed the rise of the COVID -19 pandemic and the top events, thus far, of the year. Today I’m telling you how world’s events of the past week, the Black Lives Matter movement especially, have helped me re-ignite my blog’s purpose.

A mural in honor of George Floyd.
A mural in honor of George Floyd.

Things have been even more eventful (and draining) with the eruptions of the Black Lives Matter protests, following the senseless killings of black people in the USA. So draining that I could not put my feelings and emotions into words (considering that we’re still battling the pandemic).

“I can’t breathe”

On May 25, the killing in Minneapolis (USA) of Georges Floyd, an-African-American man, by 3 policemen, sparked national anger. The videophone footage shows Derek Chauvin, one of the policemen, kneeling on George’s neck for almost 9 minutes. Two other policemen are seen pinning his body on the floor, while George was repeatedly imploring them to stop, by saying “I can’t breathe”. He later lost his consciousness and subsequently died.

The shock and exasperation spread worldwide, with protests erupting around the world.

Black Lives Matter

Protestors around the world have rallied across the slogan Black Lives Matter, that first started as a hashtag created in 2013, in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the murderer of Trayvon Martin, another unarmed teen back boy. Since then, the hashtag is getting used widely on social media to highlight the senseless, and often racially motivated killings, of black people, especially young black men.

A few weeks before Floyd’s killing, Breonna Taylor, a 26 years-old female, was shot and killed in her bed, while police officers entered her apartment, to execute a ‘no-knock warrant search’. Her family is still seeking justice.

Before Breonna, Ahmaud Arbery, a young black man was killed while jogging in his neighborhood. He was pursued, confronted and killed by 2 white residents. His killing was recorded by another neighbor, who was later charged alongside the other two.

The shock and exasperation of these killings spread worldwide, with protests erupting across many cities around the world. In France, the movement has found resonance with the killing of Adama Traore by French policemen, in a condition similar to George Floyd.

#BlackLivesMatter goes global

This year people from every background of life, race and nationality have joined the movement. It has also sparked conversations about racism and prejudice in our society. Social media in particular, has become a very powerful platform, because it has given black people all over the world a platform to share their painful experiences with institutionalized racism.

Powerful brands and companies have all been forced to reflect and enforce changes in their organisations to actively combat racism. Ex-colonial powers such as France, Belgium and the UK are also facing a growing discontentment with Afro-descendants wanting them to be accountable for practicing slavery and colonization. They want these countries to recognize the atrocities committed under such practices and discuss reparations. Symbols and statues of colonization and slavery are being toppled in major cities across Europe and the US.

If anything, the events of these past weeks, have shown us that racism is one of the most enduring pandemic that black, and other non-white people, have been subjected too for centuries. It has permeated, in the most insidious ways every aspect of our lives.

A renewed purpose and re-commitment to my blog’s vision

The tragic killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests have reignited my purpose and the vision of House of Nzinga. It reminded me that, I created this platform to contribute to an afro-centric and afro-optimistic worldview and narrative.

My mission, when I started this blog, was to counter all the negative, stereotyped portraying of black people, especially women, by amplifying our voices and stories, while celebrating our past.

Although my platform and voice, is a tiny one in this world wide web, I strongly believe every voice counts in the fight against institutionalized racism and Neo-colonialism.  Every signed petition, every tweet, every post changing the narrative counts. As I read somewhere “activism has many lanes”, and social media activism is certainly become a powerful modern tool for activism when used correctly of course).

So stay tuned for more inspiring, educating and empowering content.

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