HBCU-Africa Correspondents Corps

HBCU-ACC President

Akofa Bruce is an undergraduate student at Howard University. She serves as the Community Outreach and Communications Intern at the Center for Women, Gender, and Global Leadership. Akofa wishes to intersect her Political Science major and Women, Gender, and Sexualities Studies minor as an upcoming multimedia journalist. She aspires to cover African voices and stories from across the world, especially from her respective homes, Ghana, Kenya, and New York. 

HBCU-ACC Vice President  (HBCU)

Faith Awotho is a student at Howard University studying International Affairs. They are currently interested in supranational and intergovernmental structures, and in the future, they plan to pursue scholarship on the persistence of structural hierarchy across post-modern institutions. As a long-time storyteller from the state of Vermont, their previous works use digital media and collaborative art to examine rural experiences. 

HBCU-ACC Vice President (Non-HBCU)

(South Africa)

Aurelia Mouton is the Editor-in-Chief of Die Matie, the independent student newspaper of Stellenbosch University. She is a final year Humanities student majoring in Political Science, History and English Studies. She hopes to pursue a career in investigative or political news journalism. She is also involved in Stellenbosch University's Centre for Social Justice, as a social media assistant.

HBCU-ACC Secretary

Mfundo Jabulani Msimango is a second-year PhD student in Applied Linguistics and African Studies at Penn State University. His research interests focus on language and literacy in multilingual contexts in Southern Africa. Additionally, Mfundo serves as a Coordinator for the Penn State Global Virtual Forum.

Tatiana Allen is a journalism student attending Howard University. She has written for the NYU Spectrum, Howard University News Service, and her blog, Sipping with Tati. She has delved into the realms of fashion brands, business insights, and digital literacy within her recent articles. She has an interest in covering international affairs that affect civilians within the African diaspora. She aspires to be an investigative journalist specializing in global news. A communications major, she is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Chelsea Chilewa is a writer and producer for the Disney Storytellers Fund. They are also an Eicop recipient at Howard University. Chelsea has an interest in following the hidden and unhighlighted cultures across the world but specifically the beauties of Africa. They are a Film and TV production major who wishes to document the many wonders of the world.

Taryn, a community health education major at Howard University, seeks to merge her passion for journalism with her dedication to advocating for health awareness and prevention. With a focus on diabetes and its impact on Africa, she aims to conduct research to shed light on this crucial health issue. Through her research, she anticipates not only raising awareness but also giving a voice to those who have experienced the effects of diabetes firsthand.

Mya Hall is a freshman Public Relations major from Georgetown, Guyana. She is a reporter for the Variety Section at The Hilltop, the student newspaper of Howard University. Hall has covered issues both on and off campus dealing with student life and the international student experience. Passionate about the diverse narratives people of various backgrounds have to offer, she hopes to educate the masses about the nuances of the black experience in the Caribbean, and the world at large. Hall aspires to become a professional in the field of public relations and leave her mark on the world.

Oluwatobi Osobukola-Abubu is a doctoral student of the Department of African Studies. She has in the course of her graduate research, worked with the DC Human Trafficking Task Force Committee (HTTF) to sensitive students and staff at the Howard Law School and the Howard University Hospital on the identification and provision of support to victims of human trafficking. She has an interest in writing commentaries on trafficking-related issues. 

Rodney L. Smith is a PhD Student in the Department of African Studies at Howard University, 2024 Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow, and Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellow.  He has covered cultural, political and international events as photojournalist in East Africa and as a rapporteur for UNESCO Institute of Comparative Human Rights. He has written with Great Lakes Communications and Media Centre, The New Times, The East African, The Somaliland Times, Black Power Media and was previously affiliated with Associated Press - East Africa (photography). 

Babajide Tella is a doctoral student in the Political Science Department at Howard University. He is interested in African politics, political representation, political institutions, women in politics, democratization, and development studies. Babajide is an alumnus of The University of Ibadan, Nigeria (Bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Master's degree in International Relations).

(South Africa)

Lesedi Mnisi is the host of The Daily Vibe with Lesedi on MFM 92.6. She is also the host and creator of the podcast It All Intersects and the producer of Midday Knowledge, a podcast series by SU’s Centre for Student Life & Learning. Lesedi is an undergraduate law student at the University of Stellenbosch. Her interests center around systems of governance and legal philosophy. 

Sam Dennis Otieno is a dual-title PhD student in the Departments of Comparative Literature and African Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. He is interested in various forms of African literary and cultural expressions. He is an alumnus of the University of Nairobi, Kenya and has written for The Standard and Daily Nation newspapers in Kenya, as well as Music in Africa.

(South Africa)

Enzokuhle Sabela is final year Bachelor of Journalism Student at the Durban University of Technology. He hosts, The South African Conversation, a politics podcast. His work has appeared in the Mail and Guardian. He is actively involved in Tomorrow’s Leaders on Training, a program that aims to train the future leaders of South Africa.

Phiwokuhle Mnyandu is an established policy pundit, he is best known for his appearances on BBC World News and VOA Straight Talk Africa. 

Michael Walsh is a well-known foreign policy commentator, he served as a Subcommittee Chair on the Biden Defense Working Group during the 2020 presidential campaign.