Afropolitan Projects: Redefining Blackness, Sexualities, and Culture

In this review of Afropolitan Projects: Redefining Blackness, Sexualities, and Culture from Houston to Accra, the reviewer finds a focused ethnographic study that will appeal to scholars and readers interested in contemporary African diasporic identities. The book's clearest strength is its comparative lens, tracing how Ghanaian elites in Houston and Accra negotiate class, race, religion, and particularly queer sexuality through everyday cultural practices. For readers seeking nuanced, field-based analysis rather than polemic, this book delivers a grounded account of what the author calls Afropolitan projects.

Key Features

• Comparative ethnography: The study moves between Houston and Accra to reveal how place shapes articulations of Blackness and belonging.
• Focus on elites: Attention to privileged classes shows how global belonging is enacted through consumption, social networks, and cultural politics.
• Sexuality and queerness: A sustained focus on queer sexuality offers insight into contemporary sexual politics within Ghanaian and diasporic contexts.
• Everyday practices: The book emphasizes quotidian cultural practices to explain identity formation beyond broad narratives like Africa Rising.
• Political and cultural scope: Discussions of nationalism and pan-Africanism connect local life to wider debates about race, class, and religion.
• Ethnographic grounding: Field-based descriptions and interviews give readers concrete examples of Afropolitan expression.

Who It's For

This book is best for graduate students, scholars, and informed readers interested in cultural and ethnic studies, African diaspora studies, and sexuality studies who want a comparative, ethnographic perspective. It serves as a useful case study for courses on transnationalism, identity politics, and African modernities.

Readers seeking a broad survey of all African cities or a popular history may find the narrow focus on Ghanaian elites in two cities limiting; those wanting accessible, non-academic narratives might prefer a different, more general audience book.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear comparative approach that highlights differences and continuities between Accra and Houston.
• Thoughtful, field-based treatment of queer sexuality within Ghanaian and diasporic communities.
• Strong emphasis on everyday cultural politics provides concrete examples rather than abstract theory.

Cons

• The focus on privileged classes means less attention to non-elite experiences, which narrows the book's generalizability.

Specifications

Title	Afropolitan Projects: Redefining Blackness, Sexualities, and Culture from Houston to Accra
Author	Anima Adjepong
Scope	Comparative ethnography of Ghanaian communities in Houston and Accra
Main themes	Race, class, sexuality, religion, national and pan-African cultural politics
Primary focus	Afropolitan projects among privileged classes
Method	Ethnographic fieldwork and interviews

Our Verdict

Afropolitan Projects is a valuable, well-grounded ethnographic study for readers who want a nuanced, place-sensitive account of how Ghanaian elites produce global belonging and contest sexual and cultural norms. Its attention to queer sexuality and everyday practice makes it excellent value for scholars and students, though readers seeking broader or non-elite perspectives should supplement it with additional sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book compare life in the US and Ghana?
Yes, the author alternates focus between Houston and Accra to highlight how context influences Afropolitan expressions.

Is queer sexuality a central topic?
Yes, the book pays particular attention to queer sexuality and the contemporary sexual politics of Afropolitan projects.

Is this accessible for non-academic readers?
It is written as an ethnographic study and is most accessible to readers comfortable with academic analysis, though interested general readers will still find rich examples.