History is often written by those who hold the pen, but the Bridge of Freedom initiative is about those who hold the memories. In a closed-door rehearsal for our upcoming event at Mother Bethel AME, our panelists gathered to prepare for what promises to be an evocative fireside conversation. What began as a logistical check-in quickly evolved into an exploration of what it means to be free in a global diaspora.
2026 is a year of “poly-crisis,” climate instability, economic fragmentation, political polarization, and weakened institutions. Old leadership playbooks are failing. However, Africa has always produced leaders who knew how to govern, organize, and endure in the face of chaos.
I attended Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026 Budget Address at the Pennsylvania General Assembly which afforded me a firsthand look at the legislative priorities shaping our Commonwealth.
West Africa is not new to political crises; from sanctions, coups, and political impasses, the region has seen the best and worst of it. For the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc has been at the forefront of addressing concerns faced by its member states and of finding solutions to ensure peaceful relations within the region.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, FunTimes Magazine, in collaboration with Lincoln University, is launching the Bridge of Freedom Oral History Initiative. Our mission is urgent: to document the untold stories of African and Caribbean co-leadership in the U.S. Civil Rights movement before they are lost to time.
For a continent of over 1.5 billion people with an estimated youth population of about 400 million with many between the ages of 15 to 35, the continuous pushback more so among the Gen Z generation, unwilling to accommodate the conditions in which their parents and older generations found acceptable and made excuses for, puts the continent in a precarious situation with an urgent need for governments across the continent to live up to the aspirations, expectations and benefits of governance for its people.
Faith and activism converged over the weekend at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church during its 2026 “She’s My Sister” event. Founded by First Lady Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, the “She’s My Sister” (SMS) ministry has spent nearly two decades evolving from a local awareness group into a powerhouse of advocacy and restoration for victims of human trafficking.
African women have refused to stay down. They are not only rewriting the rules but also leading nations, global trade, finance, and media.
When algorithms trained in the past decide what is easy to say and acceptable to show, they press people toward templates. We see the same captions, the same aesthetics, the same “relatable” confessions. Identity becomes a set of interchangeable styles. The self becomes a prompt.
In Nigeria, on January 1, 2026, the recently introduced Nigeria Tax Acts, 2025, will come into effect. While this new act has generated a lot of controversy based on concerns of the excessive tax burden on citizens, lack of accountability for previous taxes on the part of the government, as well as the endemic corruption that has seen politicians live lavish lifestyles while the citizens live in penury. The bigger concern is understanding what the new tax reform Act means and how it affects citizens.
