How would one celebrate the exploration of Africa without being accused of racism?

BUT WHAT DO ALL YOUR GEARS CONNECT TO????

PFFFFT. THE GEARS DO NOT CONNECT TO ANYTHING, THEY SYMBOLIZE THE GENIUS AND MAD SCIENCE SKILLZ OF THE WEARER. Or something.

But Steampunkish middle-grade fantasy novels are still cool, right?

Absolutely! There's a LOT about steampunk that I like, especially in reading material. But the people who are organizing/attending steampunk events sometimes make me want to edge away while saying "I'm not with them". Of course, I'm only on the fringes of the steampunk movement, which is why I'm always the person moderating the Goth vs. Steampunk: subculture relatives panel.

staying in a haunted hotel on Halloween and going to a seance conducted by an illusionist/escape artist is a pretty unique opportunity, right?

You must go. You MUST. And then tell me all about it.

To be honest, it wouldn't bother me as much as it does if everyone doing it quit trying to put on a British accent.

OMG.

But Steampunkish middle-grade fantasy novels are still cool, right?

I have read the middle-grade fantasy in question and I say yes, without a doubt. Still cool.

The books (not yours) that seem to be created using some sort of matrix of profitability where YA + (Steampunk - whimsy) + LOTS AND LOTS OF COGS WITH SCIENCE THAT MAKES NO SENSE? nsm ... ahem.

How would one celebrate the exploration of Africa without being accused of racism?

Well, Africa was hardly unknown to the people who lived there. Which is rather the problem with celebrating explorations and discoveries. The Native Americans knew very well where they were when Columbus arrived: he in fact was the one who was lost!

Yeah, I'd go with "Explorer." You could reference historical figures such as Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon [link] Matthew Henson (African American, may have been the first person to reach the geographic north pole in 1909--Edwardian's still ok, right?) [link] or Nain Singh Rawat [link]

They're all male, though. The female explorers I've found from around that period have been pretty much European/American.

I will, but I suspect that the people behind the event really REALLY want to wear pith helmets and feel like they're the heroes in a Rider Haggard novel.

I'd suggest Oswald Bastable again, but but I suspect the people you are talking ab out would totally miss the point, assuming they knew who Bastable was in the first place.

Whooo. Well, never mind. I just talked to one of the event organizers, let them know about the current RaceFail happening in the subculture, and gently suggested that "Safari" may need re-thinking. He nodded a lot, and said something along the lines of, "But we're reinterpreting the history the way we want it to, without the awful parts", and "We've all talked about it, and we don't want to cater to the whims of people who rant about imperialism any time someone wears a pith helmet."

Oooookaaay, then. Not going to that event next year, nope.

Wow. OK they are way beyond the point where Bastable could help.