African Women in Cultural Diplomacy
3 women in the archive worked for cultural diplomacy. They came from different countries and different centuries, but each of them saw a wrong that others accepted and set out to change it. Read their stories to see how the same cause looked from very different lives.
3 women in the archive
ModernCesária Évora
Cape Verdean singer known as the 'Barefoot Diva' who brought the melancholic morna music of Cape Verde to the world stage, becoming the most internationally acclaimed African lusophone artist of all time.
ModernElizabeth of Toro
Ugandan princess of Toro who became East Africa's first female barrister and one of the first Black supermodels, then served as Idi Amin's foreign minister until she defied him and had to flee for her life. She rebuilt herself as a respected ambassador.
ModernMiriam Makeba
South African singer and activist known as 'Mama Africa' who used music as a weapon against apartheid, addressed the United Nations, and was exiled from her homeland for 31 years.