2020 was undoubtedly one of the most difficult years most of us have had to live through. But, if you’re reading this, you made it through what seemed like an unbearable year and that in itself is cause for celebration!

I, like many of you reading this had hoped that 2021 would be a better year. It’s been a few days and the year doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of being better than the last. …

We’ve all watched movies, seen pictures, and heard stories of how terribly slaves were treated. But, the story of how sexual violence was weaponized and used by slaveowners against slaves is often forgotten. Yet, slaves — including men — were often sexually violated to keep them in line or as punishment against those that dared to rebel.

What is buck breaking?

Mainly utilized by slave owners in the Caribbean, buck breaking was used against male slaves who were seen as defiant. The process involved the slaveowner forcing the enslaved man to lower his pants and bend over a tree stump to ensure that his buttocks were propped up into the air. The enslaved man would then be flogged severely. This would weaken him so that he would not be able to resist the rape that followed. …

Animal Advocacy

Every year approximately twenty thousand elephants in Africa are killed for their tusks. And now the world’s beautiful, majestic and gentle giants have joined the endangered species list.

It’s heartbreaking that we as humans are behind the death of creatures that are so similar to us. You might be wondering how on earth elephants are similar to humans, we may look vastly different to them but below I have listed seven ways in which elephants are similar to us:

1. Elephants mourn their dead

Female elephants who lose a calf (baby elephant) have been known to look severely distressed and stay with the body for days. This is sometimes followed by weeks of a mourning period that could be likened to depression. …

The London Necropolis Railway was a weird train service dedicated to transporting the dead and those mourning them. The railway line ran from Waterloo Station, in London, to Brookwood Cemetery, in Surrey. At the height of its popularity, the railway was transporting around two thousand bodies a year. The question on every reader’s mind at this stage is:

How on earth was a train for the dead able to garner such popularity?

Why was the London Necropolis Railway introduced?

It is estimated that between 1801 and 1850, London’s population doubled. The increase in population also meant that many other people were dying. The graveyards in London quickly became overcrowded. The situation got so bad that old graves would often be exhumed to make space for new ones. …

African politicians are a rare breed. They are a source of great entertainment and turmoil at the same time.

As Africans, we often joke about how our politicians will promise to build bridges in communities that don’t even have rivers.

It’s all very comical really and for the longest time, I thought that such theatrics were relegated to African politics. Well, that is until Donald Trump became the forty-fifth president of the United States of America.

This has largely been due to Trump. And here is why the man reminds me of a classic African politician:

• African politicians are synonymous with calling for a recount whenever elections take place. This is because many of them, like Trump, are sore losers. America is often calling upon African countries to conduct free and fair elections but now the tables have turned and Africans can’t help but enjoy the irony of the whole situation. …

From texting till 3 a.m. to blocking each other on all platforms. The talking stage in a relationship is complicated and perhaps one of the most taxing stages of a relationship. This is the time when you talk to someone in hopes to get to know them and assess whether a relationship would work. In today’s dating world it’s a necessary stage for most relationships.

Although it’s just the talking stage, I of course always make the mistake of getting emotionally invested. I dream about what could be and my imagination runs wild, thinking about the fairytale relationship to follow. …

Vanity Fair recently revealed its December cover which is starring U.S Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). On the cover, AOC is wearing a custom made white suit by Aliette, a New York based designer, and her signature red lipstick. On the face of it, nothing about the cover seems scandalous or controversial. So why exactly are people so mad about it?

Well, it all comes down to the price value of AOC’s Vanity Fair wardrobe. It has been the subject of many contentious debates online. …

I remember stepping onto the scale and realizing I was now 211 pounds, the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life. I was heartbroken and disappointed in myself for letting my weight get that far. Seeing over 200 pounds on the scale was enough to scare me into drastic action.

After a few hours on the internet, looking up the fastest way to lose weight, I came across the metabolism diet which is also known as the Copenhagen diet or the royal Danish hospital diet. The diet promised to help me lose a significant amount of weight and reset my metabolism into a fat-burning machine. I was excited and determined to try it out. …