In a recent episode of the MTV documentary series, “Rebel Music,” Wagner College global and African history professor Ousmane Traore helps us understand the modern history of his native Senegal. The episode, titled “Senegal: Ready for Change,” focuses on Y’en a Marre (in English, “I’m Fed Up” or “Enough is Enough”), a popular political movement spearheaded by the socially engaged hip-hop duo Keur Gui and social media guru Denise Safiatou Sow, assistant director of the 2013 feature documentary film, “Boy Saloum: la révolte des Y'en a marre” (which you can watch streaming on YouTube).
Y’en a Marre fulfills the classic function of protest movements — speaking truth to power — in the highly charged political environment of Senegal. During the Senegal’s 2012 presidential elections, Y’en a Marre helped defeat the Liberal Party, which had held power since 2000. Now, “Enough is Enough” is nurturing a movement across Africa by inspiring youth political movements, activists and artists to organize and agitate to promote democracy and social justice and fight poverty and hunger.
Watch the complete episode, “Senegal: Ready for Change,” featuring Prof. Ousmane Traore, here:
https://youtu.be/odEZRptBMrA
For more about the “Rebel Music” episode, “Senegal: Ready for Change,” read the story by Gil Kaufman on the MTV website.
