Alexis Okeowo is a journalist whose career and heritage transcend continents. She’s the daughter of Nigerian parents, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and a globally recognized expert on grassroots resistance to extremism in African nations. Okeowo’s brand of solutions-oriented conflict zone reporting is exemplified in her latest book, A Moonless, Starless Sky: Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa — which just picked up the 2018 PEN America Literary Award! This literary honor celebrates authors of color for groundbreaking books in any genre.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Alexis Okeowo for a conversation on the evolution of conflict reporting and how peace can become a featured story.  

PHOTO: AU UN IST PHOTO / TOBIN JONES

Girls line up during a basketball drill in Mogadishu, Somalia. Banned under the extremist group, Al Shabaab, Basketball is once again making a resurgence in Mogadishu.