Firoze Manji argues that asking how Africa can stop being an “afterthought” in global negotiations is the wrong question. Africa is already central—a theater of competition between superpowers. The real issue is internal: which Africa? Three billionaires hold more wealth than half the continent, and 75% of elite wealth sits offshore. Drawing on Fanon, Manji […]
In an era defined by neocolonial capitalism, resurgent fascism, and the horrifying spectacle of genocide, the need for a new emancipatory politics has never been more urgent. Our guest today, Professor Michael Neocosmos, confronts this global crisis head-on in his groundbreaking new work, Beyond the Neocolonial: Africa and the Dialectics of Human Emancipation. Refusing the comfortable […]
What if the poetry that inspired revolutions, that gave voice to the colonized and the exiled, that was watched by the CIA and funded by the Kremlin, had been almost entirely forgotten? This podcast is a journey into that hidden history. In the wake of the historic Bandung Conference, a revolutionary literary movement was born. […]
In this final part, James describes the long legal battle for his freedom and his eventual release. Following three traumatic parole denials, his luck began to turn in 2001 when a Supreme Court ruling allowed him to appeal his deportation order. Despite the anxiety of 9/11 occurring while he was still incarcerated, he successfully won a 212C waiver hearing in […]
This second part of a three-part podcast focuses on James’s time at Coxsackie (the “Cat”) and Greene Correctional Facility, where he began to “decolonize his mind” through the guidance of mentors. At Coxsackie, he met an elder named Pops, a former Black Panther who introduced him to revolutionary thinkers like George Jackson, Frantz Fanon, and Amílcar Cabral. Pops taught him […]
In the first part of the interview, Dr. Kirk J. James discusses his arrest in 1994 as an 18-year-old college freshman with no prior record. He explains that his book title, 94A6325, represents his transition from a human being into “state property”: 94 is the year of his arrest, A refers to the maximum security processing track, and […]
In 1994, eighteen-year-old Kirk “Jae” James was a college freshman with no prior record. But he made the mistake of getting caught in the net of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, and for that, the state of New York stole his life. He was denied bail and processed through Rikers Island, where Jae died in a […]
We Are Still Here, published by Daraja Press, was launched today 15 January 2026 in Gaza, with authors who contributed to the book. In this podcast, we talk with student contributors (and the editors of the anthology) about Since the catastrophic destruction in Gaza began over two years ago, the world has witnessed an unimaginable […]
Welcome to the Daraja Press Podcast. Firoze: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you may be. This is Firoze Manji from Daraja Press. Today I have the honor of speaking to the author of this extraordinary novel, Flames of the Cherry Tree. It’s a sweeping, intimate portrait of a young woman’s coming of age against the backdrop of […]
Great review of this extraordinary book by Nayibe Siwady in the Montreal Review of Books Fall 2025 https://mtlreviewofbooks.ca. Here are extracts from the review: Gaza Held in Time: A Tapestry of Two Lives is a powerful recollection of memories – of all the things that have been lost, or rather taken. The book is a […]
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new website, designed to make discovering fantastic books and podcasts easier than ever! 📚🎧 Whether you’re searching for your next great read, a thought-provoking podcast, or hidden gems in your favorite genres, our revamped platform puts the best titles right at your fingertips. ✨ Explore, enjoy, and […]
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the literary giant from Kenya and unflinching advocate for African languages, passed away on 28 May 2025, leaving behind a legacy that bridged continents and generations. For those of us who knew him—whether through his words or in solidarity campaigns—his life was a testament to the power of art as resistance. I […]
On May 20, 2025, Daraja Press marked a significant literary and political moment with the launch of Unsilenced: Poems for Palestine, a stirring anthology edited by John P. Portelli. Bringing together the voices of 50 poets from across the globe, this collection weaves together art and activism, offering a lyrical testament to Palestinian resistance, resilience, and […]
Between 2021 and 2023 West Africa saw three popular military coups. Assimi Goïta became the president of Mali in 2021, Ibrahim Traoré became the president of Burkina Faso in 2022, and Abdourahamane Tchiani, became the president of Niger in 2023. The three former French colonies expelled French and US military. They withdrew from ECOWAS, the […]
by Bina Ndamu OverviewThe article titled “Top 10 Books About Decolonization You Need to Read” beautifully underscores the profound role literature plays in our understanding of the decolonization journey.\Have you ever thought about how stories can illuminate the struggles for independence and cultural identity? These books not only reflect historical battles but also serve as […]
Firoze Manji and Nnimmo Bassey discuss the environmental threats posed by the Trump administration’s policies, particularly the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the prioritization of oil and gas drilling. Bassey highlights the severe environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, including contaminated water and soil, and the health impacts on local communities. He emphasizes the […]
A society born of white supremacy and patriarchy must, by definition, ignore the voices of Black women. We know that unfortunately, such an attitude will also naturally seep into every stratum of that society. With the ascent of the Trump regime, a whole range of policies and practices are being implemented and more to be […]
Kali, of course, hardly needs an introduction, but for those of you who have not been fortunate to hear and engage with Kali, let me say a few words about him: Kali Akuno is the co-founder of Cooperation Jackson in Jackson Mississippi. He is the co-editor of Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and […]
Firoze Manji argues that asking how Africa can stop being an “afterthought” in global negotiations is the wrong question. Africa is already central—a theater of competition between superpowers. The real issue is internal: which Africa? Three billionaires hold more wealth than half the continent, and 75% of elite wealth sits offshore. Drawing on Fanon, Manji […]
In an era defined by neocolonial capitalism, resurgent fascism, and the horrifying spectacle of genocide, the need for a new emancipatory politics has never been more urgent. Our guest today, Professor Michael Neocosmos, confronts this global crisis head-on in his groundbreaking new work, Beyond the Neocolonial: Africa and the Dialectics of Human Emancipation. Refusing the comfortable […]
What if the poetry that inspired revolutions, that gave voice to the colonized and the exiled, that was watched by the CIA and funded by the Kremlin, had been almost entirely forgotten? This podcast is a journey into that hidden history. In the wake of the historic Bandung Conference, a revolutionary literary movement was born. […]
In this final part, James describes the long legal battle for his freedom and his eventual release. Following three traumatic parole denials, his luck began to turn in 2001 when a Supreme Court ruling allowed him to appeal his deportation order. Despite the anxiety of 9/11 occurring while he was still incarcerated, he successfully won a 212C waiver hearing in […]
This second part of a three-part podcast focuses on James’s time at Coxsackie (the “Cat”) and Greene Correctional Facility, where he began to “decolonize his mind” through the guidance of mentors. At Coxsackie, he met an elder named Pops, a former Black Panther who introduced him to revolutionary thinkers like George Jackson, Frantz Fanon, and Amílcar Cabral. Pops taught him […]
In the first part of the interview, Dr. Kirk J. James discusses his arrest in 1994 as an 18-year-old college freshman with no prior record. He explains that his book title, 94A6325, represents his transition from a human being into “state property”: 94 is the year of his arrest, A refers to the maximum security processing track, and […]
In 1994, eighteen-year-old Kirk “Jae” James was a college freshman with no prior record. But he made the mistake of getting caught in the net of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, and for that, the state of New York stole his life. He was denied bail and processed through Rikers Island, where Jae died in a […]
We Are Still Here, published by Daraja Press, was launched today 15 January 2026 in Gaza, with authors who contributed to the book. In this podcast, we talk with student contributors (and the editors of the anthology) about Since the catastrophic destruction in Gaza began over two years ago, the world has witnessed an unimaginable […]
Welcome to the Daraja Press Podcast. Firoze: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you may be. This is Firoze Manji from Daraja Press. Today I have the honor of speaking to the author of this extraordinary novel, Flames of the Cherry Tree. It’s a sweeping, intimate portrait of a young woman’s coming of age against the backdrop of […]
On May 20, 2025, Daraja Press marked a significant literary and political moment with the launch of Unsilenced: Poems for Palestine, a stirring anthology edited by John P. Portelli. Bringing together the voices of 50 poets from across the globe, this collection weaves together art and activism, offering a lyrical testament to Palestinian resistance, resilience, and […]
Between 2021 and 2023 West Africa saw three popular military coups. Assimi Goïta became the president of Mali in 2021, Ibrahim Traoré became the president of Burkina Faso in 2022, and Abdourahamane Tchiani, became the president of Niger in 2023. The three former French colonies expelled French and US military. They withdrew from ECOWAS, the […]
Firoze Manji and Nnimmo Bassey discuss the environmental threats posed by the Trump administration’s policies, particularly the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the prioritization of oil and gas drilling. Bassey highlights the severe environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, including contaminated water and soil, and the health impacts on local communities. He emphasizes the […]
A society born of white supremacy and patriarchy must, by definition, ignore the voices of Black women. We know that unfortunately, such an attitude will also naturally seep into every stratum of that society. With the ascent of the Trump regime, a whole range of policies and practices are being implemented and more to be […]
Kali, of course, hardly needs an introduction, but for those of you who have not been fortunate to hear and engage with Kali, let me say a few words about him: Kali Akuno is the co-founder of Cooperation Jackson in Jackson Mississippi. He is the co-editor of Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and […]
Great review of this extraordinary book by Nayibe Siwady in the Montreal Review of Books Fall 2025 https://mtlreviewofbooks.ca. Here are extracts from the review: Gaza Held in Time: A Tapestry of Two Lives is a powerful recollection of memories – of all the things that have been lost, or rather taken. The book is a […]
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new website, designed to make discovering fantastic books and podcasts easier than ever! 📚🎧 Whether you’re searching for your next great read, a thought-provoking podcast, or hidden gems in your favorite genres, our revamped platform puts the best titles right at your fingertips. ✨ Explore, enjoy, and […]
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the literary giant from Kenya and unflinching advocate for African languages, passed away on 28 May 2025, leaving behind a legacy that bridged continents and generations. For those of us who knew him—whether through his words or in solidarity campaigns—his life was a testament to the power of art as resistance. I […]
by Bina Ndamu OverviewThe article titled “Top 10 Books About Decolonization You Need to Read” beautifully underscores the profound role literature plays in our understanding of the decolonization journey.\Have you ever thought about how stories can illuminate the struggles for independence and cultural identity? These books not only reflect historical battles but also serve as […]
