Talking drum symbolizing Igbo oral tradition

Igbo Studies and the Challenge of Modernity: Reflections from the Howard University Conference

Howard University, Washington D.C.—the academic ground where Igbo voices converged. Image credits; Getty images In April 2010, within the historic halls of Howard University in Washington, D.C., a quiet renaissance unfolded. The annual Igbo Studies Association (ISA) Conference had drawn together some of the finest minds of the Igbo world; historians, artists, linguists, and philosophers, each…

ByChinemerem Okwuchukwu1 day ago0Comments

Historical Studies

Sierra Leonean Igbo: The Legacy of Africanus Horton and the Forgotten Sons of the Diaspora

In the 19th century, long before independence movements swept across Africa, a quiet revolution began in the port city of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The revolution wasn’t of guns and battles, but of minds, minds determined to prove that Africans were capable of governing, reasoning, and leading their own destiny. Among those minds was Africanus Beale…

ByChinemerem Okwuchukwu1 day ago0Comments

Igbo bride kneeling and offering palm wine to groom.

Cultural Heritage

Igba Nkwu: Understanding Igbo Traditional Marriage Rites

In Igboland, marriage is more than just two hearts joining; it’s the uniting of two families, two lineages, and two worlds. The ceremony known as ịgba nkwu nwanyi (the bride’s wine-carrying) remains one of the most cherished cultural expressions of love, respect, and community among the Igbo people. Bride and Groom in Traditional Igbo Wedding…

ByChinemerem OkwuchukwuOctober 26, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

The Man Who Starved for Freedom: The Story of Sunny Okafor in Japan

The Igbo say, “Afọ anaghị egbu onye, obi ka egbu ya” ( it is not hunger that kills a man, but the heaviness of his heart). And somewhere in Nagasaki, Japan, in 2019, a man named Gerald “Sunny” Okafor died with an empty stomach but a full heart because he refused to swallow humiliation.…

ByChinemerem OkwuchukwuOctober 20, 20250Comments

Igbo masquerade in full costume during a festival

Cultural Heritage Historical Studies

Igbo Identity and the Bonds of Homeland and Diaspora: “Onye aghala nwanne ya”

Onye aghala nwanne ya (L et no one be left behind). It is more than a moral command; it is a philosophy of kinship that has sustained Igbo people across slavery, colonization, migration, and globalization. Today, it remains the thread linking Igboland with its far-flung diaspora. The Igbo are one of Africa’s most…

ByChinemerem OkwuchukwuOctober 14, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

Igbo Institutions and the Strength of Community in the Atlantic World: “Ọ bụ mmadụ ka e ji ama ala”

“Igwe bụ ike” ( Unity is strength). For the Igbo, the survival of the community depended not on kings or armies but on the collective spirit of its people. Unlike centralized kingdoms of the Yoruba or Asante, the Igbo built societies where decision-making rested in councils, age grades, and village assemblies. This unique…

ByChinemerem OkwuchukwuOctober 12, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

The Igbos and the Atlantic Slave Trade: Anụ ọkụ n’ụlọ anaghị amaghị ọkụ dị n’èzí”

“Anụ ọkụ n’ụlọ anaghị amaghị ọkụ dị n’èzí” ( The animal that lives in the fire at home does not know the fire outside). This saying captures the shock the Igbo felt when the Atlantic slave trade dragged them from the familiar fires of their hearths into the flames of foreign bondage. …

ByChinemerem OkwuchukwuOctober 12, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

The Igbo Diaspora in the Caribbean and America: “Ụwa bụ ahia; onye zere ahia, zere uwa”

“Ụwa bụ ahia; onye zere ahia, zere uwa” ( The world is a marketplace; whoever avoids the market avoids the world). This proverb reminds us that no one can escape the interactions that shape destiny. For the Igbo, scattered by the Atlantic slave trade, the world itself became that vast market where their…

ByChinemerem OkwuchukwuOctober 11, 20250Comments

Cultural Heritage

Nzu in Igbo Culture: A Symbol of Purity, Peace, and Spirituality

image: anitaquansahlondon.com Among the many elements of Igbo culture, Nzu (white chalk) holds a special place as a powerful symbol with deep spiritual and social significance. Despite challenges from colonial influences and modernisation, the Igbo are reviving their traditions, with Nzu playing a central role in preserving their identity. This article explores…

ByIdenze EzemeJune 24, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

Documenting Resistance: Igbo Fugitives in Colonial Jamaica

University of Florida Digital An 18th-century Jamaican newspaper advertisement offers a reward for capturing escaped enslaved people, preserved in a historical compilation of such notices (Rucker, 2013). This document lists over 100 individuals identified as Igbo (recorded as "Eboe"), providing valuable evidence of resistance among enslaved communities, especially that of the Igbo. University of Florida Digital The…

ByIdenze EzemeJune 20, 20250Comments