In this documentary, an African American hip-hop group journeys to Freetown, Sierra Leone to discover a spiritual homeland and resurrect Chuck D’s notion of hip-hop as the “black CNN”. Going beyond the commercial hype and sexism of mainstream rap, the documentary creates a dialogue between Africans and Black Americans to explore issues of race, gender, war conflict and more, and to confront each side’s stereotypical picture of the other. The result is a deeply forged connection that transcends centuries of misunderstanding and separation.
Festivals
- 2008 Africa Diaspora Film Festival, New York
- 2008 Africa in the Picture Film Festival, Amsterdam
- 2008 International Black Docufest, Atlanta
- 2009 FESPACO, Burkina Faso
- 2009 Cascade Festival of African Films, Portland
Watch The Film For Free
Images From The Film
A Related Project:
Speaking Out: Women, War And The Global Economy
“Speaking Out” grew from an international peace project addressing issues of war, from personal effects of combat to institutional factors shaping armed conflicts. Drawing on the Sierra Leone civil war, this curriculum bridges local and global, placing gripping personal stories in an international landscape and highlighting creative capacities that survive war. Stories, games and role-playing are interwoven with lessons on colonialism, West African agricultural economy, international banking, diamond and arms trades and peace-building projects. The book includes projects for the classroom and beyond. It provides a method for instruction on war and peace, with options for high school or college use, and will be of interest to scholars in global studies, psychology, sociology, women’s studies, communications and conflict resolution.
