From the Dutch-language ZAM Africa Magazine:

On May 8, 2006, the South African Judge Willem van der Merwe ruled that ANC leader Jacob Zuma was not guilty of the rape of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, the daughter of his late friend Judson Kuzwayo, his fellow prisoner on Robben Island who died in exile in 1985. Zuma did not deny having sex with her, but claimed since the victim wore a khanga, a wraparound cloth, she had "asked for it." Following the verdict, Kuzwayo, moved to Amsterdam prompted by persistent threats from Zuma’s supporters. There she gained political asylum, partly through assistance from the AIDS Fonds and people involved in the former anti-apartheid movement. On September 26 [2008] Kuzwayo performed, dressed in a khanga, the poem below at the opening of the exhibition "Identity, Power and Connection," on the eve of the bi-annual Afrovibes Festival. In this way, she responded for the first time to the court’s verdict:

I am Khanga
Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo

I wrap myself around the curvaceous bodies of women all over Africa

I am the perfect nightdress on those hot African nights

The ideal attire for household chores

I secure babies happily on their mother’s backs

Am the perfect gift for new bride and new mother alike

Armed with proverbs, I am vehicle for communication between women

I exist for the comfort and convenience of a woman

But no no no make no mistake …

I am not here to please a man

And I certainly am not a seductress

Please don’t use me as an excuse to rape

Don’t hide behind me when you choose to abuse

You see

That’s what he said my Malume

The man who called himself my daddy’s best friend

Shared a cell with him on [Robben] Island for ten whole years

He said I wanted it

That my khanga said it

That with it I lured him to my bed

That with it I want you is what I said

But what about the NO I uttered with my mouth

Not once but twice

And the please no I said with my body

What about the tear that ran down my face as I lay stiff with shock

In what sick world is that sex

In what sick world is that consent

The same world where the rapist becomes the victim

The same world where I become the bitch that must burn

The same world where I am forced into exile because I spoke out?

This is NOT my world

I reject that world

My world is a world where fathers protect and don’t rape

My world is a world where a woman can speak out

Without fear for her safety

My world is a world where no one, but no one is above the law

My world is a world where sex is pleasurable not painful

Courtesy of Africa is a Country via Chimurenga Magazine.

The freedom to express
Cannot be given up.
It comes from God.
Be free and brave.
Only one prison remains:
Our minds.

– Reesom Haile, poet

Photo from the archives of Nunu Kidane.

Sculpted images of African men and women were rarely shown in public galleries before the 19th century, but Charles Cordier's plaster bust of "Saïd Abdullah of the Mayac, Kingdom of the Darfur (Sudan)" had a tremendous reception, when it was displayed at the 1848 Paris Salon.

Finished in two weeks, the bust reflects the mid-19th century European fascination with non-Western physiognomy, costumes and customs, later characterised as Orentalism.

In 1851 Cordier made a pendant bust of a female entitled "African Venus" and bronze casts of both busts were commissioned, indicating the growing crossover of cultures as Africa became more accessible with improved methods of transportation and trade.

When Benazir Bhutto was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988, she became the first women ever to lead a Muslim nation. On 27 December 2007, her life and leadership was cut short by a suicide bomb attack and shooting. BHUTTO, a new film by Duane Baughman, reveals her legacy as seen through an intrepid political career.

An official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, BHUTTO features interviews with experts, friends and family members including Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower and current President of Pakistan; Pervez Musharraf, exiled former President of Pakistan; Condoleezza Rice, former United States Secretary of State; Arianna Huffington, journalist and Bhutto's college friend; and Fatima Bhutto, journalist and niece.

BHUTTO will have its U.S. theatrical premiere in New York and Los Angeles on 3 December 2010. A nationwide roll out will follow.

+ Learn more about the film.
+ Learn more about Benazir Bhutto.

Photo: Bhutto at her home in Dubai on 4 December 2004. (Lichfield/GETTY IMAGES)

Known best for richly colorful cultural testaments, photographer and filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu prepares for the release of his feature film directorial debut "Restless City".

A love story set in New York City's West African immigrant community, "Restless City" follows Dijbril as he negotiates the frogmarch of Canal Street, New York's mecca for counterfeit goods.

Djibril hustles out a living there with his compadres, thick as thieves, quick as blades, one step ahead of caution.

A narrative of adventure and tragedy, Dosunmu's gift for storytelling through imagery is sure to resonate as witness to Djibril's struggle to make ends meet and achieve his dream of becoming a musician.

Written by Eugene M. Gussenhoven and starring Sy Alassane (Djbril), Sky Grey (Trini), and Tony Okungbowa (Bekay), look for "Restless City" as it makes the festival rounds, including a Sundance showing, during the 2010-2011 season.

Photo by Jenny Baptiste

A follow-up to their Framework and Dress the Part poster series, Ensemble, depicts musical icons like Prince, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and others through their fashion repertoire.

Designed by Moxy's Glenn Michael and illustrated by James Alexander, the posters are a limited edition of 250 each and only available through the Moxy website.

This photo catches a shot of Shepard Fairy's Aung San Suu Kyi poster on a wall near the Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, in northwest Thailand.

Suu Kyi, the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, is currently being detained by Myanmar's military government for her work towards a free Burma with the pro-democracy political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).

View the photoessay.
Order Fairey's print. Proceeds benefit the Human Rights Action Center and The U.S. Campaign for Burma.

In a recent post on her blog, Whitehot Truth, Strategic and Intuitive Business Advisor, Danielle Laporte uses the path of architect Frank Gehry to illustrate how devoting yourself to your dream can lead to beautiful things:

"It was like jumping off a cliff," Gehry says. "It was an amazing feeling. I was so happy from then on."

Devotion can be that easy.

The moment you say yes is the beginning. It's not when you give your notice or when your novel is off the press. It's when you say yes to the desire.

Ready to live the life you've always dreamed? Read the post for a bit of inspiration and learn what Danielle says about "maybes".

Selvaprakash Lakshmanan

Photographer Selvaprakash Lakshmanan documents the grueling work of women in India's salt mines with his photo essay Working for Just Salt.

"Though women dominate the industry, they are still paid less than men with similar positions. Due to the nature of the environment, the workers often suffer from exposure to saline and get occupational illnesses such as vision impairment and/or blindness. Many of the women workers are from low social and economic castes, and the stories of suffering women laborers remain largely untold."

Learn more and view the essay.

Jermaine Crawford, Maestro Harrell, Tristan Wilds, and Julito McCullum in "The Wire".

Harvard professor William Julius Wilson has decided to use HBO's acclaimed series "The Wire" to discuss urban inequality in the United States.

"We want our students to understand the roots of the social conditions in America's inner cities," said Professor Wilson. "Impressed by its treatment of complex issues, we developed a course at Harvard drawing on the show's portrayal of fundamental sociological principles connected to urban inequality."

Read The Washington Post article.