ethnicity
Caught in the crossfire

Caught in the crossfire

Kenya: Armed and dangerous Desperate and ruthless gangs find firearms widely available in Nairobi’s slums, presenting a constant security risk to the city’s residents A message posted on a Kenyan Facebook group known...

Hostile terms

Hostile terms

Africa: ‘tribalism’ Over a century of deeply racist Western literature continues to influence notions of ‘blackness’ and what it means to be an African By Milton Allimadi When I wrote my master’s paper at the Graduate...

Creole rising

Creole rising

West Africa: new languages Pidgin and creole emerged to serve trade, but what of their longer-term use and acceptance? By Simon Akam When I lived in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, my house had a collection of books...

Between a rock and a hard place

Between a rock and a hard place

Swaziland: monarchical abuse Childhood links to the motherland seem to require a certain patriotism, yet the country is troubled by a self-serving ruler By Bheki Mashile From a young age I came to admire the notions of...

Unpacking white privilege

Unpacking white privilege

South Africa: race relations When white ‘allies’ want to make a difference will there still be space for their contribution? By Rian Malan The great struggle of my life thus far has been to come to terms with and, if...