Charlize Theron is a beautiful woman, no doubt. But the best African actress? I think not.
She  may say she is African born and comes from South Africa, but that definitely does not mean that she is proud of African heritage as a whole.
She is a successful Hollywood actress but to me she is definitely NOT the pride of Africa.
Talking of apartheid, it really is amazing how someone can say that any resulting ill feeling is sour grapes. To think that blacks could not vote in their own home country until 1994 !!!( when the whole world had more or less gotten rid of racial prejudice.) Have you watched the Soweto riots? Black school children were mown down by police bullets as they fled from them. Other young children arrested and tortured in police cells before being sentenced.
And this is all recent from a historical perspective.
I can't imagine anyone telling the Jews any pain concerning that the racial injustice they've endured in the past is sour grapes. In fact, heaven help whoever says so.

I used to quite like T.I (I also think Luda's kool) until I read an interview of his in the VIBE where he said he had always had hos. That comment just put me off. Now I can neither stand him nor his music. Talk about beauty being skin deep.

Well said, Superman and Queen2. As blacks we really need to start bigging up and appreciating each other, after all if we don't, who else will? No one else, that's for sure.
It is what one calls his or her wares that others will call them too.
Rome wasn't built in a day but our film industry, and hopefully, our country will get there someday.

I think the Nigerian music industry is a diamond in the rough. It does have its problems which must be addressed, however, some of the movies are quite enjoyable.
However, when all is said and done, I am extremely proud of it, warts and all cos as Mairodi said, it's ours. And not just for Nigerians alone, but for all Africans. The proof of this is in the fact that our peeps all over the continent enjoy and support these movies

Well said, Tochi, Brown Eyes and others.
The knowledge of our history will indeed go a long way in solving several of the ills which afflict our continent.
Then and only then would we be able to know ourselves as we truly are and not as others have made us out to be.
As a poster rightly said, these negative images of suffering, wretched, hapless Africans constantly awaiting the bounty of the benevolent West, have a powerful subversive influence. Even Africans in the diaspora are affected by this subterfuge. And once you can control the way a person sees himself, you have him where you want him. Their depiction of us in this way is not entirely innocent. But then their intentions towards us never where.
It is true that a large part of our problem is that we are too trusting and the colonial mindset which pervades our society, does not help either. This is the reason an African unwisely trusts an outsider more than his own.
Looking for outside intervention is nothing short of tacit suicide. No one is that altruistic and besides heaven only helps those who help themselves. And we can help ourselves but we need to sort out our thinking and fast, unless goodness knows what will befall us then.

By, the way speaking of African presidents, there are rumours of IBB saying that he wants to make Nigeria great again. May God help us.

To each their own. Everyone is entitled to their views. Mine on this issue remains the same. It is all very well to appreciate other's cultures, however, rite now the need to appreciate and uphold ours is paramount, end of story.

My two kobo's worth. There's nothing wrong with appreciating other peeps' culture. But then again, how many Indians would even dream of wearing iro and buba, aso oke or george? And what would they even think of seeing you in their native attire? I quite agree with the other peeps on this thread who think it is best to stick to one's native attire which I think is the bomb.

Most Nigerians and indeed black Africans are raised in a cocoon of innocence in which they see themselves being no better or no less, but just the same as everyone else. However, for those who step out into the wider world, nothing can quite prepare them for the cold shock as they come face to face with the perceptions of others concerning them.
As has been accurately stated on this thread, Africans are depicted as being wretched and dirt poor, while the merciful and gracious West constantly extends its hands of mercy. Anything good on the continent, and I mean anything at all, past and present, is depicted as being the result of European influence. Even in their programmes, Africans are depicted as being extra rugged. This mindset has not only permeated Western thinking but other non black communities. I know peeps who have had disparaging remarks made to them by Asians, Orientals and Eastern Europeans about the ugliness of dark skin, African hair, and about peeps living in trees. Yes, even in this day and age.
I remember how shocked I was when I heard about spectators tossing bananas onto the football pitch to upset black players.
Well, that's how they see us. But I don't care, I don't hate anyone for we are all humans, but God help whoever tells me such.
Pixely Isaka ka Seme, a South African lawyer said, "I am an African and I hold my pride in my race over against a hostile public opinion " and that, I believe, should be the motto of every black African.

Retro, as I said in my previous post, I made a clear distinction about the cases I was speaking of. I also stated that it is down to the individual to choose whatever it is that they want to be. I simply stated my position on the issue and thus it stands.

I just want to concur with what Davidylan said. There seems to be this running trend amongst black peeps to announce every bit of their non black association. It is quite one thing when it is clear that the individual is bi - racial or multi - racial, however, it is quite another when the individual's appearance is purely black, and yet they insist on issuing a roll call of all their non black ancestry.
No one is asking anyone to deny their parentage as it were, however, such peeps who belong to the latter category would do well to realise that most Caribbean and American whites are quite mixed as well, with black and Amerindian blood. However, they keep their lips well sealed on the matter, as far as they are concerned they are white. When all is said and done, people can be whatever they want to be, it is, after all down to the individual to choose. However, while I believe that blacks should welcome those who wish to identify with that part of them which is black, I really have no time for those peeps who belong to the latter category.
Let each individual make up his own mind on this issue, but let them remember that as Davidylan said, when push comes to shove, all others see is that black bit and nothing else.

Well said, Alanrinjo. We Nigerians need to buckle up and support our industries. Nothing can be compared to having your own. We wear these clothes, it is only fitting that our peeps benefit from it.
Which is why I am so proud of our film industry, it is all ours and is coming up rather nicely.
However, the other day, a lady I buy my films from told me that an Asian guy tried to buy some films from her and she told him to bounce as it was his intention to make copies of it and sell it on. I was astounded, and could not believe it.
Can u just imagine? We would not even think of doing such things to their own films (which we do watch) and they would not even buy them from us, and yet they have the nerve to try that with us.
Everyone protects that which is rightfully theirs and we should too. Agege bread eh? Well, what can you do but blame those who decide to buy it from them. Some of them are even trying to cook Nigerian food (I kid u not). Although am sure that no one will send them in that regard.

I agree with what Alarinjo and Kazey are saying here.
We really, really need to watch out with our business deals with the Chinese. There is, afterall, no such thing as a free lunch and neither should anyone expect such. China knows what it wants from Nigeria, and due to the political structures in Africa, anyone may come and do as they please.
Drusilla said something about America adjusting to cheap Chinese imports, well the US has a much stronger economic structure than Nigeria and even then, I am sure that very strict quotas are imposed which must not be exceeded. A salient example(though outside the US) was the recent outright rejection of Chinese garments by the EU as the quota had been exceeded.
It is important that local trade is not undermined by the flooding of the clothes market by an uncontrolled influx of cheap goods cos at the end of the day Nigerians would be the ones to loose out.
Both local industry and external trade are essential for economic growth. The former must be safeguarded and nurtured, the latter must be conducted with ingenuity, in order to ensure gain rather than loss.
And one other thing, refering to what Drusilla said about Nigerian students being harassed continually in China and elsewhere, well, I am not surprised.
Outside of Africa, Nigerians and black Africans as a whole are depicted in the worst possible light, the perceptions gained as a result, once mingled with latent xenophobia can only yield the inevitable.
Some actually think that wild animals share the streets with people in Africa.
Which is quite a shame considering that black Africans are quite welcoming to foreigners in our midst.
Well that has always been our undoing in the past and even right now.

Someone mentioned Houphouet - Boigny as being one of the best African leaders. I'd like to concur with the individual who said that he would not even be placed in a list of one hundred, and while I am at it, I'd like to add that he would never ever be placed in any such list of honour.
This was a man, who said that the Apartheid regime was the internal policy of a sovereign state and as such, and therefore was beyond the jurisdiction or interference of other African states. I believe the term used to describe such a buffoon is 'Uncle Tom'.
Can u imagine? your fellow black brothers being degraded and exploited on their own ancestral lands and then a black person opens his mouth to make such an utterance.
As long as such individuals remain amongst us, and I assure u, they do, the continent would never be free from the pervasive influences and interference which plague it until this day.

As far as I am concerned, the ethnicity of the president should not be an issue. What should matter is his ability to do the job. We really need someone who is interested in developing our nation. Nigerians are not fools, in fact, we are quite intelligent and yet, the state of our nation is so shameful, especially in light of all the resources we possess. How long will foreign companies fleece us, handing us mere pittances, while they obtain untold weath at our expense. Indeed, this is also an African problem. But we must take care of our corner of the woods, first. Therefore, we need a president who is able to meet these challenges, an astute, able individual, ethnicity not withstanding.