Lullabies for freedom’s girls

This International Day of the Girl Child is an emotional one for me as I hold my own tiny daughter, the resilient and yet thoroughly dependant being that she is at this stage of life. To parent a girl is to be reminded that it is the responsibility of us- of adults- to protect, to nourish, to defend, and to open the window out into a beautiful world for every little girl.

My daughter gives me a new opportunity to practice revolutionary love. And that, of course, means loving her enough to want to refuel my feminist fire and keep contributing to movements that challenge structural inequalities and build towards joy-filled feminist futures.

In this small moment of quiet as my daughter rests, I have started to compose a playlist of songs by Africa’s tremendous women artists to mark this day for myself. My first Day of the Girl with my own girl in my arms. These are lullabies for my little daughter, a little girl I see woven into freedom’s plan.

1. Ria Boss — The women
2. Sena Dagadu — Play (Pa Ba Ba)
3. Simphiwe Dana- Zandisile
4. Bumi Thomas- Afrospirit
5. Sara Tavares- Balance
6. Thandiswa — Transkei Moon
7. Khethi- Warrior
8. Somi- African lady
9. Asa- Dreamer girl
10. Matshidiso — Twinkle twinkle (Ruthie in the sky)
11. Tawiah — Queens

Listen to the playlist on Soundcloud here