By Grace Barber-Plentie Other than the photos of Lucille Bluth and J-Lo looking pissed off that I’ve carefully saved to use as reaction photos to white people doing, saying, or writing thoughtless stuff, there are about a million unfinished essays, or think pieces – whatever you want to call them – saved on my computer. All of them are about my identity as a black, or to be more specific,
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By Jonelle Twum Allow us to define identity within its nature to presume belonging, existence and survival. Rationally and reductively, identity predicates belonging. Our initial identity formation commences with the integrity of a name. The nameless remain unseen in societies whose functions are constrained by labels, standardisations and regulations. In the evolution of life, identity unravels (un)naturally in a flux of circumstances and discontinues somewhat with death. As an endless
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By Eleanor T. Khonje “Our home is defined by the many footprints that we have left in the many spaces.” Ever since I can remember, I have always found a sense of myself, some sort of inexplicable and spiritual solace, in what I call in-between spaces. I have always felt that this is the space where I can fully be understood as myself; where on the days I feel
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By Ndeye Diobaye I am a black person in my home country, and thus a minority; but my assigned identity is ambiguous here. I’m not totally African, nor do I feel entitled to the title of “Expatriate.” The term “expat” carries its exclusivity through borders and lands; it is internationally reserved for white people. As such, the hype that builds on ‘living the expat life’ is one of the various outcomes
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By Sekai Makoni When I heard the theme for this month was ‘identity’, the word crisis as an appendage kept coming to mind. As a mixed person it, it seems as though the word “crisis” is constantly attached to identity, as though there is confusion somewhere. This is problematic. Other phrases that have become synonymous with “mixed race” include: ‘unsure of themselves’, ‘in-between’, ‘not one, not the other’, etc. It
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By Vanessa Jubey Tufts of straight hair stand at attention on top of the small waves below. The straight ends are almost successful at hiding what’s underneath, that hair of resistance. They stick up like antennae. My hair is saturated with deep conditioner. I grab the scissors and take a snip, then another; and another. What was my hair now sits lifeless on the floor. I look at myself
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By Gabrielle G. Renewal, to me, meant finding peace of mind and discovering who I was. Having been so caught up in the stresses of society and the outside world, I began to feel overwhelmed. It felt as though I wasn’t doing anything for the benefit or sole purpose of ME. I did everything I was told to do, everything I was supposed to do: went to school full-time
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By Yovanka Perdigao So the VMAS happened, and as usual, were laced with tense energies and straight-out strange appearances, comments, and even an announcement of a new presidential candidate. The moment, however, that we all need to remember, folks, is not Yeezy, and not even Miley’s antics. What we need to remember is Nicki Minaj who came into the spotlight as a feminist icon. I am going to break
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By Yovanka Perdigao I cut my hair, like really short, just about a month ago. “Why is this noteworthy of an article,” you may think? Well, my family hails from many places, including São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, and Guinea Bissau, all ex-colonies of Portugal. Most of my family currently live in Lisbon, and it was in that city that I came to understand what ‘blackness’, ‘whiteness’, ‘racism’ and
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By Lydia Naomi Rose Recently, I had a conversation with a young black man of 19 years old. I have known him since he was a child and after years of not seeing him, it was great to see how much he had grown up. We discussed a wide array of issues including alternative education for young Black British students and his future career endeavours. Eventually, the conversation took a