Jul 14th, 2008 · The new album from the Philadelphia hip-hop band The Roots contains verses from the perspective of a child soldier in Sierra Leone, a campus shooter in America, and those in the grip of addictions. Rising Down may be the group's best album.
Feb 15th, 2008 · The funky afro-beat/reggae band, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, formed while in West African refugee camps filled with Sierra Leoneans who fled the nation's brutal civil war. Farai Chideya talks with two members of the group -- Reuben and Black Nature -- about the healing power of West African reggae and soul.
Jan 8th, 2008 · The war crimes trial of the former Liberian president has resumed in the Hague. Charles Taylor is accused of orchestrating rape, murder and mutilation and using child soldiers during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Prosecutors say he was after that country's diamond wealth.
Dec 25th, 2007 · At a swearing-in cermony at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Alex Chadwick finds out why these immigrants -- from Mexico, Iran, France and Sierra Leone, among other countries -- wanted to become citizens. Many point to the opportunity to vote.
Jul 2nd, 2007 · In a novel, Aminatta Forna writes about the effects of Sierra Leone's civil war on the country's women. She was just 11 when her father was hanged for treason in Sierra Leone and her family fled. Her story is part of a series of conversations about war and literature.
Jun 25th, 2007 · Charles Taylor, the former Liberian President, has again boycotted his high-profile trial in the Hague for war crimes, prompting judges to delay the case until next week. He was indicted for his alleged involvement backing rebels in the brutal war in neighboring Sierra Leone.
Jun 25th, 2007 · Former Liberian President Charles Taylor again boycotts the proceedings at The Hague. He is accused of orchestrating a terror campaign in Sierra Leone.
Jun 12th, 2007 · The members of the Refugee All Stars are all survivors of Sierra Leone's bloody civil war. Their music tells stories of survival, of living in exile, and of returning home. Members of the Refugee All Stars tell their stories of courage, song and return.