Issue 01: Welcome to the Afropolitan Yellow Pages
Just got back from Lagos. Here are 10 things inspiring me for the month of February!
Welcome, so glad you came!
I’m in Lagos, Nigeria. By the time I publish this, I’ll be back in the DMV area, Northern Virginia to be specific but I’m happy to be here with you. I’ve wanted to create The Afropolitan Yellow Pages for some time and I finally got the push when I came across The Yellow Pages by Lynn Chen—the Asian/AAPI version of the yellow pages. Back in the day, there used to be a Bible-like index book with businesses from your area/zip code. This book was called the yellow pages and you could find contact information for whatever you wanted like pizza delivery, a plumber, an exterminator, and so on. With the progression of the internet, the yellow pages have become obsolete and so we roll with it…
What’s to come:
Bi-monthly issues featuring guests recommending and sharing their inspirations and discoveries from Africa and its diaspora. Prepare to be enlightened and amazed.
If you’re a paid subscriber and/or founding member, you’ll get occasional gifts (e.g. postcards, books, and other small things) via snail mail as well as special issues. Go ahead and become a paid subscriber!
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you’ll keep reading to discover cool inspirations from Africa and its diaspora. Please comment and share your thoughts.
Also, this is a resource, so make sure to share with your friends and family.
With love,
Abbesi Akhamie
Name and meaning?
Abbesi Akhamie. It means “in the hands of God” or like “God’s touch” in Etsako language spoken in Edo State, Nigeria. (I’ll save my last name for another time.)
What do you do?
I write, make films, help others make their films and/or strive for their dreams. I am a badass connector. It’s my ministry to connect people.
How do you identify?
Nigerian-American. Black. Brown. POC. African. Woman. Afropolitan. Americana.
Where are you based?
I’m in Northern Virgina which is the DC metro area BUT I’m casually in West Africa at least once a year but trying to make it a permanent situation very soon.
What does it mean to be African?
Nowadays, I like to descibe myself as an Afropolitan—young, culturally savvy, with a passion for all things African. I wasn’t born on the continent, Africa was born in me (as Kwame Nkrumah would say). Coming from an immigrant family and migrating between Africa and the West, I am unapologetically a part of the global African experience and exercising my American and Nigerian passports.
What I Recommend
Movies: ❤️ Get ready for Valentine’s Day with Atlantics (2019) by Mati Diop. A Senegalese ghost/djinn love story? When I think of the now and the future of African cinema, this is the film that comes to mind.
Reading/Screenplay: 🥷🏿 Have you heard about Yasuke, the black samurai? He existed and his life has inspired a comic series on Netflix and now a movie is coming. I read the script by Stuart Paul and I kinda liked it…
Forever Song: 🇺🇬 🎤A while back, I came across the African Acapella | Imani Milele Choir on YouTube. Over the years, I kept revisiting the clip and singing along as if I can speak their language. LOL! Read the comments if you want to know what they’re saying in Luanda.
Personal Necessities: 👸🏾 I love Shea Butter and I got a bunch while in Lagos. I recently stopped buying over-the-counter lotions because their plastic bottle design is wasteful and it doesn’t last. A small batch of shea butter can last me for nearly a year! If you’re not on the continent, support a black-owned business and order from LIHA BEAUTY SHEA BUTTER. Warning — It’s overpriced but comes in a glass jar.
Art: 🇿🇦 Zanoxolo Sylvester Mqeku is a ceramicist (among several other things) from South Africa. I met this young fellow last year at the DAK’ART Biennale and we’ve been friends ever since. I cannot begin to explain what he does or how he does it and so it must be magic.
Books: 🌹 ❤️ While at the Jazzhole bookshop in Lagos, I happened to pick up this super short book, Tailor-Made Romance by Oyindamola Affinnih. I found myself unable to put it down. A romance between a local tailor and a strong independent career woman—my kinda story and just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Webseries: 📺 Watch Gidi Up, Season 2 (warning, do not bother with Season 1). It’s a Nigerian webseries from NdaniTV featuring some of the country’s top actors. Honestly, it was very impressive for its time and I wish Season 3 would’ve came through.
Health: 🥶 Winter is here. If you’re not on the continent and able to soak up the sun, you may need some more vitamin D3 like me. Also called the sunshine vitamin, I started taking this vitamin daily and I saw a considerable improvement in my skin.
Clothes: 💃🏿 Afrikrea is a mega-online store full of African clothing makers from all over the world. I’ve ordered from them several times and I keep coming back because the shops are good quality and shipping is super fast. (Can’t beat DHL.)
LOL Moments: 😜 90 Day Fiance with Michael and Usman. This clip features two Nigerian men with very different philosophies on relationships. I’m Team Usman on this one.