Centering African Voices: The Call for Climate Justice and Cultural Authorship at SXSW

(3 Minutes Read)

At SXSW London’s Nature & Climate House, one panel stood out for its emotional depth and unapologetic clarity: Africans Make Everything Cool. Curated by Crtve Development and Bellwethers, the session didn’t just explore what’s missing in climate action — it asked who’s missing, and why.

In a global festival full of corporate buzzwords and climate clichés, the panel offered something rare: authenticity. Despite Africa accounting for just under 4% of global emissions, it faces some of the harshest climate impacts. Yet, African voices are often sidelined, referenced, but not represented. That’s what made this session different.

The answer, the panellists argued, lies not just in science or policy, but in culture. Filmmaker Eric Myers underscored this: “Film shapes mindsets. But in the climate, we’re not using it enough.” Climate facts exist, but they lack emotional reach. Creatives, especially from Africa and its diaspora, can bridge that gap.

Hayat Aljowaily highlighted the disconnect: “You can’t connect with something you don’t see yourself in.” Earthquakes in Egypt only shifted public perception when the experience hit home. Climate communication, she said, must become more relatable and rooted in people’s realities.

Moniqué Lawz brought it closer to the ground. From her experience near Ghana’s Akosombo Dam, she stressed that communities burn waste not from ignorance but lack of alternatives. Her activism is grounded in empathy, not blame — “Start with what’s in your hands.”

Dr. Okito Wedi, founder of Crtve Development, laid the foundation for a new climate ethos: “Art comes before policy.” Culture, she said, is not an afterthought — it’s the frontline. She challenged narratives of victimhood: “We’re still the ones dealing with the floods. So why wait for the UK or US to save us?”

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The conversation took a sharp turn toward AI — the next frontier of cultural authorship. Aljowaily warned, “If we don’t feed AI our perspectives, we’ll be erased.” The panel emphasised that Africans must not be passive consumers of technology, but active contributors. Participation isn’t endorsement — it’s survival.

Ultimately, Africans Make Everything Cool wasn’t just a panel. It was a provocation: to center African creativity in shaping the climate future, not as a response to crisis, but as a force of cultural power and planetary reimagination.