Topic: African Liberation Movements in Context.  May 25 is African Liberation Day also known as Africa Day.  The day is commemorated by Africans on the continent and beyond remembering the various independence struggles to attain freedom from European colonial powers.  Tukufu Zuberi's documentary African Independence covers the history of the African continent since enslavement and colonization by Europeans.  The film highlights the birth and realization of and the problems confronted by the movement to win independence in Africa.  The story is told through the voices of freedom fighters and leaders who achieved independence and justice for African People.  By focusing on four watershed events: World War Two, the end of colonialism, the Cold War, and the era of African Republics. African Independence tells the story of Africa’s past and present.  Africa Now!'s today guest is Tufuku Zuberi, director, producer and host of African Independence.

Guest: Dr. Tukufu Zuberi is a sociologist, social critic, educator, and writer.  Dr. Zuberi has appeared in several documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora, including Liberia: America's Stepchild (2002), and 500 Years Later (2005).  He is one of the hosts of the long-running PBS program History Detectives.  He is the Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations, Professor and Chair of the Sociology Department, and professor of African Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.  Professor Zuberi has headed the African Census Analysis Project (ACAP), a project initiated by the United Nations to advance the process of census enumeration in Africa.

Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC.  Tune into Africa Now! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (Eastern).