#like I don't think you're actually aware of the reality of this continent I think you're just chastising the image of it you have in your

[meezer]

as opposed to americans, who have historically been extremely accepting of both poc and "different types of white"

[fairycosmos]

Do you dislike people who have more than you (money wise)?

I guess i'm just embarrassed of my recent privilege. My family recently got more money bc my dad got a way better paying job a few years back.

We were a stable middle class (regular in my country) and now we're just like upper middle class ig. But I can def feel the difference.

They invested and bought an apartment that i can live in (paying rent ofc) until they're moving into it themselves (across the country bc they wanna live near the rest of the family).

And i'm so proud of them bc they're refugees and had nothing when they came here. My brother grew up actually poor but i luckily didn't experience that.

But it's almost embarrassing to tell ppl what they've done for me and i constantly try to think of excuses as to why it's okay that they've given me this.

But it's also like - this narrative of me seeking acceptance from people with less than me and trying to justify it through that.

I guess im just curious abt ur opinion of this (me) and the whole thing of seeking acceptance from people of the class you were previously considered being a part of (and below)

Im so sorry if i sound disgusting im really not and ive never recieved anything from my parents (barely even b-day/xmas gifts) christ i just keep going lmao

but if you'd like - pls tell me ur opinion abt it bc im curious abt how im perceived by others

hiii so honestly i don't dislike people purely on the basis of them having more money than i do at all - i think it's completely fine to be proud of your family's recent success and to enjoy the rewards it brings :) this is gonna be badly explained bc im tired right now but i think what makes a real difference is self awareness - continously educating yourself on people outside of your economic bubble, not blinding yourself to the lived realities of those who haven't been as fortunate as you, understanding that the system is designed to keep the majority relatively powerless and understanding how money and class plays into that. if you're making the effort to truly grasp that then i don't think you should crucify yourself over any of this esp since nobody in your family has had it particularly easy. it can definitely feel weird to "seek acceptance" from people who are poorer than you in this context, so instead of basically praying and hoping that they will understand you and your background and judging yourself through their eyes, i think it'd just be best to remain self-aware and grateful and educated and listen to lower class ppl when they speak on these issues - if you're doing that and you're doing the work you don't have to feel embarrassed or shameful about your own life, seriously. x

[etheasavatar]

What is Ethea?

I'mma just pretend that one of ya'll asked me this question. What IS Ethea?

Ethea is a parallel reality to that of Earth's, though only occupied by a single planet. Sorry fellas, due to size restrictions, I couldn't fit a sun nor moon into there. We got a lighthouse that emulates them. Magic, a fix-all to every problem.

That planet. That planet is also named Ethea. It features one primary Pangaea-like continent. It is also named Ethea. Don't worry, that's all the Etheas.

So, what's it like? Alright, imagine a stereotypical fantasy environment. Now throw in a few kingdoms. Three, actually. Well, one of them is a kingdom-sized refugee camp, and one of them prepares for a war...and then prepares for a war some more. Now divide it into different biomes, cities, and different general locales. Now throw away your map because those do NOT work here.

Traveling in Ethea quite genuinely requires you to use an atlas. Standard single-page paper maps do not work. You can't just travel between regions, you have to find Paths, else you'd walk into a procedurally generated null-energy dreamscape and nobody gets anything good out of those. Put simply, each region is larger on the inside, by a large volume.

Paths are points in space that connect two locations, though many of them require specific criteria to activate and utilize. They, of course, only trigger if you're aware of them and want to use them.

I could go on, but I think that's good enough for now. Nice to meet ya'll, I hope I enjoy this platform.

[skepticalarrie]

https://crookedpurseoafopera.tumblr.com/post/657837466182631424/hey-so-i-began-following-you-like-a-couple-days

It's my first time asking someone on tumblr something, is it OK i do? You post a lot so I figured you'd know. So the post i linked mentioned that their teams AND twitter uas work to hide pictures of the boys. Is this true? Are hld not posting post hiatus larry pictures. Maybe cause they're were asked to?

Hi love, sure, you can ask whatever you want! ;) I'm sorry I didn't answer you earlier.

I don't think that's exactly what Gabi meant with that, no. But to explain that we're going to have to go back in time a little bit: So when they were in the band, there was undeniably a narrative that Harry and Louis were basically mortal enemies, right? I think everyone is aware of that. So they were never ever anywhere together, never alone, they couldn't fly together, they couldn't even write songs together - they wrote Perfect in different rooms, c'mon - but of course that wasn't the reality at all. So their team and UAs (completely controlled by 1DHQ) would always push this narrative on us and cover up for the fact that they were literally always in the same room and standing next to each other. There was this particular UA, actually, called fyz and they were very famous for cropping Louis out of pictures and make people only see what they were meant to be seeing. So basically:

When the reality was:

The context is so important. And people can twist things completely by simply cropping something out of the picture or photoshopping or simply not acknowledging the actual facts. So it happened a lot, with everything. Things like "Louis and Liam are in the studio today" and we would get a picture of them, and months later some other picture would leak with Harry there too (just an example, I don't remember if that was exactly how it happened lol sorry). They had thousands and thousands of exclusive photos and they would drop them when it was convenient.

So if gay rumours were out of control (they were all about het Harry, btw) Louis would pop up in a different continent w/ Eleanor because see? h&l are not together, they're as far away as possible. But the pictures were always proven to be from a different day or in a different context. They were just posting when it was convenient to push this narrative.

That's probably what Gabi meant with "UAs on twitter". We see what we are supposed to see, and this never changed. So no, it goes much further than questioning if HLD has post-hiatus pictures that they were asked not to share. I don't think that's the case at all. Bringing this to the present time is not hard to put 2 and 2 together and realize that sometimes they go MIA at the same time or one of them is always MIA while the other is somewhere publicly. And their individual teams are definitely always covering up for that. They casually place one of them on the other side of the globe when they’re actually not there and this kind of stuff we see all the time. But also, there's a theory that there's a photo ban preventing Harry and Louis to be photographed together - probably something post-hiatus, or even during the band but preventing them from being seen alone and out of work. It's called super-injunction. Based on that, I don't think people have pictures of Harry and Louis at all, it would be legally forbidden to publish any information or pics that expose a relationship between the two of them. Which just reinforces the receipt you're originally linking on this ask. Disposable cameras make a lot of sense.

Oh and I'm aware there's this theory about HLD being an insider and this doesn't make any sense to me, I don't think they're hiding something or pushing any particular narrative. This UA I mentioned earlier though? Fyz? They're HSD. Still, very biased towards this het Harry image and posting only what goes with this narrative.

[emi1y]

Do you think it would be a good idea to genetically program every new baby to have a modified version of intersex with ambiguity in genitalia and both (internal) testes and ovaries (tho that’s not ever co-occurred in humans before) basically so then we could choose which genitalia develop and which die off at puberty with some fancy future type of gene therapy? Or maybe just make everyone XX (and no intersex) and then do parthenogenesis and have genders but no sex differences - just one sex, infinite genders. I only picked XX not XY so we can avoid increased color blindness issues. Asking for Sci-fi potential. I have no idea if gene therapy can do sex change even in theory btw. I guess not all trans people even care about sex changing so maybe instead we declare dicks female too and cunts male too. Personally I think my mental self image is more real than anything anyone else sees and if I push it hard enough everyone just agrees. Like yes bitch I AM the ur-queen of bathsheba. I’m every sexuality at once and was born on every continent of every race too. Not being royal blood according to you doesn’t matter. So I’m trying to figure out which of these narratives works best in a fun but trans affirming way for Sci fi. Mental reality manifesting real reality with enough willpower OR fancy gene therapy making actual sex change real?? Which one is better??

i have absolutely no idea what made you send this to ME, a stranger online who has never once expressed interest in the scifi genre and hasnt read a book in years

but no I don't think it'd be a good idea to start genetically modifing people?? even in the context of a fictional story this just sounds like romanticization of eugenics and a lack of social awareness towards the intersex community. how did you think it'd be a good idea to say that doing modifications to infants' bodies would be a POSITIVE aspect of this fictional society when forced childhood medical procedures are a cruelty that intersex people already face in reality. not to mention how appaling it is to suggest treating intersex bodies like they're a trope you can sprinkle into a sci-fi story in attempt to make it "trans affirming".

which, by the way, I'm not sure who this would be affirming for. you're trying to come up with a solution for the rigid way that eurocentric society defines gender categories, but we invent language to describe the human experience, not the other way around. any story that has a society implement changes to the human body en mass to make it easier to exist within the same shitty constraints of definitions that are arbitrary anyway isn't trans-affirming, it's a dystopia

[kickmag]

S.O. Discusses Heritage & Inspiration For Larry Ginni Crescent Album

S.O. took advantage of the pandemic like most artists and used the tim to get closer to his muse. In this instance that well of inspiration came from his young daughter who he wanted to make sure would be aware of her cultural roots as a child with parents from Ghana and Nigeria but now living in Texas after spending time in the UK. S.O.'s previous Augustine's Legacy from 2019 was harder and more stateside in its sound which contrasts the genial and worldly approach to the just released Larry Ginni Crescent album. The choice to delve into Afrobeats was a practical one because of the genre's mismatch of Black pop from around the globe. S.O. wanted to connect all of his family experiences in song as a musical playbook for his daughter's heritage. The album is like a sonic equivalent of honey and iron with its ambrosial melodies and words of gratitude and determination. In the following interview the rapper explains the how he planned the new music and the importance of knowing one's history.

"The first thing somebody thinks about Africa, one of the first things is the child who's hungry with the fly in their eye where I could take you to Lagos and this looks just like New York."

So I see that Larry Ginni Crescent is the name of the street you lived on during your childhood in Lagos, Nigeria. What are some of the things that you remember most about that time?

That's a very good question. Things that I remember is just the community aspect of it. So you know Larry Ginni  when we got there we were like one of the few houses that were there. So as families started moving in and everybody kind of knew one another it's kind of picturesque.

If you think about the movie when they go to a neighbor and hey can I borrow some milk? And I brought some sugar or hey, I'm going out of town for a little bit can you make sure that the house has been you know  like looked after. There's no strangers.  I think that like a community aspect was like one of the main things.

I remember one time my neighbor's dog gave birth in our house and so we had the puppies at our house. I have fun memories. Dad, my mom, my sisters, you know, like all of this stuff you can think of, like growing up in Nigeria in Lagos in the early '90s at that time that's the stuff that I was experiencing.

Who  was Larry Ginni Crescent?

I have no idea who he is. My assumption is that Larry Ginni is the first person to build a house in that area. I actually don't know. I'm going to ask my mom who is this guy? Crescent is the road that my house was on.

So the main thing that I'm hearing is the sense of community. How does this music reflect that feeling ?

I think that the music the intention of it is to get those who are in the diaspora. So like someone like me who was born in Nigeria raised in Nigeria and then moved to London and is now living in Texas like I'm part of the diaspora. So always, always having a sense of wanting to go back home wanting to connect to where I'm from you know what shaped me.

A lot of my friends are Nigerian. A lot of them are Ghanian and so we know what village we're from we know our village name so on and so forth but there's also like on the other end for my African-American brothers and sisters who like you know since being in America.

As I was creating the music I was thinkin how can I create songs? Sonically, maybe not topic-wise, but sonically that will at least encourage some of my brothers and sisters in the states to be like hey man let me go find out more about this Afrobeats sound or more about this language that you'll speak.

What is Yoruba? but what's Larry Ginni Crescent? Where is that? Can we go there? Like, you know what I mean? Like stuff like that. And so there was still that sense of community but it's more on a global scale trying to make people hearken back to where they're from so that they can appreciate it more because I was around when being African wasn't cool. I still remember that or the teacher will pronounce your name incorrectly and the kids would be laughing.

Why was it so important for you to get back to your African roots? And also, why did you make the choice to use the Afrobeats sound this time? listened to Augustine’s Legacy and it’s very different.

It's multi-layered man so I think another thing that happened is I had a child and I said I never want her to not know where she's from. So what can I do to ensure sh stays grounded and rooted in where she's from and the culture that raised her mom, raised her dad and will ultimately raise her as well. I had a kid and saw that I can't speak Yoruba all that well I need to go learn it so that I can teach my daughter or you know we,we do great with the food, the culture, the dress, all that stuff. But that language you know what I'm saying, the language is necessary, you know? And so like one of the ways I've tried to do that is like if I'm singing it on certain songs she can sing along with me. She can understand hey this sound  this is from your dad's land. This  picture that you see on the front cover of Larry Ginni Crescent this is your dad's and your sister and your auntie in their house in Lagos like we can I can literally take you to this place.

Like my, most of my friends are either immigrants or first generation so there's still that connection. People go home every year every other year twice a year. There's still that sense of  hey we know where we're from how can we continue to pass this on to the next generation so that it doesn't get lost as they remain in the Western world?

Was your daughter born in Texas?

Yeah. She was born in America. She was born in Texas.

How long were you in the UK before you moved to the United States?

I just moved to America five years ago. As I started to do music a lot of my audience I start to realize was stateside and so between like 2011 and 2015 I was coming to America like every year, twice a year, so on and so forth. One day I was coming back into the states and you know  if you have a bridge four hours across what you're allowed to come into the US on a visa waiver so you don't need a visa. I was perfectly legally coming in but then they detained me. They detained me and said hey don't come back until you have a proper work visa. And so when I acquired that work visa then and I just moved cause I know this is a place where the music is being consumed majority wise.And so this is a place that I need to kind of be to build and continue doing what I'm doing.

When did coming from Africa over here become cool, but first of all, what is the difference in how you were received over in the UK versus in the US?

I think because the majority Africans in the UK can trace exactly where they're from my one family member or two at the most that's different, right? Because the language is still being spoken to you. The cultural intricacies are still being that the food, the dress on us, like it's even down to the musicians right now in the UK. Most of the Black musicians are either African or Jamaican and they know exactly where they're from. They’re speaking the language and the music they’re intertwining it with the sound. So it's like in the UK  to be African at least in this new era isn't anything to shy away from.

Me and my mum had the conversation all the time. I'm like yo like you know why did you move me and my sisters from Nigeria to the UK. Like, why didn't we just stay there?  Why didn't we just remain as a family there and then come here and then go there. The reality of it is like there was this idea that the west America, UK and Europe was better both economically, financially, educational wise. And to a certain extent that is true. There is a level of truth in that but imagine what would have happened if we just remained where we were at and developed our countries.

So going back to the original question, it's like yeah. Knowing where you're from having that sense of connection with where you're from is a lot little easier to be connected in the UK as opposed to being in the US where, you know, like for the majority of the black experience the connection has been lost, right? But what I've tried to do since being here it's like how can I extend like some of my experience or my knowledge to people? One of the things I think is the easiest way to get people engaged is food.

What is the dish that always gets them?

Jollof Rice because they used to that I feel if you've eaten like Mexican food, they’re distant cousins is enough for that. Um, but then if you want to like go deep, deep, like pounded jam and spinach stew you could see like, sometimes we'll make some of that for people but yeah like food and music.

Are there other ways for African-Americans to connect to Africa?

It's difficult to acquire from someone sometimes. They didn't grow up in. So probably if I go to my African American family, like, Hey man, you should really go back and give back to where you come from. Like, bro, I don't come from that. And I can't fault them for that because they don't like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I can't be like, Hey man, you should really go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's everywhere. Just get on a plane. Let's just go to Ghana, Nigeria, like yo, because of everything they've seen on TV, because even though Black Panther is there, you still have the years of false information about the continent. That the content undeveloped the people live in bushes there you fight lions.

I can’t fault someone because of how media has portrayed Africa.  Media has done a terrible job overall.

In more recent years they've been doing better, but overall they've done a terrible job at conveying Africa. The first thing somebody thinks about Africa one of the first things is the child who's hungry with the fly in their eye where I could take you to Lagos and this looks just like New York.

We already have shared experiences. We just call them different things. I'm going to the cookout in South Africa. That's a brie that's the same thing. Like, yo, I'm going to this it's the same. We have the same experiences. We just call them different things. And so he would go there and realize Hey, these people aren’t as different from me as I thought they would be it becomes a lot easier to be connected.

Did you see the parallel with rap music?

Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that the rap music and Afrobeat. Like think there's music coming from struggle. Like music, like hip hop was just what, 40 something years old. I think it just turned 40 something. Yeah. 48 years. Music birthed from struggle to speak against what is going on that's what is being created that is what's being made. If we look at what Fela Kuti was doing with Afrobeat he wasn't just making you know songs about girls. And he was specifically speaking against the political powers that be and so like things like that. There was so much connectivity like so much parallel that you know if we just kind of like stop pitting one another against each other like oh, you're this, you're that? And I've been guilty of doing that too. We can learn from one another.

So were you saying earlier that now in 2021, it's easier to be African in America? Now what's going on that, like, when did you see it?

Wakanda Forever.

Black Panther. Did it?

Yeah. Black Panther.  That was the straw that broke the camel's back in a good way. That was the one that made people go, yo. Okay, cool. What's this mean even though it's fiction. Even though it's not real people still felt like a level of connection. From that to the year of return in Ghana that was like a big thing. If you remember like in that Black Panther era people were wearing the dashikis to the suits to the movies.

And then I would also say like the influx of Afrobeats, um, like, especially in this go around, you've had like a first go around, but because of how the internet is now, it's a lot easier. Um, so easy to be like, Hey man, I want to listen to a Burna Boy song or who is Burna Boy. And how streaming has kind of helped level the playing field.

Artists can collaborate with other artists. I just saw Wizkid has a song with Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber is the biggest artist in the word. Afrobeats has also helped them play the part in that. And I'll say the internet has definitely made the world smaller so people can go and find out about other cultures without having to go and visit there.

What's the most personal song for you on this new project?

My most personal song I think is “Good to Me”  is probabl the most personal song.  This album is dedicated to my grandmother who passed away last year due to COVID. So like kind of looking at stuff like that seeing what's happening in the world you can easily lose faith. You could easily lose faith and be like, God, are you real? God, are you there? You know, so on and so forth. But once you kind of look at things from a different perspective, you start to realize even though my grandmother passed away.  She was sick and my granddad passed like maybe two or three weeks after that. But they had been married for over 60 years. Great.  They've had a wonderful life. Things of that nature where you could you could look at the negative but always having to look at the positive and say hey  God you are good to me regardless of what's going on around the world.  Because what would have been worse really is for her to pass away and then for him to still be alive now because he had dementia his health was depleting and so it was actually better for him to go than to remain on earth.

I look at things like that and I'm like good to me. That's my favorite song on the album. It just kind of like hones in that message in like just looking at my life and just thinking about where I came from and where I'm at now. Like there's no way I can’t say that God hasn’t been good to me.

I really liked “Prosper.”

“Prosper” is one of those songs where I probably be performing that for a long time., I think maybe like a week after I heard about my grandmother, I wasn't able to like, create anything, you know, like I just was like, man, what is going on in life? Like what is in the next verse just, you know, just kind of stuck with me. Like no weapon formed against you will prosper and thought this sounds like an anthem for people going through COVID going through, you know, life in general, like things that, that you don't even know will hit you. Like, Hey man, we could be singing this and this could be our jam together. Like as well as with dancing, like pray, no weapon formed against you will prosper.

We've been down so long. That was time to prosper. You know what I mean? Like, and, you know, as I was writing that, it just came to me. So yeah, that's it, that's the chorus right there.

You know, a great survival anthem.

You know, there you go.

Is  that actually your wife and the video for “Kinda Love?”

That is her. She is no video vixen but she's beautiful. You know usually she's really like heavy hands on with like some of the design and things like that. So I had to get her involved. Love & Basketball references as well. You've got the basketball scene. If you see the Love & Basketball DVD cover they put the basketball up and they're both kissing. We recreated that scene. So we wanted to like show like iconic Black love.

It just really feels like great music for the summer. Do you feel you conveyed what you were trying to do by bringing the Afrobeat ssound and having more of a sense of the diaspora. Do you feel like the music really expressed that?

Yeah, absolutely. Man. I think that the other I think it expresses, I think that the response has been that too. Yeah, I think that anything with melody always work, you know because it crosses generations. We went over to Maryland and I was playing, playing some of the songs like one of my aunts she was like I really like this. And I play one of the songs for one of my cousins who's like in his twenties and he’s  ike yo, I'm really digging this. So generation to generation singing and melody always works always hits and you know no one can be like Hey what are you saying? because cause if the melody's catchy enough they’re going to remember it.

I think people are going to be playing this project be it if you're of the diaspora, even if you're not from the diaspora, like you're going to just enjoy good music with universal themes about love, faith, prospering and surviving.

And so, you know, I’ve got to ask you about your producers.

TBabz is a young producer from Nigeria. I think he produced three of the songs. Um, obviously he's produced Travis Greene and Da’ Truth but you know, I think with this project I was working with like one of my main producers name is GP he’s Grammy nominated.

He's produced the majority of my stuff from 2011. But with this one I was looking for like younger guys that can you know feel in tune with the sound that's going on in Nigeria and around the continent. That can pull me in and like school me on some stuff and help me like I think about the last song “Wonder.”

And that's very pianoesque and I've never made like piano before but TBabz was like yo check this song out watch how they're doing it. Like send me the vocals. I'll chop up your stuff. He was really instrumental and stuff like that. He's like super, super talented man.

I'm super excited for his future. Steve Rod who made your favorite song “Prosper” again I heard that song I was like yo, I need this beat. Like I need it don’t sell it. I just thought dope. Don't do anything. Just send it to me right now. I'm going to see GP that's my friend brother for life.

He produced three of the songs as well. It was just good to have that. Having the project mixed by one of the members from Team Salute who produced like probably one of the biggest Afrobeat songs, Adrugbar. He was supercritical, super pivotal in helping me, um, Like singing and the melodies and even like how I would do certain things like, Hey man, that's too wordy.

And you know, like I'm never the guy to be like, nice one to do it myself. I don't want, I don't want to create, I think it's just always good to create a community, even if it's a small community that you're able to like share stuff with share ideas and be like, yo, what you think? How can it be improved?

Are there any plans for any more visuals?

Yes. We have a visual for “Want You” that's dropping September 10th. I'm toying with either shooting a video for “Prosper” of “Corner (O Ti De)” but for sure September 10th for the “Want You” video. We have a few remixes we’re dropping to continue the momentum.

Follow S.O. on his official website Instagram, Twitter and Facebook 

[africanfemalearchitects]

AFA Open-Chat Series with Tosin Oshinowo pt.2

Tosin: We are a very interesting conundrum, as a continent. We are a series of ethnicities, that were divided into countries in 1835. There isn't a singular identity for Nigerian, Congo, or Uganda or Ghana. We are a series of cultural groups, who by the lining of a boundary line of a country, have been told 'go, and become a standardized identity'. It doesn't exist. In Nigeria we have so many different cultures, if I go to the North, South or West - even what should have been our vernacular, is not the same. It's based on the terrains, it is based on the people, it is based on traditions.

This question of identity is one that I think is terribly fluid; and we were brought into modernism. Modernism was populated across the whole world not just in Africa, yes, in many terms it took the climate into consideration : modernism in Europe look absolutely different from Modernism in Tropical, to North and South Africa; and there are certain consistencies of modernism. But if we are looking for specific identities: I think we are just beginning to see that.

Covid came in as a material, and completely changed the game everywhere. Most of us, we are still building in concrete; a lot of the West builds with steel and they've got more advanced materials. We are stuck in the materials of early modernism, and we are now beginning to appropriate and create identities based off that. Although no one has really documented here, you start to see elements of identities when you step back; and you've to step back. And it's always at the end of a movement that you can actually see and categorize it as such. If I look at Architecture in Nigeria from the 80's, it's very specific and you can actually categorize it as such: the materials that were used and the scaling of the building tells me that. If I look at a building from the Northeast in Nigeria, you can tell that that was a period: by that type of windows that were used, spaces, and the finishes. We do have something, but it's not that distinct. That kind of vernacular and identity is a transition. But in a world where we have a globalization exposure; somebody who lives in Nigeria wants a house they saw in Florida. You've, then, to find interesting ways to carry that cultural identity in modern-day context. Yes, I do think there are nuances of identity but they're not strong in terms of very-striking particular form. Moderator: With a number of architects in Nigeria, do you visually see an impact of the presence of architects currently in your country?

Tosin: I don't think so, but it's not because there are no architects, but how projects are executed. For example, there was an upgrade of an existing train station that was inaugurated recently by our President. But this was done by Chinese contractors, and it doesn't look anything like where it is located; it could've been a spaceship that was just dropped in. There was absolutely no local context included in it; and even the Institute were not aware. When you look at Singapore, there was a big emphasis on marrying local and foreign architects; and there was a cross of information. You can't improve a profession, if you don't allow them to be part of innovative process. When that happens, what value does it add or make of us, if no local consultancy is involved? That biggest impact to show a strong physicality norm of infrastructure on a government-led project, where the government is not involving local practitioners then you can't see the impact. Moderator: We are dealing with the same issues here in Rwanda, we are struggling to make understand the importance of having an architect in the community. Tosin: As Africans we need to make an effort to upscale ourselves as well. Some areas, some architects are still drawing-by-hand. Who's going to call you when you're drawing-by-hand. There are no excuses today. With the information age, everything is online. If you want to learn something, you can learn it. Software companies aren't accommodating to the situation that we have in this part of the world. If you look at a dollar and naira; the naira is like a nonexistent entity that happens to be a dot in the atmosphere compared to a dollar. When you earn in a country with a slightly lower GDP, if you look at GDP per capita, the reality is that the economy is going to determine how much people can afford to build, and to pay towards professionals' fees. If the software is x amount, how do you expect a local consultant to pay for it? Because in this market you cannot command a high fee. What I'd expect is that for these programmers and software companies were really thinking about the professionals; they would make it affordable for a local person because they won't have to kill themselves to get a Revit license. What you happen to have here in a lot of situations, is that people just use bootlegs; but the problem with that is you're not part of the community. When innovations are happening, when new programs are being added, you're not even aware of that information. Information is there, but that barrier of money is also very present. Moderator: We need to raise awareness of that issue, especially even for students; as soon as they graduate they're not going to be able to afford it right away.

Tosin: They need to scale it for us based on economies. I know the West doesn't consider us. For example, if buying an Iphone in Nigeria is different than buying an Iphone in Europe. Some people's whole salary here is the price of an Iphone and less. And they have a better system on how to acquire these things. We are in a skewed environment, but it is still much better than what it would have been in the 60's.

Moderator: Looking then, architects were sketching to the last detail of a building. Do you think we should still invest ourselves in that way? Tosin: We live in a global world, and Africa is left much farther and farther behind. It's worrying how much attention is not being paid to it. I was looking at a project done by Mass Design and they're doing a lot of work in Africa. One of the biggest selling-point is that they have skills, and exposure to research that a local practitioners doesn't have. This is a good age for an American Firm to give back, and they're a not-for-profit organization and it's of value, with policy about social change. It's a good thing, but the reality irrespective if they were doing it or not, these are necessary projects: schools hospitals, etc.. These are necessary projects irrespective if a foreign company was coming in, it has to be done! But the government are more willing to give that project to a foreign consultant because they have the skills. Even not just the government, a private client in Nigeria will pay a lot of money to a foreign consultant because they believe they are getting the best. What happens to people who are pushing boundaries, who are trying to produce work that is global anywhere? This puts you in an awkward position.

If we don't upscale ourselves, we are going to get further and further behind. Those who have the choice, will rather not use local consultancy. This is not just based on being a good designer, it's about being conscious of what's happening globally. It's about exposing ourselves on technology, and innovation; and bringing that into your work as well. Moderator: It's a competitive market. Tosin: Yes, and I think this is something architects don't realize: you can't tell anyone how to spend their money. It is a market and it's an open market. The sooner we realize that we must equip ourselves with skills to stay ahead, then we will put ourselves in a better position. Moderator: I hope students are listening. Get into the most complicated and innovative way of design and build, and excel in that; and do something that local markets aren't doing currently. I have been 5 years in the career, and I know, I'm still far and I'm pushing myself to learn and excel at these. I'm really glad you highlighted it. How would you advise women architects to invest in their career? Tosin: I think everybody needs to understand the importance of strategies in life, and not just in the profession - especially; as a woman. How many children do you want? Do you want children? Have you thought about how you'll balance life with having children with work? Will there be a point where you'll focus more on your children? Will you be doing half and half? Everybody's approach is different, but you must be intentional. You can't just let life happen to you. You have to decide, 'what do I want?'. When I look back in 30 years, what do I want to have achieved? If you don't have a class strategy or a plan, then that's the beginning of failure; because life will happen to you. And there's no right or wrong. But whatever decision you make, you must make a conscious decision. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, there's nothing wrong with that - but decide that's what you wanted. If you want to be a working professional with working children, decide that's what you want, and again, there's no right or wrong. For any person who's at the beginning of their career, look at your goals, and make conscious decisions. And follow through! Life will change your plans. I always get confused when I see people letting life just happen to them. How did you not think? And the sad thing is life is very short. I'm 41 now. I see people who are 26, and I tell them, go turn the world! And they' tell me they don't have the time. You have all the time in the world. The older you get, the more you realize that this journey is very short. I'm already half-way, and eventually things are going to start working properly. I've 20 years of professionalism, I've done half of it. Am I happy with the decision I made? Will I continue on this path? Even on my journey, I'm conscious of the decision, I've made, and what I'm trying to achieve. And ultimately, one of my biggest goals is I want to leave a legacy of work. And this is just for me, it might not be somebody else's plan. But I want my great-great-grand-children to know that their great-great-grand-mother added value. I don't want my country to put a plaque on my name, but my children's children who did not meet me, know that their grandma was hard-working. That for me is enough, and that means that I have done my job.

Moderator: Definitely, and I'll check again, but I haven't seen another African woman who has been featured this much, either on Archdaily or other things as well. You are being intentional. Tosin: Yes, even as a practice now, when I see what I've achieved, I wonder what can I achieve on a global stage? How do I start building networks, and tactical points on how I can build a project in this region? It's no longer impossible in mind. And I've realized that there's so much you can do, without being in a fixed location. I realize now I can work in a global capacity. BurnaBoy won a grammy. For Nigeria, that means a lot. Talent has no geography. If you're good at what you do, the world will come and look for you . Moderator: You have to have a target. As an architect, do I want to stick to what's existing or do I want to do more than that? Tosin: There's nothing wrong with that. Because everybody can't be the super-star; that's the reality. There has to be a place for everyone. Just be intentional. And as you excel, you can check where you want to go next. We all have different paths. Moderator: Whichever level you're at, try to improve what's existing and make an impact; and that's what our career is about. What can architects do, to improve Gender Equity in the profession? What are males can do to level your ground? Tosin: We don't live in Utopia. If you are waiting for people to give you a seat at the table, go and take the chair yourself. No one is going to handle you anything. We have this problem in Nigeria, everybody is waiting for government; what can you do, yourself? Don't wait for anyone. Do what you can do within the limits of your environment. People who are successful do not wait for hand-downs, as they do not get you anywhere. We are born into different situations. Moderator: What practices can someone do professionally and personally to find their niche in the architectural field.

Tosin: That's a very open-ended question. Look at your strengths and your weaknesses. Make sure you try to amplify your strengths. As a professional, you must need balance. Moderator: What career advice would you give to fresh graduates? Tosin: Go work for someone first. Learn the ropes. It's a lot easier to start under tutelage of somebody else. Learn from somebody else's mistakes. When you have gained a certain level of confidence, you can step out on your own. Moderator: What thoughts would you like to share with the world, about the importance of inclusivity? Tosin: I don't like to wait for the world, but the profession could be more inclusive, not just for the female architects but for the African architects, in general. We have always been at a large disadvantage, as innovation is happening in the fourth revolution, we are getting further and further behind. I'm very conscious of it, because I'm paying attention. For the example I gave of Autodesk, actually looking at the realities of our economies of scale, and pricing the software to something that we can afford, would be a massive help. Those are things we don't control.

Moderator: I think we have got everything covered for this interview, Tosin; I can't thank you enough. Tosin: I also want to thank you. I started following you because particularly I was interested to see what other women were doing. I was pleasantly surprised that I'm not alone in this. It's nice to see other people doing interesting things as well; and it's a warming feeling to know that you're not alone. And I really enjoy your Instagram Page. Moderator: Thank you very much. How accessible are you, and how can young architects reach you, for mentorship and more career advices? Tosin: It's becoming a little difficult to be honest. I do have some people I do mentor now. I have someone I mentor from Bahamas, London, and in Lagos. It's becoming a little difficult with everything that I'm handling. If you send me an email, and you have a very specific question, I'll always answer because I know the importance of the people who also supported me when I was a young professional, and please be very specific. Moderator: On this topic, I actually love this mentorship rotation you do on your sites Tosin: On Thursday's every two weeks, I try to carry people along. I was actually surprised about how many people followed with a thousands of views on Instastory. Even highlighting the sites that way online is useful. If you're interested, please continue to watch that. I didn't realize it was a thing, but I know it's a thing. Moderator: It's very much a great thing you're doing! Thank you so much for your time Tosin, if we have more questions we will cover them in other series in the future. We are thankful to have you as an advisor, and your enthusiasm is really great for us - I wouldn't be here otherwise. Tosin: And keep it up as well! Thank you so much for having me! Thank you for reading and to everyone who participated in this live and is supporting this platform and helping it grow. Written & Edited by Lise Isaro, founder of AFA. Published 21 August 2021