Reflection

This course on African youths and media was extremely empowering. We examined and analyzed how the youth utilized their media to create social and political change. Adolescents, in general, and specifically in Africa, play a critical role in social change. Through the readings and assignments of this course, I understood the role of media in shaping these practices that make the youths seek change and look for empowerment and the different media practices from various nations. We covered topics ranging from the youth as fixers to national politics and generational change; these topics reiterate how evolving and advancing the youth are in demanding their rights, whether through a hands-on approach or through political satirical internet shows and arts that are very successful in the African region, overwhelmingly viewed and hosted by the youth. Significantly, we looked at how different media facilitates different discourses and how they use satire when discussing political issues. The course showcased how distinct African youth used media to be seen, heard, or create change, for example the Blue for Sudan movement. Media platforms and mediums were a safe space in their authoritarian nations for these young adults.

The highlight of the course for me was the final project, a digital multimedia publication. In this final assignment, I researched popular African media and analyzed it using readings from the class. The title of my project was ‘Documenting Atrocities: The Sudan Revolution,’ I used two media websites, The Sudanese Archive, and the Sudan Coup Website. The former is an independent organization that looks at human rights violations and acts of resistance in Sudan by preserving and analyzing documentation to help in future transitional justice processes and acts of accountability. While the latter publicizes information sessions, blogs, protest posters, and resources ever since the 25th of October 2021 military coup, this media publication was made by the diaspora youth to amplify the voices of protestors on the ground and unite Sudanese abroad. Using these two important media publications, I analyzed their videos and pictures in relation to the texts we read in class and the importance of documentation for the youth and their future. The project and the class overall allowed me to look at the revolution from a different lens, one that showcases the power of the media in uniting, but also the significant and vital role the youth played in creating a change and becoming the symbol of hope for the nation.