Here’s the second installment from Ms. Afropolitan, our newest London-based Parlourista who will be sharing her global perspective with us. Be sure to check out her site, MsAfropolitan today!

In his book, “Society must be defended”, written in 1976, Michel Foucault speaks about historical revisionism, hinting to a an earlier statement made by Winston Churchill who said that “History is written by the victors”.

These discussions are still relevant today. A significant amount of historical narrative is still being written by those with the most power. If you walk into any of the world’s most powerful institutions (government, academic or corporate) you will identify that the group that are shaping history are Euro-American men. I’m not saying that this group is intentionally shaping history for the rest of us, or that other groups aren’t contributing in large measures to what future generations will consider history. Rather, I want to highlight that the power of writing one’s own history seems to be what history making is all about. Knowing the sources of stories that shape our lives, helps to combat the danger of the single story.

Africa is again a continent of international interest, which is good, but who is writing the current narrative about Africa, also that which is about ‘rebranding’ the continent? I think the source of the information that we consume, is even more important than the information itself.

On the other hand it’s worth knowing that magazines like FAB magazine, are African owned, managed and produced. As a regular contributor to FAB, I am pleased to be involved in a project that is by Africans for Africans. Another example of home-grown storytelling is Spielworks, a Kenyan media content producer.

Next week I’ll be posting about 7 African male icons but first up are 7 women:

Visit MsAfropolitan.com to read the full list.