Abstract

Our third and final assignment was a multimedia project, and the main written part was the artist statement. For my project, I made a TikTok-style visual essay about Senegalese politics, focusing on how political power can seem to move from one leader to the next like a family legacy. My video looks at corruption, the repetition of political patterns, and whether Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the new president, represents real change or just another version of the same system.

De père en fils (“From father to son”)

I titled my visual essay De père en fils (“From father to son”) because I wanted to capture how Senegalese politics can feel like a family business, where power and corruption keep passing from one leader to the next. My project traces this pattern from Abdoulaye Wade to Macky Sall, and then asks whether Bassirou Diomaye Faye represents real change or simply a new version of the same system. This topic matters to me because my generation and I are tired of seeing political power treated like an inheritance instead of a responsibility to the people. 

My main argument is that even when Senegal gets new presidents, the deep culture of corruption and political self-protection often remains the same. Leaders continue to favor their own interests, make promises that they won’t keep, and distance themselves from the public that they are supposed to serve. They only engage with people when they need to distract people from their wrongdoings. This pattern appears in the transition from Abdoulaye Wade to Macky Sall, and it still raises questions under Bassirou Diomaye Faye, especially as people debate whether his government is truly breaking it or continuing the same political structure. 

I chose to present this work as a 1-2 minute TikTok-style edit because that format speaks directly to young people, especially in a media space where political opinions, protest footage, and public reaction spread quickly. The edit style is fast, emotional, and visual, which makes it effective for showing how corruption is not just a policy issue but a lived reality and cycle. TikTok also feels appropriate because Senegalese youth use social media to organize, share opinions, and challenge power tremendously. Since I do not often see edits about Senegal’s political situation, I wanted to use this format to make the subject feel seen.

One of my main rhetorical strategies is the “family album” concept. I use clips of Wade, Sall, and Faye to connect them visually and suggest continuity across generations of leadership. I also include protest footage because it brings in public anger and resistance, showing that people have not been passive towards the corruption. Together, these choices create a contrast between political image and public reality. The result is meant to feel personal, historical, and political at the same time.

My audience is mostly young people, especially those in Senegal or in the diaspora who care about what is happening back home. I want them to think critically about political power and question whether the new president is our exit to this vicious cycle. I also want them to feel the frustration and urgency that many people have expressed over the years. At the same time, I want the piece to leave viewers with a sense that they should stay alert and keep demanding accountability.

For research, I used reporting and data on corruption in Senegal from Transparency International, which helps place my project within a broader conversation about corruption, public trust, and political accountability. I was also inspired by news clips and protest footage because those images help communicate the emotional weight of the topic in a direct way. The visual essay relies on editing, pacing, and contrast between clips to make the argument feel stronger. In that sense, the technique is not just decorative, it is part of the meaning of the project.

Overall, this project taught me that visual argument is just as important as written argument. I learned that the order of images, the rhythm of cuts, and the choice of sound all shape how the audience understands a message. I am proud of the direction of this piece because it reflects both my interest in Senegalese politics and my desire to speak to my generation in a format they actually engage with.

Research and sources

Transparency International. “CPI 2023 for Sub-Saharan Africa: Impunity for Corrupt Officials,….” Transparency.org, 30 Jan. 2024, www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2023-sub-saharan-africa-corruption-impunity-civic-space-access-justice.

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Here is the video