The exchanges of experiences that were covered as formal presentations ranged from: hair textures and their hierarchical classification according to dominant Eurocentric perspectives of beauty; the commercialisation of blackness by the shoe industry; the dialectic conversation of Pan-Africanism and African Nationalism; a critical analysis on the role of the ANC during the post-apartheid period; a brief overview of the African Union’s vision for 2063 and means for young Africans to pursue progress on African terms and philosophy; and an African Rastafarian perspective on the liberation of the African being, souls and minds.

The seminar was well attended and produced a fertile environment for the exchange of ideas but also for certain topics of debate such as: the right of women of African descent to choose and implement their own perspectives on beauty particularly in relation to hair types and styles and not being policed as to what is African and what is not; the tensions created by immigration particularly in black areas that are deprived of essential services; and the oversimplification of diverse African cultures, traditions and identities.