EDITOR’S NOTE

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” ―Maya Angelou

Issue #6 (January-December 2023)

The age of changemakers: stirring the right kind of trouble

A glimpse at the news these days is all it takes to suggest that the world is in a permanent state of chaos. And while we don’t recommend excessive dooms-scrolling on social media, Audaz Mag has never shied away from dissecting the societal shifts that are already impacting our lives and raising troubling questions about what the future could look like. 

Artificial intelligence (AI), for one, is making quick work of perpetuating existing prejudices and introducing new problems in industries that are ill-equipped to manage the rapid pace of its development.   

But as eternal optimists, we are always inspired by the people who, rather than wait for the systems that often fail us to act, have taken matters into their own hands. As the late American civil rights leader and politician John Lewis reminded us, "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic…Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." 

Dr. Joy Buolamwini, author of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines, has taken this message to heart and is a bright spot in the AI-space. She has been relentless in her advocacy to address biases that disproportionately affect Black people, and is challenging actors in the tech industry to develop ethical AI practices. 

Another fearless Black woman challenging the status quo is Her Excellency Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, who has been a noticeable figure in recent years. Some of the impressive highlights of Mottley’s tenure include cutting post-colonial ties to the British monarchy, her powerful rhetoric on slavery reparations, and her stance on climate change. Now, she is being touted as a strong candidate to be the next (and first) Black female leader of the United Nations.

Changemakers exist everywhere – from the members of the Antiguan Youth Orchestra who are redefining what it means to be a classical musician, to the National Brotherhood of Skiers who have been bringing Black people to the slopes for over 50 years. They have left lasting legacies in the arts, reshaping the music industry through decades of hip hop evolution, and in the movement for equality, paving the way for the advancements in LGBTQ+ rights that we see today.

So while it can sometimes be difficult to escape the negativity that we are bombarded with on a daily basis, we must always remember that change is an inevitability. And more often than not, the sparks that ignite the positive flames of change are lit by everyday people who aren’t afraid to cause the right kind of trouble.  

—Keisha Nwa, Editor-at-Large

Issue #5 (September-December 2022)

Exploring the power of community

It’s no secret that we at Audaz Mag are firm believers in the importance of community. Through the stories that we tell, we have repeatedly discovered the audacious outcomes that are possible when people who are bound together by a common purpose, collaborate and take bold steps towards a unified goal. 

For this issue we examined the spirit of connection that is embodied by communities around the world, such as the Canada International Black Women Excellence (CIBWE) organization that is bringing together, uplifting and supporting like-minded industry disruptors. 

We journeyed to Portugal and explored the blacxit phenomenon, a movement of determined Black expatriates who are making a home-away-from-home overseas. Shar Wynter is one of them. She is the founder of Xpat App and is realizing her mission “to improve the social mobility and overall well being of the Black community by providing exposure and access to experiences, networks, and opportunities abroad.”  

We found community represented in the arts through the box office hit The Woman King. The film showed us in spectacular fashion the story of the Agojie, a group of powerful, Black women warriors who in the early 1800s, protected the Dahomey Kingdom from many forces seeking to destroy it. 

No stranger to impactful storytelling, Academy Award nominated actor Djimon Hounsou demonstrated to us the importance of knowing your history and healing as one. The Djimon Hounsou Foundation’s inspiring work strengthens the bonds between people all over the African diaspora by hosting cultural and learning events.

As we all know, finding community isn’t always easy. Sometimes, by choice or otherwise, life takes us to unexpected places and we are forced to start the cycle of building connections with people all over again. In a world that is increasingly plagued by surface-level relationships and individualistic ideals, it can be a daunting and frustrating process to identify your tribe. But it is a quest that’s worth the effort, for when a community is cultivated and nurtured, all who are a part of it can thrive abundantly. 

—Keisha Nwa, Editor-at-Large

Issue #4 (May-August 2022)

Of art and politics…

For some of the most audacious artists, art and politics are two sides of the same coin. Indistinguishable from one another. Indispensable to one another. 

In effect, as the late Toni Morrison had once put it, “The best art is political and you ought to be able to make it unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time.”

In a sense, the singular beauty of this issue of Audaz Magazine lies in its almost equal mix of stories about art and stories about politics.  

On politics, among the big stories of the past few months is one about how Colombians made history when they elected Gustavo Petro, the country's first leftist president, making his running mate Francia Márquez the country’s first Black vice president. 

Pause for a moment! 

A leftist President and a Black (and woman) Vice President…

Now read along!

The magnitude of this shift is worth a moment (and a read!), for Colombia’s long and turbulent history made of major upheavals and so brilliantly chronicled by Gabriel Garcia Márquez has yet to see an event this momentous. 

Also on politics and not far away, in Brazil where over half of the country’s 215 million population are Black people - making the country home to one of the largest Black populations in the Americas - Black Brazilians represent approximately 75% of those living in extreme poverty in the country. A (tragic) fact seized on by influencers of African descent. Audaz introduces some of these (refreshing) voices. 

Not exactly fresh… that could have been the thought when not long ago, the art world was rattled when the FBI seized 25 supposed Jean-Michel Basquiat pieces from the Orlando Museum of Art’s “Heroes & Monsters” exhibition, suspecting the artworks to be fakes.

In truth, Basquiat’s work has continued its rise to infamy among art collectors since his untimely death in 1988 at age 27. Born to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother in New York city and hailed as one of the most influential artists of the Neo-expressionist movement of the 1980s, Basquiat’s 1982 work Untitled sold to Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa for an astounding $110.5 million at auction, a record-breaking high for a US artist’s work. 

But rather than leaving you wallowing in the tragedy of yet another brilliant artist gone too soon, this issue of Audaz Magazine hands you a free invitation to continue to dance to the sound of South Africa’s Amapiano. It has been the perfect and much-needed drumbeat for the summer. So be sure to keep the positive vibes going, and enjoy the perfect playlist we’ve put together for you to rock for the rest of the summer and beyond!

—Muna Moto, Editor-at-Large

Issue #3 (January-April 2022)

The many shades of Black joy

Unless you were really not interested in the larger world around you (yes, Covid-19 and other stuff might qualify as valid excuses, but even then…), you ought to have noticed that January and February were the months of football (not soccer, football!) in Africa.

Cameroon - the continent’s most celebrated football country - hosted the African Cup of Nations, one of the world’s biggest sports events. Over four weeks of captivating moments of joy (and sadness of course), Senegal won the trophy over Egypt. Beyond the outcome on the field, however, to say it was a joyous yet competitive and emotional moment for millions across the continent and beyond is to state the obvious.

So, in case you weren’t paying attention or even just because you can’t get enough of (Black) joy, take a look at our (emotional) play-by-play of a most unique of events.

But of course, if you happen to be among the very few to whom football (yes football, we insist, not soccer!) is little more than an indecipherable series of kicks and runs, we have you covered as well, on the timely topic of Black joy that is.

Say you are into a distinctively undiversified sporting event like the Winter Olympics, where the sight of non-white athletes is a most uncommon occurrence. Enter Erin Jackson: the African American athlete who only started speed skating on ice in 2017 and in just five years has made history as the first Black woman to win a gold medal in the sport.

Her smile, after winning that medal is yet another heartwarming shade of Black joy.

For her and for Nigeria’s Samuel Ikpefan, the first cross-country skier in the country’s history to compete in the Winter Olympics, take a look at our take on Black excellence (and joy!) at the recently concluded games in Beijing.

But if you are not amazed enough, take a look at the profile of powerlifter and record-beater Tamara Walcott, yet another Black woman bringing joy to the world, as they often do.  

Beyond sports and into music, explore another reason to celebrate and rejoice in Black excellence, follow our account of how Amapiano, a musical genre out of South Africa is taking over worldwide, with #Amapiano currently having over 2.7 billion views on TikTok. 

From the victories of sportsmen and women to the breakthrough moments of musical genius, from barbers bringing joy to children to entrepreneurs finding practical solutions to challenging situations, Black joy comes in many shades.

In this edition of Audaz Magazine, the first of the year 2022, we celebrate that much; not least because, at times, in a world where so many seem intent on associating Blackness with darkness, Black joy is itself a form of resistance!

Enjoy!

—Muna Moto, Editor-at-Large

Issue #2 (October-December 2021)

Stories of privilege

For the past 20 months a once-in-a-lifetime event has forced all of us to reconsider and appreciate the full meaning of things we had so easily taken for granted. 

How precious to our balance, we have come to find, are those moments shared, at times grudgingly, with family and friends? In a sense, the Covid-19 pandemic has served as a (tragic) reminder of what matters most, and interestingly enough of the privileges we possess that we tend not to acknowledge. 

In effect, while privilege comes in various forms and modalities, so often it takes a break in the normal flow of events to fully appreciate exactly what it is. 

Take Harvard-graduate, Nigerian-born Adesola Sanusi whose privilege was her station in life, as product manager earning a six figure salary at Google. A few months ago she decided to do away with it all to pursue a higher calling, joining Africa’s tech scene. Her story, filled with audacity, is one of privilege consciously repurposed. 

But privilege also comes in the guise of a tiny precious document, a passport, or more precisely a passport from a western country. Those who enjoy the privilege of having one, most often through birth, may actually not be aware of it. We shine a light on one of the most glaring divides among people across the world. 

Speaking of the world, one organization, the United Nations, has long been claiming, not without reason, that it lives to serve people globally. But how does it do that? In essence, that’s the question Elon Musk took to Twitter to ask, after the head of the UN food relief agency imprudently suggested that with a fraction of the billionaire’s fortune, hunger could be a thing of the past. In all the noise that followed, something important might have happened: the end of the UN’s privilege not to be scrutinized for how it spends the billions of dollars it is given annually.

As we head towards the end of the year, this second issue of Audaz Mag is an invitation to consider the privilege you enjoy, to question it, and perhaps, to do something useful for others with it. This could be one small way to help turn things around as we prepare to say goodbye to 2021 and its many challenges. 

Enjoy!

—Muna Moto, Editor-at-Large

Issue #1 (June-September 2021)

Welcome!

A few months ago, as a pandemic raged (taking the lives of millions) and people screamed in the streets (to protest the treatment of black people in America), we at Audaz, took shelter (from the virus) and joined in the outrage (for justice). How could we not?

In what amounted to a magical moment of clarity, collective rejection of a most shameful state of affairs trumped the fears of catching a deadly virus. It was a release as much as it was an act of defiance. 

It wasn’t long, however, in the midst of this balancing act, before we settled on the need for us to do more, to further push the boundaries of what is possible and permitted to us, people and particularly women of color!

As creative people — writers and storytellers by trade with a passion for activism — it made sense to create a space for those among us whose voices, pictures, and words have so often seemed to matter less. Hence Audaz Mag was born.

Audaz Magazine is the space for those who have veered off the beaten path. It’s a platform for those like us whose perspectives, struggles, and accomplishments never seem to quite fit anywhere.

As you would discover through the pages of this gorgeously designed online magazine, it is for the writer who can’t see herself in the travel guides written for White people; for the would-be photographer who felt she was losing herself in a well-paid job in finance in New York and returned home to Tanzania to chase her dream; for the dreamer who was born in Congo, brought up in South Africa and headed to New York to find her artistic voice. 

In short, this Magazine aims to take you on a journey with our team, both in the physical sense (check out our lovely Travelers’ section), and in an intellectual sense (as our writers explore what America means to them, or what Africa seems to mean to Western writers).

We hope you enjoy it!

—Muna Moto, Editor-at-Large

CHANGEMAKERS | NEWSMAKERS | TRAVELERS | TRENDSETTERS | STORYTELLERS