Ep. 115: A conversation with Robtel Neajai Pailey on citizenship and Liberia

05/01/21 • 46 min

Robtel Neajai Pailey is a writer, activist, and academic whose recent book engages with the topic of citizenship in Africa, especially in Liberia. She joins Rachel for a great conversation about her work, the scholar-activists who influence and inspire her, and how to make our work ethical, emancipatory, and accessible. We conducted this interview on the sidelines of the 52nd Annual Liberian Studies Association conference, hosted by Cornell University's Institute of African Development.
In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about academic freedom in Zambia, the corruption trial in South Africa against its former president, and legal challenges surrounding closings of Kenyan refugee camps, and Twitter's move to Ghana.
Books, Links, & Articles

Development, (Dual) Citizenship and Its Discontents in Africa: The Political Economy of Belonging to Liberia by Robtel Neajai Pailey
Weight of Whispers by Yvonne Owuor
Growth of the Liberian State: An Analysis of Its Historiography by Clarence E. Zamba Liberty
Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction by Jack Hart
Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks
“Surviving on Borrowed Power: Rethinking the Role of Civil Society in Zambia’s Third-Term Debate” by Sishuwa Sishuwa
“Irony and Panic as Zambia’s Authoritarianism Turns to Intellectuals” by Fumba Chama
“South Africa’s ANC Allowed Looting, President Says” by Joseph Cotterill
“Malawi: Death Penalty Defeated”
“Kenyan Court ‘Temporarily Blocks’ Closure of Refugee Camps”
“Establishing Twitter’s presence in Africa” by Kayvon Beykpour and Uche Adegbite
“Twitter’s New Office in Ghana Seen as a Snub to LGBT+ People” by Nita Bhalla

Previous Episodes We Mentioned

Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Development, (Dual) Citizenship and Its Discontents in Africa: The Political Economy of Belonging to Liberia by Robtel Neajai Pailey
Weight of Whispers by Yvonne Owuor
Growth of the Liberian State: An Analysis of Its Historiography by Clarence E. Zamba Liberty
Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction by Jack Hart
Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks
“Surviving on Borrowed Power: Rethinking the Role of Civil Society in Zambia’s Third-Term Debate” by Sishuwa Sishuwa
“Irony and Panic as Zambia’s Authoritarianism Turns to Intellectuals” by Fumba Chama
“South Africa’s ANC Allowed Looting, President Says” by Joseph Cotterill
“Malawi: Death Penalty Defeated”
“Kenyan Court ‘Temporarily Blocks’ Closure of Refugee Camps”
“Establishing Twitter’s presence in Africa” by Kayvon Beykpour and Uche Adegbite
“Twitter’s New Office in Ghana Seen as a Snub to LGBT+ People” by Nita Bhalla

Previous Episodes We Mentioned

Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Previous Episode

Ep. 114: A conversation with Dan Eizenga on Idriss Déby and Chad

Special guest Dan Eizenga, research fellow at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, joins us to share his expertise on Chad and the recent death of Idriss Déby. Listen to learn what happened, who is in charge of Chad now, and what it all means. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about new restrictions from the U.S. on Ugandan officials, share new resources like an edited volume on coronavirus politics, and a new postdoc opportunity on global racial justice available from Cornell University.
Books, Links, & Articles
Coronavirus Politics: The Comparative Politics and Policy of COVID-19 edited by Scott L. Greer, Elizabeth J. King, Elize Massard da Fonseca, André Peralta-Santos

The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon

The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Wrestling with the Devil: A Prison Memoir by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Living by the Gun in Chad: Combatants, Impunity and State Formation by Marielle Debos

The Trial of Hissène Habré: How the People of Chad Brought a Tyrant to Justice by Celeste Hicks

“Death of Déby leaves big worries in Chad and beyond” by Obi Anyadike

“US imposes fresh visa restrictions on Ugandan officials over poll” by Julius Barigaba

“US slaps visa bans on Ugandans linked to disputed polls” by Al Jazeera

Judd Devermont’s Twitter Thread

“Comparative Analysis of Covid-19 Transmission and Mortality in Select African Countries” by Kanayo K. Ogujiuba and Uviwe Binase

“Adapting Covid-19 Containment in Africa: Lessons from Tanzania” by Thespina (Nina) Yamanis, Ruth Carlitz, and Henry A. Mollel

“Confronting Legacies and Charting A New Course? The Politics of Coronavirus Response in South Africa” by Joseph Harris

Previous Episodes We Mentioned
Ep. 113: A Conversation with Nanjala Nyabola

Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Next Episode

Ep. 116: A conversation with Christina Cottiero and Expédit Ologou about Benin

Joining us this week are special guests Christina Cottiero, a political science PhD student at UC San Diego doing award-winning research on regional security issues in West Africa, and Expédit Ologou, the founder and president at the Civic Academy for Africa’s Future, an independent research think tank in Benin, and a Senior Political Governance Officer for the Benin Office of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. They join Rachel for a conversation about the presidential election in Benin and ongoing concerns about de-democratization in the country.
In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about Lesotho's political impasse, corruption in South African politics, connecting looted African art to the BLM movement, and more.
Books, Links, & Articles