Many black Americans call Africa "the mother continent." But what happens when they travel to Ghana or Rwanda? Do these African countries feel like home? Not always. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, a black reporter comes to terms with his cultural identity.
Keith Richberg is the Hong Kong bureau chief for the Washington Post. He tells Steve Paulson that his three year assignment in Africa led him to to some painful conclusions about his cultural identity. Richberg's book is "Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa." Also, University of Wisconsin political scientist Crawford Young tells Judith Strasser that there are reasons for optimism concerning Africa's future. He gives several examples of increasing democatization and economic development.SEGMENT 2:
Mamphela Ramphele is today vice-chancellor of the University of Capetown in South Africa. Twenty years ago she was Steven Biko's compatriot in the anti-apartheid struggle. She was also his lover and gave birth to their son. Ramphele talks with Jim Fleming about Biko's lasting importance; her own contributions to his work; and the work that South African society still needs to do. Ramphele's book is "Across Boundaries: The Journey of a South African Woman Leader."SEGMENT 3:
Storyteller Dylan Pritchett is associated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. and active in their efforts to use storytelling to educate children. In his highly animated and dynamic style, he tells Anne Strainchamps a few stories (his favorites are folk tales from West Africa) and explains the moral messages they contain.
Page Design and Management by Jim Fleming at Wisconsin Public Radio.
© Copyright 1997 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.