Guess what, in a little over a week, January will be over. With the year 2020 being a leap year, it means you have 346 days remaining to accomplish your new year resolution. Though, I am not here to sweat you on why haven’t started what you said on New Year’s Eve that you would be doing.
No, instead, this article is going to give you a perspective of the movers and shakers from the African continent poised to mark big marks this year. That is based on their previous years, and if the trajectory is anything to go by, they should make a more significant mark this year.
2019 Time 100 Next List
Did you know that there were eight Africans featured in the recent Time magazine’s Top 100 Rising Stars? Well, I thought you should know and perhaps keep tabs on what they will be doing this year.
If their activities in 2019 and the previous few years made them feature in 2019 Time 100 Next List, then their trajectory informs us 2020 will be another step up in their ladder towards their success.
Now, these eight individuals are drawn from various sectors, including politics, economics, and even the kitchen (or is it the hospitality) industry. Without much further ado, they are as follows:
Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi – Nigeria
It is unfortunate that even in the 21st Century, women are still subjected to mistreatment, their rights stumbled upon, and their views, not sought and if given not respected. That in itself is a disservice to the progress of humanity as a species. I mean, women make up half the population, and we need all hands on deck to fast track our development.
Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi is the executive director of Stand to End Rape (STER), a women’s help group helping survivors of gender-based violence get medical, legal, and psycho-social care.
Proud to see Oluwaseun @AyodejiOsowobi in this list. She’s an @ObamaFoundation Leader who’s organizing young people in Nigeria to help end sexual violence, and her work embodies what our foundation is all about: passing the baton to the next generation. https://t.co/JSkUnRtaoD
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 18, 2019
Ayodeji Osowobi is also on the frontline of a campaign out to teach men to respect the rights of every woman. She was born and raised in Nigeria, and through her passion for fighting for women’s rights, she was selected to join the 200 Obama Young Leaders for Africa initiative.
Kwame Onwuachi – Nigeria
Nigerian-American professional chef Kwame Onwuachi is the owner of the Kith/Kin restaurant in Washington, D.C. The chef cum author serves dinners to delicious Afro-Carribean cuisines paying homage to his roots stretching across Nigeria, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Louisiana.
Onwuachi shares the highs and lows of his life in his memoir Notes From a Young Black Chef. According to him, his restaurant and life story can be used to advocate for diversity and giving a chance to people of color. He was recognized in the Time’s ‘advocate’ category of the 2019 Time 100 Next List.
‘The Kitchen at Per Se Was a Clean Place but Hard and Heartless Too’
Kwame Onwuachi’s memoir, “Notes From a Young Black Chef,” reveals kitchen abuse at Thomas Keller’s NYC restaurant
Njideka Akunyili Crosby – Nigeria
Born in Nigeria, and now working as an artist in Los Angeles, Njideka Akunyili Crosby was recognized under the ‘artists’ category of 2019 Time 100 Next List. She featured in the list thanks to her prolific artistic works, some selling for millions of dollars at various auctions.
She was the second person picked to create a mural on the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Los Angeles.
I’ve just posted a new blog: Michelle Obama Visits Njideka Akunyili Crosby In Her Studio https://t.co/eMIokUEm1k
— Report Minds (@Reportminds) November 25, 2019
