8 Africans in the Time 100 Next 2019

The Time 100 Next is an expansion the Time 100 franchise that spotlights 100 rising stars and up-and-comers who are shaping their industries. These individuals, despite the challenges the know they might face, have grand ambitions of changing the status quo and making the world a better place for the coming generations.

The Time 100 Next contains world changers from all over the and the 2019 list has 8 individuals of African heritage. See them below.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Njideka Akunyili Crosby is a Nigerian-born visual artist based in Los Angeles, California. Akunyili Crosby’s art “negotiates the cultural terrain between her adopted home in America and her native Nigeria, creating collage and photo transfer-based paintings that expose the challenges of occupying these two worlds”. Before becoming an artist, Akunyili Crosby was getting pre-medical requirements to pursue a career in medicine. However, after graduating in 2004, she studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where she earned a post-baccalaureate certificate in 2006. She later attended the Yale University School of Art, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. Akunyili Crosby has been awarded the prestigious Genius Grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Kwame Onwuachi

Kwame Onwuachi is an American-Nigerian chef based in Washington, D.C. In 2012, Onwuachi enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. During culinary school, Onwuachi worked an externship at Per Se, and after graduation he worked as a line cook at Eleven Madison Park. After his first restaurant was closed down by its primary investor, Onwuachi was hired in late 2017 to open a restaurant in the new InterContinental Hotel on D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront. He named it Kith and Kin, serving Afro-Caribbean cuisine influenced by his family ties to Louisiana, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Nigeria. The restaurant received positive reviews from the Washington Post and the Michelin Guide. In 2019, Food & Wine magazine named Onwuachi one of its Best New Chefs.

Adut Akech

Adut Akech Bior is a South Sudanese-Australian model. Akech made her fashion week runway debut as an exclusive in the Saint Laurent S/S 17 show and went on to close both their F/W 17 and S/S 18 shows as an exclusive. Bior has walked for Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Kenzo, Prada,Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, JW, Burberry, Off-white, Versace among others. She has also shot editorials for American Vogue, British Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, I-D Magazine, Le Monde M Magazine, Modern Matter, Numéro, The Gentlewoman, WSJ., T Magazine and Vogue Australia. In 2018, she was chosen as “Model of the Year” by models.com

Joy Buolamwini

Joy Adowaa Buolamwini is a Ghanaian-American computer scientist and digital activist based at the MIT Media Lab. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League, an organisation that looks to challenge bias in decision making software. Buolamwini is a Rhodes Scholar, a Fulbright fellow, a Stamps scholar, an Astronaut Scholar and an Anita Borg Institute scholar. In 2011, she teamed with the Trachoma program at Carter Center, to develop an Android-based assessment system for Ethiopia and aide eradication of the disease worldwide. As a Fulbright fellow, in 2013 Buolamwini worked with local computer scientists in Zambia to empower Zambian youth to become technology creators. In 2018, Buolamwini was listed as one of BBC’s 100 Women and was featured among “America’s Top 50 Women In Tech” by Forbes

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi

Oluwaseun Ayodeji is a Nigeria women’s rights activist. As the Executive Director of Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER), she is responsible for conducting advocacy and project implementation and ensuring survivors of gender-based violence receive medical, legal, and psycho-social services. Through her work, she earned the distinct accolade of being selected as one of 200 Obama Young Leaders: Africa

Bobi Wine

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known by the stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan politician, businessman, philanthropist, musician, and actor. In April 2017, Wine announced his candidacy for parliament in an upcoming by-election for the Kyaddondo East Constituency. His door-to-door walking campaign attracted attention both in Uganda and abroad. He eventually won the election by a wide margin, beating two seasoned candidates: Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling National Resistance Movement party and Apollo Kantinti of the main opposition Forum for Democratic Change. In 2018, Wine gained increasing fame, championing the victories in most of the by-elections by the candidates he campaigned for, thus beating out the candidates of the political party in power, the National Resistance Movement, as well as the major opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change.

Magid Magid

Magid Magid, also known as Magid Mah, is a Somali-British activist and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield from May 2018 to May 2019. His appointment attracted significant media attention, as he is the first ethnic Somali, the youngest-ever, and the first Green Party councillor to hold the role. In May 2019, he was elected to the European Parliament as Green Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Wanuri Kahiu

Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan film director, producer, and author. She is most known for her 2008 film, From a Whisper, for which she she won awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture at the 2009 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Kahiu is also the co-founder of AFROBUBBLEGUM, a media collective dedicated to supporting African art. In June 2019, Queerty named her one of the Pride50 “trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people”.